The United States announced the Union for Ukraine program in April, a key step in fulfilling President Biden's commitment to welcome Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.
The program provides a pathway for displaced Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members outside the United States to come to the country and remain for a two-year period of temporary parole. Ukrainians participating in Union for Ukraine must have a sponsor in the United States who agrees to provide them with financial support during their stay. They will also be eligible to apply for discretionary employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Some eligibility requirements for program sponsors and beneficiaries include:
The first step in the process is for the sponsor, who resides in the United States, to file Form I-134, Affidavit of Support, with USCIS. The sponsor will be vetted by the U.S. government to ensure they can financially support the person they hope to sponsor.
Among the list of people who can be sponsors are the
U.S. citizens and nationals, lawful permanent residents (including legal temporary residents and conditional permanent residents), and nonimmigrants in legal status, among others. Additionally, these individuals must be willing and able to receive, support, and provide for the beneficiary listed on Form I-134 for the duration of their stay.
Furthermore, beneficiaries include immediate family members, the spouse or civil partner of a Ukrainian citizen, and their unmarried children under 21 years of age. Important: If a child is under 18, they must travel with a parent or legal guardian to use this process.
Similarly, Ukrainians can access this benefit if they meet certain conditions of the process, among which the following stand out:
-They resided in Ukraine immediately before the Russian invasion (until February 11, 2022) and were displaced as a result of it.
-They are Ukrainian citizens and hold a valid Ukrainian passport (or are a child included in a passport of one of their parents).
-He has a sponsor who filed a Form I-134 on his behalf that USCIS has investigated and confirmed as appropriate.
-Passes biographical and biometric security checks.
All these filters are in place to ensure that the sponsor can financially support Ukrainians and protect this population from exploitation and abuse.
However, not all Ukrainians can access this program. For example, Ukrainian citizens who were already present in the United States will not be considered for temporary stay (“parole”) under Union for Ukraine and must go through the Temporary Protected Status process. Also, minors traveling without a parent or legal guardian are not eligible for temporary stay.
Following this, and after processing all the documentation requested by USCIS, which can be found on their website, the application and supporting evidence will be reviewed to ensure that the sponsor has sufficient financial resources to sponsor the Ukrainian beneficiary. In addition, background checks on the sponsor will be conducted.
Finally, it will be determined whether Form I-134 is appropriate, and additional evidence may be requested to make that determination. Approval or denial of the application, as well as any additional information that may be requested, will be communicated via email by USCIS.
News report based on information from: US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)