Extension for Certain Ukrainians Parolees into the United States

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued good news for Ukrainian parolees who arrived in the USA between February 24 and April 25. These individuals' legal status will be automatically extended for an additional year. This is reported on the official website DHS.

Certain Ukrainian nationals and immediate family members were paroled into the United States last year, on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons, during an approximate eight-week period after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and before the Uniting for Ukraine process was available. Such individuals were generally paroled for a period of one year, while participants in Uniting for Ukraine received a two-year period of parole.

With hostilities in Ukraine entering their second year, DHS assesses that there remain urgent humanitarian reasons, as well as a significant public benefit, for extending the parole of certain Ukrainians who arrived prior to Uniting for Ukraine. DHS will consider Ukrainian nationals and immediate family members who were paroled, on a case-by-case basis, before Uniting for Ukraine for an extension of the parole period and employment authorization, if applicable.

Specifically, individuals paroled into the United States at a port of entry between February 24, 2022 and April 25, 2022 will be considered for an extension. DHS is in the process of considering these individuals, on a case-by-case basis, for a one-year extension of their period of parole to align with the two-year parole period provided under Uniting for Ukraine. DHS estimates it will take approximately four weeks to consider and vet all the individuals in the group and will review cases based on the date of parole.

If an individual’s parole period is extended, DHS will proactively make available online an updated Form I-94 with the extended parole period. The period of parole will be extended from the current expiration date without a gap. Individuals can retrieve and download an updated Form I-94 as evidence of their extended parole period by visiting CBP’s Form I-94 website.

Those who have their period of parole extended will also be eligible to receive employment authorization for the additional year.