The Biden administration on Monday launched a program that would allow Americans to sponsor Ukrainian refugees and allow them to stay in the United States temporarily under a system known as humanitarian parole.
The program, called Uniting for Ukraine, is part of a larger initiative to temporarily resettle 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, but migrants themselves cannot apply directly. Instead, a sponsor in the United States must apply on their behalf, and then migrants can complete the process after their sponsor is approved.
This is how the program works:
US sponsors
Most people legally resident in the United States — including green card holders and other immigrants — can apply to sponsor Ukrainian migrants, as long as they can demonstrate that they can support them financially. This may include providing room and board or direct payments to refugees for essential expenses.
Sponsors must identify specific refugees to help. Welcome.US, a humanitarian group for the resettlement of refugees, has created a mailing list for people interested in becoming a sponsor.
Here’s a step-by-step process of how sponsors can apply:
Visit the web portal for the program at dhs.gov/ukraine.
Submit an I-134 form. This document helps prove that the sponsor can financially support the Ukrainians while they are in the United States. Sponsors must document their own income and assets, as well as the income and assets of the migrants and families being sponsored.
The sponsor will then go through a government vetting process “to protect against exploitation and abuse” of the migrants, according to instructions on the web portal. Officials reviewing the application may also ask the sponsor for additional supporting evidence or a pre-approval interview.
Sponsor will be notified in writing upon approval.
Ukrainian migrants
Ukrainian citizens and their children and spouses or common law partners may be eligible for humanitarian parole under the program. They do not need to be in Ukraine now, but must have fled after February 11.
After their sponsor is approved, Ukrainians and families named in the application will be notified of the next steps in the process.
Those include:
Confirmation of personal information – such as names, dates of birth, phone numbers and addresses – as well as family relationships using a myUSCIS account.
Providing proof of vaccination against measles, polio and the coronavirus.
Passing security checks.
Have a medical screening for tuberculosis within 14 days of arriving in the United States.
After completing the necessary steps, migrants will be notified of final approval and authorization to travel to the United States through myUSCIS. Migrants must then enter the United States within 90 days and are responsible for arranging their travel once approved.
Other questions
How long can a Ukrainian migrant stay?
Ukrainian migrants approved for the program can stay for up to two years. They can also apply for permission to work in the United States once they arrive.
How long does the process take?
The government said the program was intended to be faster than the usual immigration process, but could not say how long it would take.
Can a Ukrainian already in the United States apply?
Ukrainians already in the United States cannot apply for humanitarian parole. However, they can apply for temporary protected status, which allows them to stay and work for up to 18 months, as long as they have been in the United States since April 11 or earlier.
What will happen to the Ukrainians on the Mexican border now?
The Biden administration closed the border to Ukrainian migrants on Monday. Anyone still in Mexico can apply for humanitarian parole with a sponsor, but must await approval before entering the United States.
How much does it cost to apply?
There is no fee for Ukrainians to apply for humanitarian parole through this program. Submitting a humanitarian parole through the standard form costs $575 per person. Ukrainians who have already paid that fee through another pending application can get it back.