US Suspends Ukraine Refugee Program

The US is suspending its Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program that allowed displaced Ukrainians to live and work in the US for up to two years with a US-based sponsor.

According to an update by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it is “pausing acceptance of Form I-134A,” which is the application form for US-based sponsors and the first step in the U4U application process, until the USCIS “[reviews] all categorical parole processes as required by that order.”

Effectively, the latest update put all applications under the U4U program on hold.

The decision followed US President Donald Trump’s executive order “Securing Our Borders” signed on Jan. 20, the first day of his presidency, the update says.

Following Trump’s executive order, the New York Times (NYT) reported earlier on Jan. 24 that the US Department of Homeland Security decided to halt programs that allowed immigrants to settle in the country temporarily.

Under the U4U program, eligible Ukrainians – who must be residents inside Ukraine as of Feb. 11, 2022 – can enter and stay in the US for up to two years through humanitarian parole, provided they have a financial sponsor with an approved Form I-134A application.

For those already in the country under the program, the USCIS asked them and their immediate family members to apply for re-parole “no earlier than 180 days (six months) before the expiration of their current period of parole.”

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It added that applications submitted 180 days before the expiration could be rejected without refunds.

Trump also signed another executive order to suspend all foreign aid for 90 days, the only exception being emergency food relief and military funding to Israel and Egypt, according to an internal memo issued by newly-appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

As a result, numerous Ukraine-based humanitarian projects have had their financing suspended, several sources told AFP on Monday.

Billions of dollars for Ukraine-based projects under the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) mission, including those in the energy and healthcare sectors, have been slashed as of Tuesday, sources involved in the project implementation told Kyiv Post.