The portal was launched for potential sponsors.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has announced last week the private sponsorship initiative. It is the main way the U.S. can fulfill President Biden’s promise of assisting up to 100,000 Ukrainians who have been displaced by the Russian military invasion of their homeland.
DHS published Monday’s page on their website. It is for U.S citizens and groups that have identified Ukrainians abroad they want to financially sponsor. The portal also contains a link for the application form that potential sponsors can fill out to show they have the financial resources to support Ukrainians who are seeking entry to the country.
Ukrainian nationals who are planning to travel to the U.S. cannot apply directly for the sponsorship program called Uniting for Ukraine. Prospective sponsors must be in the U.S. to begin the application process.
Prospective sponsors must pass background checks before DHS approves sponsorship applications. The Ukrainians that they have identified will be permitted to enter the U.S. provided they meet certain requirements such as security screenings and vaccinations against contagious disease.
DHS last week stated that Ukrainians who have been granted permission to enter the U.S. through the sponsorship program will not be resettled under the refugee program. They will instead be granted humanitarian parole which would allow them to work and live in the U.S.A for at least two more years. They will not be eligible for permanent U.S. citizenship if they are granted parole.
According to United Nations statistics, more than 5 million people fled Ukraine after Russian forces launched a military attack against it in February. This triggered the largest refugee exodus ever since World War II.
According to U.S. officials, the vast majority of Ukrainians who have been displaced by war will choose to stay in Europe closer to Ukraine. In addition, Ukrainians seeking asylum in the U.S. generally seek temporary safety and not permanent resettlement.
According to administration officials, this determination prompted the U.S. government last week to use the parole authority to temporarily admit immigrant who don’t otherwise have permission to enter the U.S.A. such as visas.
Officials from the Administration said that the private sponsorship program was partly designed to close down an illegal route thousands have used in recent months to cross the border to the United States with Mexico. This follows multi-flight flights from Eastern Europe.
According to a senior U.S. official, 15,000 Ukrainians without valid travel documents were processed by U.S. border officers in the last three months. According to DHS figures, 3,274 Ukrainians were processed at the southern border in March. The majority of them were processed at a port-of-entry in southern California.
U.S. border officials were instructed in March to allow undocumented Ukrainians into the country under humanitarian exemptions from an emergency rule known as Title42 which has prevented other migrants from seeking U.S. refuge during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Biden administration announced that U.S. border officials will not allow Ukrainians into the country starting Monday if they do not have valid travel documents. Officials stated that the Ukranians would be required to take part in the Uniting for Ukraine sponsorship program.
