Uniting for Ukraine Program and Additional Resources
By Marisa Tesoro
Uniting for Ukraine
Last week the Biden administration announced a new humanitarian parole program called Uniting for Ukraine, “a streamlined process for Ukrainian citizens who have been displaced by Russia’s aggression to apply for humanitarian parole in the United States.”
As explained in the announcement:
To be eligible, Ukrainians must have been residents in Ukraine as of February 11, 2022, have a sponsor in the United States, complete vaccinations and other public health requirements, and pass rigorous biometric and biographic screening and vetting security checks. Ukrainians approved via this process will be authorized to travel to the United States and be considered for parole, on a case-by-case basis, for a period of up to two years. Once paroled through this process, Ukrainians will be eligible for work authorization.
Beginning on April 25, 2022, U.S.-based individuals and entities can apply to DHS to sponsor Ukrainian citizens who have been displaced by Russia’s aggression through the Uniting for Ukraine process, which will go live that day on the DHS website. Any U.S. citizen or individual, including representatives of non-government organizations, can sponsor Ukrainian applicants.
They will also be rolling out measures to expand access to existing legal pathways for Ukrainian citizens:
The Department of State will expand U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) operations in Europe to provide eligible Ukrainians with greater access to refugee resettlement processing under the Lautenberg program, while also expanding referral mechanisms for Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia’s war in Ukraine who are in need of permanent resettlement.
Additional Resources
As for Ukrainians attempting to seek asylum at the Southern Border, starting Monday, that will no longer be an option except in extreme circumstances, officials said, according to reporting by the AP.
The National Immigration Forum has created an explainer about recent private sponsorship programs for refugees, including the current effort for Ukrainians and Sponsor Circles for Afghans.
Ukraine.Welcome.US
At this time, Welcome.US is in the process of partnering with resettlement agencies, service organizations and other national and local nongovernmental organizations to mobilize people to support and sponsor Ukrainians.
They’ve created a new website, Ukraine.Welcome.US, where visitors can:
Learn more about being a sponsor
Sign up to receive updates
Donate to a Welcome Fund
Donate housing through Airbnb
Donate airline miles
Purchase essential goods (coming soon)
Their existing Welcome Exchange has also been expanded to meet the needs of Ukrainian arrivals.
As a state, we have welcomed nearly 200 Ukrainian refugees since 2015, and we’ll do our best to help you prepare to welcome more newcomers in the coming weeks and months.
Please let us know if you have any further questions, and we’ll pass along more details and updates as they become available.