You can help bring Ukrainians fleeing war to safety in Kansas City. Here’s how
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Refuge in Kansas City
Kansas City resettles some 500 refugees a year on average, according to non-profit Refuge KC. The metro is home to a vast array of refugee cultures, including some 4,000 from Iraq, 3,000 from Burma and 1,200 from Sudan. For decades, these thriving communities and more have been relying on each other to make the transition to a new country easier, and to offer some familiarity of their own cultures.
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People in Kansas City can sponsor Ukrainians fleeing the country through a new program launched by President Biden on Monday.
The Unite for Ukraine program is part of an initiative by the Biden administration to resettle nearly 100,000 Ukrainians across the country.
This pathway to the United States is for those fleeing Ukraine who do not have a U.S. Visa.
Americans will be able to sponsor a Ukrainian or their immediate family member, who fled the country after Feb. 11, for an immigration status known as humanitarian parole, which lasts for two years.
Greg Bole, an immigration attorney with Northeast Kansas Catholic Charities, said he expects the program to be a wonderful tool for Ukrainians looking to get their relatives to the United States.
Those interested in sponsoring someone will need to prove they can financially support the needs of the humanitarian parolee through an online form.
The single form makes the process of applying for humanitarian parole much easier for Ukrainians than other migrant groups such as Afghan people who sought to resettle in the United States during the Taliban’s coup last fall, Bole said.
“Assuming it goes as smoothly as it appears it will go, many are going to wonder why was my process so complicated?” he said.
He explained that by waiving a $575 application fee and the forms asking migrants to prove that there was a specific threat made against their life, officials are trying to make the process much more straightforward.
Anyone interested in sponsoring someone for humanitarian parole can file a form here.
What is the program?
This immigration process was created in an effort to build upon humanitarian assistance the United States is offering to Ukrainians displaced as a result of the Russian invasion.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a statement that the Department of Homeland Security and State Department will be working together on the program.
Unite for Ukraine is expected to streamline what was a complicated process for many migrant groups to navigate.
Any American with the financial means can apply to bring a person who has fled Ukraine after Feb. 11 to the United States. The person will receive humanitarian parole status for up to two years, as a result.
The website makes clear that the American sponsor will need to foot the bill for any medical, housing, or education related expenses once the person in Ukraine arrives.
Are these Ukrainians considered refugees?
Those arriving in the United States for this program will be under humanitarian parole, which is different from refugee status.
Refugee status can take years to attain, whereas people eligible for humanitarian parole can enter the United States lawfully in an expedited process that allows those facing immediate threats to be protected from harm.
Those fleeing the Ukraine will be able to participate in the legal pathway provided through this program as an alternative to entering through refugee status, which requires years of vetting.
Once a person is accepted into the country through this process, they can apply for a social security card and worker authorization card, which will allow them to legally work and access certain benefits.
The Department of U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services provides a more detailed account of each status and process here.
How much does it cost?
Anyone willing to sponsor a Ukrainian who has fled war will need to cover a number of costs, each depending on the specific humanitarian parolee.
The sponsor will be responsible for transporting the humanitarian parolee to safe and appropriate housing, and any medical needs the parolee may have will also be the responsibility of the sponsor.
Sponsors are responsible for providing any education the parolee may need, including enrolling children in school. English language courses may also be necessary for the parolee.
Those being sponsored will need social security cards and employment authorization cards to earn their own income. American sponsors will need to help them with the paperwork so that they can be self sufficient before their immigration status expires.
Who’s eligible to be sponsored?
Anyone who lived in Ukraine prior to Feb. 11 and fled as a result of the Russian invasion is eligible to be sponsored, with a few exceptions.
Children traveling without their parents will not be able eligible for parole, unless they have written consent from their legal guardians.
Anyone sponsored will need to complete a set of vaccinations for measles, polio and COVID-19 before attaining parole status. Only the first dose of the vaccine is required to travel to the United States.
Upon arrival, they will need to pass a medical screening for tuberculosis and a public safety screening before entering the country.
How can I apply?
Anyone from a U.S Citizen to lawful temporary residents are eligible to sponsor, as long as they have the means to support them financially.
They will have to file a declaration of financial support and have their application vetted by the Department of U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Multiple people can submit an application to sponsor a Ukrainian for humanitarian parole.
Anyone interested can file a form here, which will allow you to access a portal and track your application.
This story was originally published April 27, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
