Uniting for Ukraine is a humanitarian parole program that lets Ukrainian citizens displaced by Russia’s 2022 invasion come to the United States for up to two years, provided a private sponsor in the U.S. agrees to support them financially. Parolees can work, and they qualify for the same federal benefits as refugees. The program’s operational status, however, is unsettled: USCIS paused new applications and re-parole requests in January 2025, a federal court ordered that pause stayed in May 2025, and anyone considering an application in 2026 should confirm current procedures with USCIS before starting.
Where the Program Stands Now
USCIS stopped accepting Form I-134A, the online supporter declaration that opens every case, in January 2025 as part of a broader review of categorical parole programs.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Update on Form I-134A Adjudication of re-parole applications for Ukrainians already in the country stopped at the same time. On May 28, 2025, a federal court order stayed the pause and directed the government to resume processing.2Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security. DHS Needs to Improve Oversight of Parole Expiration What court orders require and what is actually happening at USCIS may not match, so the safest first step is checking the agency’s Uniting for Ukraine page before investing time in paperwork.
A separate obstacle sits alongside the pause. CBP removed the scheduling functionality from its CBP One mobile app on January 20, 2025.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Removes Scheduling Functionality in CBP One App U4U beneficiaries previously used CBP One to submit identity photographs and receive travel authorization, so even if the paper side of the program is running, the mechanical step of getting cleared to board a flight may work differently than it did before 2025.
Who Can Be a Beneficiary
The applicant must be a Ukrainian citizen who was residing in Ukraine as of February 11, 2022 and was displaced by the war. Non-Ukrainian immediate family members of a qualifying Ukrainian citizen may also apply. Immediate family means a spouse, common-law partner, or unmarried child under 21.4Department of Homeland Security. Uniting for Ukraine
Every beneficiary needs a valid Ukrainian passport, including children. Anyone without one must first obtain a replacement from a Ukrainian consulate. Children under 18 must travel with a Ukrainian-citizen parent or legal guardian; unaccompanied minors are not eligible.4Department of Homeland Security. Uniting for Ukraine
Every beneficiary also clears biometric and biographic security screening. Anyone flagged as a national security or public safety concern is referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and denied parole.4Department of Homeland Security. Uniting for Ukraine
Who Can Sponsor and What It Costs Them
A sponsor must be based in the United States and hold lawful immigration status. That covers U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, asylees, refugees, TPS holders, and people with certain other lawful statuses such as deferred action or Deferred Enforced Departure.4Department of Homeland Security. Uniting for Ukraine There is no filing fee for the supporter declaration itself.
The sponsor has to show enough income or resources to house and support the beneficiary for the full two-year parole period. USCIS uses federal poverty guidelines to evaluate this. For 2026, the threshold based on 150 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines is $32,460 per year for a two-person household in the 48 contiguous states and D.C., increasing by roughly $8,520 for each additional person. Alaska and Hawaii use higher thresholds: $40,575 and $37,335 respectively for a two-person household.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines
When one person cannot meet the threshold alone, multiple sponsors can combine resources to support the same beneficiary. Every sponsor undergoes a background check screening for criminal history and past exploitation of beneficiaries.4Department of Homeland Security. Uniting for Ukraine
How an Application Moves
The sponsor files Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, through a myUSCIS account. Before opening the form, gather recent federal tax returns, current bank statements, and an employer letter on company letterhead confirming salary, hire date, and job title. Sponsors also need proof of their own lawful status such as a U.S. passport, birth certificate, or green card, plus the beneficiary’s biographical details including passport number and expiration date. Incomplete submissions are the most common cause of delays; USCIS has historically issued Requests for Evidence when tax transcripts are missing, household size numbers do not match, or financial documentation is inconsistent.
Once the sponsor is approved, the beneficiary receives instructions to open a USCIS online account, confirm their personal information, and attest to meeting the eligibility rules. The next step historically required the beneficiary to submit a photograph through CBP One for identity verification. After clearing, the beneficiary received travel authorization valid for 90 days to arrange and pay for their own flight to a U.S. port of entry. With CBP One’s scheduling features removed in January 2025, this piece of the process may function differently if the program returns to normal operations.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Removes Scheduling Functionality in CBP One App
Travel authorization is not admission. It only permits boarding a flight to a U.S. port of entry. The final parole decision is made by CBP officers at the airport, who review documentation before issuing the I-94 arrival record that serves as proof of legal status and starts the two-year parole clock.
