U4U is currently the only program in the United States that allows Ukrainians who are forced to flee the war to obtain residency, work, and financial support. Here are the steps you need to take to get into the program and the pitfalls

The service “obtaining a residence permit in the United States under the U4U program on a turnkey basis”

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The United For Ukraine (U4U) programme was launched in 2022. Since then, a large number of Ukrainians have been able to participate in the programme and move to the United States. U4U is a simplified initiative to provide Ukrainian citizens with a humanitarian password (entry permit) to the United States.

At the same time, starting from 27 February 2024, the US migration services, in accordance with Section 212(d)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, accept and consider applications from Ukrainians and their immediate relatives to renew the humanitarian password for up to two more years.

For more informationon the social support and financial assistance available to refugees from Ukraine, as well as the rules for entering and residing in the United States in 2024, please follow the links.

Today, we will talk about the conditions of admission, the pitfalls of the programme, and tell you where to find a sponsor for U4U and how refugees from Ukraine can go to the United States.

U4U programme: how can a Ukrainian get to the US?

‘United for Ukraine (U4U) is a humanitarian initiative of the US government aimed at providing temporary shelter to Ukrainians affected by Russian aggression. The programme allows Ukrainians to legally stay in the United States for 2 years, work, study and use medical services.

U4U: conditions for participation in 2024

The programme is designed for citizens of Ukraine and their immediate family members who were in Ukraine before 11 February 2022, were outside the United States of America at the time of application, and have a valid passport.

The main requirement for participation in the programme is the presence of a sponsor in the United States. The sponsor undertakes to provide financial support to the Ukrainian throughout the entire period of stay in the country.

How to find a sponsor in the United States for Ukrainians?

A sponsor under the U4U programme is a person who lives in the United States and undertakes to provide financial support to a Ukrainian throughout the entire period of his or her stay in the country.

We described inmore detail who can be a sponsor, under what conditions, and what responsibilities such a person has in our previous article.

Currently, there is a lot of evidence that it is quite difficult to find a sponsor who is willing to host refugees from Ukraine. As the demand for the programme is high, this process can be quite difficult.

Those who have already been admitted to the programme recommend looking for sponsors through friends in the US, special groups on social media, or through the pages of religious organisations in America.

However, there are several effective strategies that can significantly increase your chances of finding a reliable sponsor.

Specialised resources and communities

You can post an announcement about you, your activities, and your life circumstances that require relocation to the United States in these groups:

- United for Ukraine;

- Sponsor USA;

- USA/Canada/Americas help;

- U4U Uniting for Ukraine USA;

- Uniting for Ukraine 🇺🇸🇺🇦 Ukrainian;

- U4U - Uniting For Ukraine - Sponsors & Beneficiaries.
- Welcome Connect.
- RPCV Alliance for Ukraine.
- Help Ukrainian Refugees.

Religious institutions

You can also contact religious institutions, as churches continue to actively support Ukrainians. Therefore, you can choose a specific state and find contacts of local religious institutions, tell them your story and ask for help with sponsorship.

Active social media management

Actively use platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and others to spread the word about your search. Join specialised groups for Ukrainians in the US where immigration and sponsorship issues are discussed.

Create a detailed profile that describes yourself, your family, your skills, your profession, and the reasons why you want to move to the US. Include high-quality photos of yourself and your family. This will help potential sponsors get a better idea of you.

Write a motivation letter in which you clearly explain why you want to benefit from the U4U programme and how you plan to integrate into American society.

Keep in mind that the process of finding a sponsor can be lengthy and require significant effort.

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How to apply for the Uniting For Ukraine programme: details on the conditions and pitfalls

STEP 1: Financial support

Individuals applying for the Uniting For Ukraine programme must have financial support in the United States. To initiate the process, the U.S. sponsor electronically submits a Declaration of Financial Support (Form I-134) to the USCIS through the myUSCIS online portal.

After that, the US federal authorities will verify the sponsor to protect against exploitation and abuse, as well as to ensure that financial support to the programme beneficiary can be provided. In other words, the sponsor's solvency will be checked to make sure that he or she can theoretically support the refugees who come to him or her. The sponsor must be prepared to provide the US government with bank statements.

