Ukraine humanitarian parole through the Uniting for Ukraine program is closed to new applicants as of January 28, 2025, but USCIS resumed processing re-parole requests in August 2025 for Ukrainians already living in the United States under the program. If you are outside the United States, there is currently no way to begin the process. If you are already here on parole, you can apply to extend it, and Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine remains available through October 19, 2026 as a separate track.
What the January 2025 Suspension Changed
An executive order titled “Securing Our Borders,” signed January 20, 2025, directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to terminate categorical parole programs contrary to the administration’s policies. USCIS paused acceptance of Form I-134A, the supporter form that initiates the process, effective January 28, 2025.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Update on Form I-134A
The impact falls into three groups:
- People outside the U.S.: No new supporter forms are being accepted. There is no way to begin the Uniting for Ukraine process from abroad.
- Pending cases and previously issued authorizations: Applications filed before the pause may not be processed, and some travel authorizations already issued have been canceled. Even a beneficiary holding a still-valid travel authorization can be denied entry at a port of entry.
- People already in the U.S. on Uniting for Ukraine parole: Re-parole is being processed again as of August 2025.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainian Citizens and Their Immediate Family Members
Re-Parole: Who Qualifies
Re-parole is the only piece of Uniting for Ukraine actively moving right now. To be eligible, you must meet every one of the following:2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainian Citizens and Their Immediate Family Members
- You are a Ukrainian citizen or an immediate family member of one, and you were paroled into the United States on or after February 11, 2022.
- You can show that urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit justifies a new parole period.
- You are physically present in the United States when you apply.
- You complied with the conditions of your original parole.
- You clear biographic and biometric background checks.
When and How to File
Re-parole requests use Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records. File no earlier than 180 days before your current parole expires. Filing earlier than that risks rejection with no refund of the filing fee.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainian Citizens and Their Immediate Family Members
If you file online, select the option for an Advance Parole Document and confirm you are applying for re-parole. Fee waivers are not available for online filings. If you file by mail, write “Ukraine RE-PAROLE” at the top of the form and, if needed, include a fee waiver request on Form I-912. Attach evidence of your initial parole, such as a copy of Form I-94 or a USCIS-issued Employment Authorization Document.
You will also need to complete vaccine and medical screening attestations inside your USCIS online account. That includes measles, polio, and COVID-19 vaccinations, and a tuberculosis screening using an Interferon-Gamma Release Assay test within 90 days.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainian Citizens and Their Immediate Family Members
What Happens if Your Parole Expires
Once your parole period ends, if you have not obtained another status or filed for re-parole, you are no longer in a period of authorized stay. You lose employment authorization and can be placed into removal proceedings. USCIS has said that if a re-parole application is denied and you have no other pending immigration benefit, you may be issued a Notice to Appear before an immigration judge.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions About the Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainians and Their Immediate Family Members
Parole is temporary by design. A parolee has not been formally admitted to the United States for immigration law purposes, and parole is not a path to a green card or citizenship on its own.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole for Aliens Outside the United States If you want to stay long-term, you need to line up a separate status well before your parole ends.
Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine
TPS is the most accessible backstop for many Ukrainians in the country right now. Ukraine’s TPS designation has been extended through October 19, 2026.5Federal Register. Extension of the Designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status It provides protection from removal and work authorization for the length of the designation.
TPS is a separate program with its own rules. It requires continuous residence and physical presence in the United States since specific dates set by DHS. Ukrainians who entered through Uniting for Ukraine and meet those cutoffs may qualify for both programs at once. Getting TPS in place before parole expires can prevent a gap in status and work authorization.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Protected Status Designated Country – Ukraine
Work Authorization and Social Security
Parole itself does not grant the right to work. To get a work permit, file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.7Federal Register. Implementation of the Uniting for Ukraine Parole Process The standard FY 2026 filing fee for an initial parole-based work permit is $560, with renewals at $280.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration Related Fees USCIS previously offered fee exemptions for Ukrainian parolees filing Form I-765; confirm whether that exemption still applies before you file.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Certain Afghan and Ukrainian Parolees Are Employment Authorized Incident to Parole
A Social Security number is a separate step. You can sometimes request the card on the work authorization application itself. If you did not check that box, you will need to visit a local Social Security Administration office in person. Both documents are needed for lawful employment and tax reporting.
Traveling Outside the United States
Leaving the country while on parole is risky. Departing without advance authorization can terminate your parole, and re-entry is not guaranteed even with the right documents.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travel Documents If you have a pending asylum application and leave without advance parole, USCIS treats the application as abandoned.
If you need to travel, apply for advance parole using Form I-131 before you go.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records Even with an approved advance parole document, admission back into the United States is not automatic. You remain subject to inspection at the port of entry, and officers keep discretion over whether to parole you back in. Given the current climate around parole programs, caution matters more than usual.
Federal Benefits Eligibility
Ukrainian parolees who entered the United States between February 24, 2022, and September 30, 2024, may be eligible for refugee resettlement benefits and services administered through the Office of Refugee Resettlement. These benefits were authorized by the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act and extended by the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024.12Office of Refugee Resettlement. Eligibility for Refugee Resettlement Program Benefits and Services – Parolees From Afghanistan or Ukraine
The date of entry decides eligibility. Parolees who arrived outside the February 2022 through September 2024 window are generally not eligible for ORR benefits, even if they entered through Uniting for Ukraine. Certain family members of eligible parolees, including spouses, children, parents, and legal guardians, may still qualify if they were paroled after September 30, 2023, provided they meet specific family relationship requirements. Benefit eligibility lasts through the end of the individual’s parole term unless the law changes or the person obtains a different refugee-related status.