Temporary Protection for Ukrainian Citizens in the US

As the hostilities in Ukraine escalate, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that nationals of Ukraine currently in the United States may apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) so that they can stay in the United States for the next 18 months.  Ukrainian nationals who can demonstrate continuous residence in the United States as of March 1, 2022 are eligible to apply for TPS.  They also will be eligible for work authorization. 

In other news relating to the situation in Ukraine, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced that the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has closed for the time being. All visa processing services in Ukraine are temporarily suspended. 

Effective immediately, all Ukrainian immigrant visa processing, other than adoption cases, will be automatically transferred to the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany. The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland will process Ukrainian adoption cases as well as diplomatic visas. Ukrainian nationals do not need a Schengen visa to enter Germany or Poland, but if they are unable to travel to these countries, they may contact an alternate Embassy and request a transfer. 

Furthermore, Ukrainian nationals in other countries can request nonimmigrant visa processing at their nearest U.S. Embassy. You can view the full list of U.S. Embassies worldwide here. 

It is estimated that in less than one week, more than 660,000 Ukrainian nationals have left Ukraine.  The United Nations is working with neighboring countries to ensure that they do not close their borders to Ukrainains fleeing the conflict.  If you’d like to make a donation to support the United Nations’ efforts to provide emergency protection, housing and healthcare to displaced families, you can find more information on doing so here.

This alert is for informational purposes only. Please contact us if you would like to discuss these developments further.