STEP 2: Provide biographical information through the myUSCIS online portal

After the sponsor demonstrates sufficient financial support and is approved by the US side, the Ukrainian beneficiary will receive an email from the USCIS on how to create a myUSCIS account and instructions on how to proceed. The Ukrainian beneficiary will have to confirm his/her biographical information in ‘myUSCIS’ and that all requirements have been met. Remember that each family member (including children) should have a separate email address.

STEP 3: Immunisation requirements

As part of the eligibility verification process in their myUSCIS account, individuals seeking travel authorisation must confirm that they have been vaccinated against measles, polio, and COVID-19. If they have not been previously vaccinated, individuals will need to receive the first dose of the required vaccines before being cleared to travel to the United States. All family members must be vaccinated within three months of completing the application.

At the same time, all persons over the age of two must undergo a medical examination for tuberculosis, including a gamma interferon release assay (IGRA), within two weeks of arrival in the United States. It should also be remembered that Ukrainian nationals will need to meet other US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) travel requirements, including COVID-19 testing before departure. In other words, Ukrainians will be required to provide coronavirus test results.

STEP 4: Obtaining permission to enter the United States

Once all the requirements are met, Ukrainians will receive a notification on their myUSCIS account confirming whether they are eligible to enter the United States to receive a humanitarian password. If approved, this permit is valid for 90 days. At the same time, Ukrainians must personally arrange air travel to the United States.

STEP 5: Passing the US entry check and obtaining a humanitarian password

Upon arrival at a U.S. border crossing, each individual will be screened by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and considered for a humanitarian passport valid for up to two years.

CBP officers will ask questions about the purpose of your arrival in the United States (fleeing war), your previous place of residence (region and city in Ukraine), and your financial security for the period of your stay in the country (show the border guards your Tourist Authorisation and tell them about your sponsor). Answer the questions calmly and honestly. After the interview, adults will be asked to go to a separate room and be fingerprinted. It is advisable that your sponsor is in touch at all times to discuss the necessary nuances or clarify information if necessary.

STEP 6: Approval of the humanitarian password

If approved under this programme, Ukrainians will receive permission to enter the United States for up to two years (with the possibility of extension) and the right to apply for employment in the United States. Individuals will be able to apply for employment by submitting an application for employment authorisation (Form I-765) to the USCIS. Read more about how to obtain a work permit here.

For more details on the programme and sponsor requirements, please visit the US Department of Homeland Security portal.

Remember that participation in the U4U programme is based on the correct fulfilment of clear conditions.

Moreover, any inaccuracies in the application form, lack of the required certificate, or uncertain answers during the interview with a consular representative may result in a visa or programme denial.

Therefore, it is a great idea to contact specialists who will help you participate in the programme and take care of all legal and organisational issues.

Emigration to the USA: legal support for obtaining an entry permit under the U4U programme

The Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) programme is a bit difficult to apply for on your own, especially for those who have no experience in emigration matters.

However, from now on, you can entrust this complex process to specialists, because VIsit Ukraine lawyers provide turnkey assistance in applying for the programme and take care of all the stages: from collecting to submitting and receiving documents.

Legal support of Visit Ukraine lawyers for participation in the U4U 2024 programme: what is included in the service?

● applying for a sponsor who meets all the current criteria under the U4U programme;

● applying for a humanitarian password;

● filling out the I-134 form;

● collecting documents;

● creating personal profiles on the USCIS website;

● аnalysing the sponsor's documents and optimising them;

● confirmation of the beneficiary's biographical data;

● оbtaining an entry permit to the United States;

● informing about crossing the US border and obtaining a humanitarian password.

At the same time, the client will have an unlimited number of consultations, as he or she will be assigned a lawyer who will stay in touch 24/7.

Another important advantage of the turnkey service is the timing - the application process with the possibility of arriving in the United States will take up to 5 weeks.

VIsit Ukraine lawyers provide qualified assistance at all stages of the procedure for obtaining a non-immigrant visa to the United States for Ukrainian citizens and help reduce the risk of refusal when applying to the American consulate.

Remember. Legal support is important not only to facilitate the process of obtaining a permit, but also to avoid financial losses and fraud.

You canorder a turnkeyservice for obtaining a permit to enter the United States under the Uniting For Ukraine (U4U) programme here.

We remind you! To enter the United States, every Ukrainian must have appropriate insurance - this is a mandatory condition for those traveling on a tourist visa and a desirable condition for refugees. Read our previous article on how to choose the right insurance policy for traveling abroad.