In honoring its commitment to help Ukrainians fleeing the war, the U.S. has established “Uniting for Ukraine,” a new program that grants two-year humanitarian parole for Ukrainian nationals with financial support in the U.S. Under this program, Ukrainian nationals must have a supporter who agrees to provide financial support during their stay in the U.S. and pass all background and vaccination requirements. If approved, the person or family will be granted entry to the U.S. and may apply for work authorization in the USA during their stay.
A limited number of applicants will be accepted under this program, so now is the time to act! If you are from Ukraine or familiar with Ukrainian citizens in need who wish to come to the U.S., please contact us immediately for help. Our immigration law firm has handled hundreds of humanitarian parole applications and has positioned in the forefront of assisting Ukrainian nationals seek refuge in the U.S. It is important to meet all the requirements and file well-documented applications as Ukrainians who present themselves at U.S. ports of entry without a valid visa or without pre-authorization to travel through “Uniting for Ukraine” may be denied entry and returned to their country of origin.
Ukrainian nationals may be eligible for this humanitarian parole if they:
- Resided in Ukraine up through February 11, 2022, and have been forced to leave Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion;
- Posses a Ukrainian passport and are a Ukrainian citizen, or are a non-Ukrainian citizen but an immediate family member of a Ukrainian citizen applying through Uniting for Ukraine;
- Have a U.S. financial supporter who filed a Declaration of Financial Support, and USCIS has approved that Declaration;
- Complete all vaccinations and health requirements and;
- Clear security background screening and vetting.
If you are a Ukrainian national, or you know someone who may qualify based on the above requirements, and you wish to support their travel to the U.S., our immigration law firm is ready and able to assist with this process.
HOW TO APPLY:
The first step in applying for this process is for the U.S. Supporter to complete the Declaration of Financial Support. The U.S. Supporter must be someone with lawful status in the United States, such as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, or people who are Refugees, have received DACA, or who have been paroled into the U.S. Additionally, if you wish to volunteer as a U.S. Supporter, it is important you check with an experienced immigration attorney to ensure your financial ability can support a Ukrainian citizen or family and that you don’t have any security background issues that might make you ineligible to sponsor. USCIS will require the U.S. Supporter to undergo a security background check to ensure the safety of the Ukrainian nationals. The U.S. Supporter must then provide evidence they are financially able to receive, maintain, and support the beneficiary listed in the Declaration of Financial Support. This evidence and income may vary depending on the number of beneficiaries you wish to support. You must obtain competent and experienced immigration attorneys to assist you with this process.
Second, the U.S. Supporter submits the Declaration of Financial Support with USCIS, and if the U.S. Supporter is approved, USCIS will contact the Ukrainian national to complete the security background check. The Ukrainian national will be required to create an online account, follow detailed instructions on submitting all required biographic information, and attest to completing all eligibility requirements. Our immigration law firm, with over 100 years of collective experience assisting foreign nationals, is committed to ensuring that these instructions are followed correctly to avoid any unnecessary delays.
Third, once the background checks have been completed, the Ukrainian national will receive a notice on their online account to confirm all required vaccination requirements. If the Ukrainian national has not received all required vaccinations, they may receive the first dose of any required vaccine before traveling to the U.S. and finalizing the required vaccination upon arrival to the U.S.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER APPROVAL
Once the Ukrainian national has completed all the requirements, USCIS will notify them of their approval through their online account. This approval will be valid for 90 days, and the Ukrainian national will be responsible for securing travel to the United States. The Ukrainian national must meet all COVID-19 CDC travel requirements, including a pre-departure test for COVID-19 (such as a PCR test).
Upon arrival to the U.S., the Ukrainian national will be inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and considered for parole for a period of up to two years. CBP will have the discretion to place conditions on this parole. Additionally, all individuals two years of age or older must complete a medical screening for tuberculosis within two weeks of arrival to the U.S.
Once those approved for parole under the Uniting for Ukraine have been allowed to enter the U.S., they may elect to apply for employment authorization with USCIS. Once approved for employment authorization, the parolee may be eligible to work for any employer in the U.S. without sponsorship and be able to support themselves and their family while in the United States.
Our firm has assisted thousands of individuals to seek refuge in the U.S. through various means and apply for employment authorization to begin building a life while in the U.S. We already have received requests to assist Ukrainian nationals coming to the U.S., so if you or anyone you know are willing to step in and help a Ukrainian in need, please also let us know, as we will try to match families with sponsors as best as we can. It is important to contact an experienced immigration attorney handling various humanitarian immigration cases to ensure your process of helping a Ukrainian friend or loved one come to the U.S. is as quick and efficient as possible.
For additional information, if you know someone in need or if you are willing to help, please contact our Marketing Manager Raquel at rmichelena@visa-pros.com