How long does it take to apply for U4U in 2023, is it possible for Ukrainians to work in the USA, what is the best way to look for a sponsor? Answers to these and other questions are given by expert Egor Levchenko.
For a year and a half, the United States has been offering Ukrainians who are fleeing a full-scale war the opportunity to move overseas and stay in the country under the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) humanitarian program for up to 2 years. According to Visitukraine Today (https://visitukraine.today/), more than 270,000 refugees have taken advantage of this opportunity. But interest in U4U remains consistently high, and it is often heard that the conditions for participants are allegedly changing, and the checks on applicants are becoming more stringent. Together with Egor Levchenko, a volunteer and founder of TransAtlantic Connection, a platform for helping refugees and migrants from Ukraine, we will try to answer the most frequent questions about the Uniting for Ukraine program.
First of all, we will briefly describe the main conditions for participation in U4U for Ukrainians, and only then move on to the FAQ format.
The essence of the Uniting for Ukraine program for Ukrainian refugees: basic points
For Ukrainians and their immediate families, due to the full-scale invasion of Russia, the US government has simplified the procedure for entering their country. So, instead of a difficult and rather expensive visa application in the current conditions (namely, from April 21, 2022), refugees can arrive and stay in the United States for up to 2 years under the Uniting for Ukraine program. The result of the procedure for participation in the U4U is the provision of the so-called humanitarian parole with the subsequent receipt of asylum in the United States. In simple words, it is an analogue of a visa that allows you to cross the border and stay in America.
One of the specific features of the U4U program is that Ukrainians cannot apply for participation in the program on their own. They need a sponsor — a person who agrees to provide financial support to a Ukrainian (his family) arriving in the United States. It is the sponsor who submits an application to USCIS (https://www.uscis.gov/) – the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, filling out a special Form I-134 on behalf of the refugee. Here you can find the contact details of the Ukrainian applicant.
The next stage is the verification of the sponsor by the US government, and if the application is approved, the Ukrainian receives information directly (to his contact e-mail) about further actions that allow him to obtain humanitarian parole and entry permission from the American customs - CBP (https://www.cbp.gov/).
When approving an application for humanitarian parole, a Ukrainian will need to create an account on the myUSCIS platform, submit the necessary applications for minor children, and fulfill all vaccination requirements (and we are talking not only about coronavirus, but also about other infectious diseases, such as polio and measles). Then a further check is carried out, and information about the result will appear on the myUSCIS portal - obtaining the right to enter and stay in the United States for 2 years. Once humanitarian parole is granted, you can enter the United States within 90 days.
According to Egor Levchenko, a Ukrainian migrant who moved overseas back in 2018 and is now actively helping his compatriots, all the details about Uniting for Ukraine should be found either on the USCIS website or in the profile section of the US Department of Homeland Security DHS (https://www.dhs.gov/ukraine).
"Don't worry if your knowledge of English is far from ideal," the volunteer notes. — All key information has been translated into Ukrainian and Russian. On these sites, there is a well-visible button-link like "read ukrainian". USCIS and DHS are official U.S. government agencies, that is, sources of information that can be trusted – they are not the press or a blog, where someone's private opinion can be published and not necessarily true. Therefore, I advise you to just carefully and slowly read all the available official data. If you don't understand, then you can read everything again, then there will be no contradictory moments. If something is still not clear, then you should contact volunteers, lawyers or those compatriots who have already used U4U."
Has the limit for Uniting for Ukraine already been exceeded, new applications are not being considered?
No. Talk that the United States will satisfy only 100,000/200/300,000 applications and that's it is not true. There are no restrictions and there have never been. The task of the U4U program is to help as many Ukrainians as possible who are forced to leave their country due to the Russian invasion and have applied to the American government for temporary asylum.
Is it true that U4U application checks have become stricter?
It is difficult to answer this question unequivocally. As Egor Levchenko notes, there have been no official reports from the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on this matter: "There was no such thing that some migration official said that we will check applicants more carefully and will give a negative answer to appeals more often."
At the same time, quite authoritative news publications, including the Voice of America, reported on this, for example, in this publication (https://www.holosameryky.com/a/u4u-refugees-displaced-persons-ukrainians-emigration-law/7145571.html). Almost all of the online media outlets that have disseminated this report refer either to this primary source or to immigration lawyer Iryna Mazur, who represents the Ukraine Immigration Task Force. She, in turn, helps Ukrainian refugees and migrants and refers to practical cases. Vetting procedures have become more scrupulous, with U.S. Immigration and Immigration Service officials asking more questions than they did before.
It is logical that in the first months of the war, when the flow of refugees was at its maximum, the speed of processing applications played a decisive role. At that time, most applications were approved. In 2023, when the relevant processes have stabilized, the authorized bodies can work in a more usual mode. When there are no huge queues at the American border checkpoint in Europe, employees of the Migration Service can ask clarifying questions from Ukrainians - where exactly they are going, where they were at the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, etc. This is normal, but it does not mean that it is now impossible or very difficult to use Uniting for Ukraine. It's more speculation."
Can only Ukrainians get to the U.S. via U4U?
No. Under the program, citizens of our country and their immediate family members who have a passport of another state have the right to enter the United States. Who is considered an immediate relative? These are children under 21 years of age, a spouse or civil partner. At the same time, minors must stay in America with their parents or guardians. But grandmothers, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc., who are not Ukrainians (we are talking about passports, not nationalities), will not be able to enter the United States together with the refugee.
