General Questions About Uniting for Ukraine
1. Is Uniting for Ukraine limited to the first 100,000 applications?
No. There are no numerical limits on requests for travel authorization or parole under Uniting for Ukraine. The U.S. government is committed to providing Ukrainians displaced as a result of Russia’s invasion a full range of legal pathways, including parole, immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, in accordance with U.S. laws.
2. Is Uniting for Ukraine limited to only Ukrainian citizens?
- Uniting for Ukraine is available to eligible Ukrainian citizens and their non-Ukrainian immediate family members with a valid passport. Non-Ukrainian immediate family members must be traveling to the United States with the Ukrainian citizen. For purposes of Uniting for Ukraine, immediate family members include:
- The spouse or common-law partner of a Ukrainian citizen; and
- The unmarried children under age 21 of a Ukrainian citizen.
NOTE: If a child is under 18, they must travel with a parent or legal guardian to seek parole through the Uniting for Ukraine process.
3. Is Uniting for Ukraine available to Ukrainian citizens who are currently in the United States?
No. Ukrainian citizens who are present in the United States are not eligible for parole under Uniting for Ukraine. However, Ukrainian citizens who have continuously resided in the United States since April 11, 2022, and who have been continuously physically present in the United States since April 19, 2022, may be eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). For more information about TPS, visit our Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine page. Individuals who are physically present in the United States also may be eligible to apply for asylum. USCIS considers each request for asylum on a case-by-case basis according to the circumstances of the applicant. Visit uscis.gov/asylum for more information.
4. What is the length of parole for Ukrainians entering the United States at a port of entry after traveling under Uniting for Ukraine?
Generally, Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members granted travel authorization under Uniting for Ukraine will be paroled into the United States for up to two years.
5. If a Ukrainian citizen’s request for travel authorization under Uniting for Ukraine is denied overseas, will this count against them if they later come to the United States and apply for asylum?
- USCIS considers request for asylum on a case-by-case basis according to the particular circumstances of the applicant. The Uniting for Ukraine process involves different eligibility criteria than asylum and does not, on its own, impact an individual’s eligibility for asylum. It is possible, however, that we may consider the reasons a travel authorization was denied under Uniting for Ukraine as part of our assessment of whether someone is eligible for asylum. Visit uscis.gov/asylum for more information.
Ukrainian nationals who present themselves for inspection at a land port of entry along the Southwest border without a valid visa or without preauthorization to travel to the United States through Uniting for Ukraine may be denied entry.
6. Please explain what ‘legal guardian’ means.
- A legal guardian is an individual who:
- Has been granted legal custody of an individual or minor, by a court of law or competent jurisdiction, or by the state or recognized governmental entity; and
- Can lawfully exercise and assume legal obligations on an individual’s or minor’s behalf.
A family member or other person who has written authorization from a parent to travel with a minor child is not a legal guardian for Uniting for Ukraine purposes.
7. Can you provide more information about the fees associated with Uniting for Ukraine?
There is no fee for a supporter to file Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support, and no fee for the beneficiary to request travel authorization. However, the beneficiary must pay for any required pretravel vaccinations. Additionally, if the beneficiary’s travel authorization request is approved, the beneficiary will need to arrange and fund their own travel to the United States and pay any applicable fees for any required medical screenings and vaccinations after arrival in the United States.
