Uniting for Ukraine program will help refugees find a home in the US. Here’s how

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a link to the program’s application, which went live after this story was initially published.

The U.S. will soon launch a program for citizens and organizations to sponsor Ukrainian refugees, Biden administration officials announced on April 21.

The program, Uniting for Ukraine, is a “new streamlined process” created to support Ukrainians and others affected by Russia’s attacks on the country, the Department of Homeland Security said in a news release. According to the announcement, the program will help the U.S. fulfill plans to accept 100,000 refugees impacted by the ongoing conflict.

“This program will be fast. It will be streamlined. And it will ensure the United States honors its commitment to ... the Ukrainian people and need not go through our southern border,” President Joe Biden said during an April 21 news conference. “We’re also continuing to ratchet up the pressure on Putin and further isolate Russia on the world stage.”

How the program works

As of April 25, individuals and organizations in the U.S. can apply with the Department of Homeland Security to sponsor Ukrainian citizens through the new program. Potential sponsors are required to declare financial support and pass background checks before being allowed to sponsor anyone, a measure intended to “protect against exploitation and abuse” of refugees, the agency said in the news release.

The program is an alternative to past programs, which have previously left refugees waiting years to get a spot in the country’s traditional refugee resettlement programs or to get a family-based or work-sponsored visa, Roll Call reported.

The program is a temporary one — Ukrainians who are approved through the process will be able to travel to the U.S. and be considered for humanitarian parole for up to two years. Parole, which allows individuals to enter the U.S. and stay in the country without a visa, will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, DHS said.

The program is also intended to discourage Ukrainians from traveling to Mexico and attempting to enter the U.S. through the southern border, the news release said. Ukrainians who arrive at ports of entry along the border without a visa or approval through Uniting for Ukraine will be refused entry, DHS said.

Who’s eligible for resettlement?

To qualify for resettlement, Ukrainians must have been residents in the country as of Feb. 11. They also must have a sponsor in the U.S., receive vaccinations and meet other public health requirements, and undergo “rigorous biometric and biographic screening and vetting security checks,” DHS said in the news release.

Immigration officials say Ukrainians who aren’t eligible for visas through other methods should seek entry through Uniting for Ukraine. The government is also “working with European partners to ensure Ukrainians can meet the vaccination requirements.”

The program is targeted toward Ukrainians who have family ties in the U.S. but who hope to return to Ukraine at some point and who are not planning on permanent resettlement in the U.S., Roll Call reported.

How to sponsor Ukrainians

Immigration officials said they plan to post information online and operate hotlines to answer questions about the program, The Washington Post reported.

Potential sponsors, including private citizens, churches and civic groups will apply for the program through the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

Applications to sponsor refugees may be approved “fairly quick,” a senior administration official said — some applications may be approved in as little as a week, though others might take longer, according to The Washington Post.

It’s unclear whether individual citizens can sponsor more than one Ukrainian refugee, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Concerns from advocates

So far, in 2022, the U.S. has accepted 8,758 refugees from around the world — just a fraction of the cap of 125,000 refugees set by Biden in October. The new program will help the country “deliver on the President’s commitment to welcome 100,000 Ukrainian citizens and others forced to flee their homes in Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in the news release from DHS.

Although the program has been referred to by immigration officials as a step forward for Ukrainians escaping crisis, some refugee advocates have criticized the financial obligation it puts on sponsors and the lack of unequal resources offered to people from other places.

“Families desperately seeking to bring their loved ones directly to safety in the U.S. have a glimmer of hope where there once was exceedingly little,” Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said in a news release. “With the onus on sponsors to take financial responsibility, however, we are disappointed to see the administration outsource its moral obligation to support newly arrived Ukrainians.”

“We are troubled by unequal access to protection for other at-risk populations, all of whom are likewise deserving and in need of refuge,” Vignarajah added. “Exemptions to the Title 42 expulsion policy for Ukrainians presenting at the U.S. border underscore the absence of such leniency for predominantly Black and Brown asylum seekers fleeing nearly identical violence and persecution.”

Private citizens and organizations interested in applying to sponsor Ukrainian refugees can start the process here.

This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Uniting for Ukraine program will help refugees find a home in the US. Here’s how."