"In my practice, there was a single case when you could think that the U4U program is only for Ukrainians," says Egor Levchenko. "One woman turned to us for help, saying that her husband, who has a residence permit in Ukraine, but has a Russian passport, was not given humanitarian parole. Why did this happen? Probably, it is the Russian passport. An aggravating factor may have been the fact that he did not go with her right away. It's important to understand that U4U is not a family reunification program."
Can Ukrainian citizens who are already in the U.S. participate in Uniting for Ukraine?
No. But those who ended up in America after April 2022 can obtain TPS status, which you can read more about here (https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/TPS-Ukraine). In fact, we are talking about a request for asylum in the States. By the way, U4U is de jure not required for those who are already in the United States — after all, humanitarian parole is primarily the right to enter the United States.
If the request for Uniting for Ukraine is denied, is there no way for Ukrainians to get to the United States?
It's not that. Ukrainians can apply for various types of visas, including in connection with employment, education, etc. It is clear that this process is quite complicated and bureaucratic, but the fact remains.
Another option for Ukrainians who are fleeing the war but have not been approved for the U4U application is the classic asylum request procedure. So, at the point of arrival (for example, at the airport), you can request asylum. Each such application is considered individually, and the Uniting for Ukraine program is a different procedure from a purely legal point of view.
Egor Levchenko, evaluating the cases of other Ukrainians, recommends finding out the reasons for the U4U refusal, finalizing the application or looking for another sponsor in order to get approval as a result. Applying for asylum is a rather sensitive topic with additional risks of rejection.
Is the U4U application free or paid?
Filing Form I-134 is free of charge, as is the entire procedure for participating in the Uniting for Ukraine program: there are no fees or charges. But it should be borne in mind that all the necessary vaccinations before the trip and upon arrival are paid by the participant. Also, it is he who must organize and pay for his move (in this case, it is most often a flight). Another potential expense item for Ukrainians is obtaining a work permit - for this you need to fill out a special form (https://www.uscis.gov/i-765) and pay a fee of $ 410 according to the general rules. However, today Ukrainians can be exempted from this fee.
Who can be a sponsor? Only U.S. citizens?
The sponsor doesn't have to be American. As part of the Uniting for Ukraine program, sponsorship by other persons located in the United States is also allowed. First of all, they must have an official status in the United States, for example, a residence permit, refugee status (a person who has been granted asylum). In addition, even another Ukrainian who has previously received humanitarian parole can theoretically act as a sponsor for other applicants.
"U.S. federal agencies are looking at the sponsor's financial information, which is reported on the I-134 form," says Egor Levchenko. "Although there are no clear requirements for the amount of funds that the sponsor must have, before approving the application, authorized persons must find out whether the sponsor will be able to support Ukrainians participating in the U4U program."
How should the sponsor help?
Obligations under the U4U program include pick-up and drop-off on arrival, accommodation for the duration of humanitarian parole, assistance with paperwork, including insurance arrangements, work permit requests, etc.
"According to the law, Ukrainians should be provided with affordable and safe housing," says Egor Levchenko. "But there are no clearer criteria in this regard. In general, you need to be ready to find and pay for housing on your own if, for example, you want to live without neighbors (not in the sponsor's house). But refugees should not be afraid of finding themselves without a roof over their heads. We will only note that Ukrainians will have to pay for housing on their own when they decide to rent an apartment/house themselves or find an official job and receive their first salary."
How do I find a sponsor in the U.S. for the U4U program?
There are different options, for example, through acquaintances or relatives in the United States. In addition, there are specialized services, such as WelcomeConnect (https://welcomeconnect.service-now.com/welcome/?id=welcome_login) or TransAtlantic Connection (https://egorlevchenko.wixsite.com/my-site).
Can Ukrainians be officially employed within the framework of U4U?
Yes, this option is provided by the program. The holder of humanitarian parole is allowed to officially work in the United States. In 2022, it was additionally necessary to pay a fee for filing an application for appropriate destruction with USCIS. But since the end of 2022, Ukrainians, if they apply online or by mail, are exempt from the $410 payment that is usually charged for this permit.
Quick FAQ
It is difficult to answer all questions about the Uniting for Ukraine program in detail within one article. Therefore, some of the questions will be supplemented with brief but informative answers from Egor Levchenko.
- Can I reapply if I have already been to the U.S. but then returned to Ukraine?
The law does not prohibit this, but there will be additional questions to the applicant from migration specialists.
- How long are applications processed in 2023?
Usually, the whole process takes a few months. The deadlines have increased against the background of 2022.
- I have been granted asylum in Turkey (another country), can I get humanitarian parole for U4U?
It is unlikely that if there is asylum in another country, then the application is likely to be rejected.
- Is it possible to get free health insurance with U4U?
Yes, for example, it could be the state Medicaid program, which applies to people with low incomes.
- Can a 16-year-old child come to the U.S. on U4U on his own if there are relatives there?
No, minors can move to the United States under the program only with their parents or legal guardians.
- Before the start of the big war, we were not in Ukraine, can we get to the United States with U4U?
The condition for obtaining humanitarian parole is to stay in Ukraine until February 11, 2022. But there are rare cases when the U.S. Immigration Service has made an exception for applicants who have been abroad before. That is, you can try.
- I have a visa to Canada, can I participate in U4U?
A visa to another country does not affect the ability to participate in the program. In other words, U4U is not closed to you.
Still have questions? You can ask Egor Levchenko, other volunteers or lawyers who today advise Ukrainians for free. And once again, we remind you to trust only official sources of information, and in our case, these are American federal services and local legislation.