Work, Benefits, and Health Obligations After Arrival
U4U parolees are authorized to work as a condition of parole. Those whose I-94 shows a class of admission of “UHP” (issued on or before September 30, 2024) or “DT” (issued between February 24, 2022 and September 30, 2024, with Ukraine listed as the country of citizenship) can use the unexpired I-94 as a List A receipt for Form I-9 employment verification.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Ukrainian Parolees and Their Immediate Family Members Parolees can also file Form I-765 for a standalone Employment Authorization Document. As of January 1, 2026, the initial parole-based EAD fee is $560, and a renewal is $280.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees The I-765 also lets the applicant request a Social Security number.
Ukrainian humanitarian parolees qualify for the same federal benefits as refugees, which is unusual for a parole category. That includes Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and SSI.8Administration for Children and Families. Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees Eligible for ORR Benefits and Services The Office of Refugee Resettlement funds programs designed specifically for resettlement:
- Refugee Cash Assistance: four months of cash aid for individuals with an ORR eligibility date on or after May 5, 2025.
- Refugee Medical Assistance: four months of health coverage for those who do not qualify for Medicaid, on the same May 5, 2025 eligibility rule.
- Matching Grant Program: an alternative to TANF or RCA offering cash, intensive case management, and employment services aimed at economic self-sufficiency within 240 days.
- Refugee Support Services: job training, English classes, childcare, transportation, and translation, available until the end of the parole term or five years after parole, whichever comes first.
To prove eligibility, parolees can present the I-94 showing humanitarian parole, a foreign passport with a CBP stamp noting “UHP” or “Uniting for Ukraine,” or an EAD card with category code C11.8Administration for Children and Families. Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees Eligible for ORR Benefits and Services The ACF site keeps a state-by-state directory of local resettlement agencies.9Administration for Children and Families. Benefits for Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees
Health obligations come with the benefits. Before receiving travel authorization, beneficiaries must attest to vaccinations for measles, polio, and at least one dose of an FDA-approved or WHO-listed COVID-19 vaccine.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainian Citizens and Their Immediate Family Members The COVID-19 requirement applies to everyone six months and older.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Updated COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Uniting for Ukraine Parolees Within 90 days of arriving, beneficiaries must complete a medical attestation through their USCIS online account confirming vaccinations and a tuberculosis screening done with an Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) blood test.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Time Frame Extended for Uniting for Ukraine Parolees to Comply with Medical Screening and Attestation After Arrival to the United States Parents complete the TB attestation for their minor children in the same window, even for children under two who qualify for an exception to the actual test. Missing the deadline is treated as a parole violation and can end legal status. The IGRA test typically runs $100 to $350 at commercial labs, an expense to budget for shortly after arrival.
What Happens When the Two Years End
Parole is temporary and does not lead directly to a green card. When the two-year period expires, the parolee has no automatic right to remain. USCIS began accepting re-parole applications on February 27, 2024 for Ukrainians nearing the end of their initial parole.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainian Citizens and Their Immediate Family Members Re-parole is filed on Form I-131 with supporting documentation and the applicable fee, and applicants clear biographic and biometric background checks and re-attest to the vaccination requirements. Re-parole adjudication was paused in January 2025 with the rest of the program, and the May 2025 court order stayed the pause without fully resolving the situation.2Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security. DHS Needs to Improve Oversight of Parole Expiration Parolees whose status is expiring or has expired should consult an immigration attorney rather than wait for the situation to settle on its own.
Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine has been extended through October 19, 2026.13Federal Register. Extension of the Designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status Existing TPS holders had to re-register during a 60-day window that ran from January 17 through March 18, 2025. TPS provides work authorization and protection from deportation, and it pauses the one-year filing deadline for asylum, which matters for anyone weighing that longer path.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: Ukraine U4U parolees who also qualify for TPS should look at it as a backstop if parole status becomes uncertain.
Other permanent pathways sit outside U4U itself: a family-based petition from a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident relative, an employer-sponsored green card, or asylum for those who can show a well-founded fear of persecution. Each carries its own eligibility rules and timelines. USCIS maintains a tool at uscis.gov/explore-my-options to help identify which categories might fit.