US suspends acceptance of migration applications from Ukrainians: details

The US authorities have paused consideration of immigration applications from Ukrainians and representatives of Latin American countries. However, this restriction does not apply to all
The United States authorities have temporarily suspended consideration of immigration applications from Ukrainian citizens who had previously arrived in the country under various emigration programmes. This was reported by CBS News with reference to two US officials.
It is worth noting that this is happening against the backdrop of tighter US migration rules after Donald Trump came to power.
The reason for the suspension of migration applications
According to sources, the decision was made against the backdrop of criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by former White House chief Donald Trump. However, in addition to Ukrainians, immigration applications from representatives of a number of Latin American countries also fell under the ‘administrative pause’.
About the ‘Unite for Ukraine’ programme
Among the suspended initiatives is the Uniting for Ukraine programme. It was temporarily frozen by Donald Trump at the end of January 2025. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), about 240,000 Ukrainians have entered the US under this programme.
Internal USCIS directive
A USCIS memo dated 14 February, signed by senior USCIS official Andrew Davidson, refers to an ‘administrative pause’ for all those who have already received permission to enter the programme and are in the process of processing their pending benefit requests. It is about immigration benefits that would allow these migrants to extend or formalise their legal stay in the United States.
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What it means for Ukrainians in the US
▪️ During the ‘administrative pause’, new applications will not be accepted, and the consideration of those already submitted will be frozen.
▪️ Ukrainians who have managed to get to the US under the Unity for Ukraine programme may face difficulties in prolonging their permits or obtaining new statuses.
▪️ According to media comments, without the appropriate benefits, the legal stay of migrants in the United States will be questionable.
It should be noted that there is currently no clear information on the duration of the suspension. Immigration law experts urge Ukrainians staying in the United States under temporary programmes to follow the updates on the websites of government agencies (USCIS, etc.) and, if necessary, consult with specialised lawyers to minimise the risks of losing their legal status. You can order such legal advice on the Visit Ukraine portal.
The situation remains tense, especially against the backdrop of ambiguous political statements. The issue of further stay of tens of thousands of Ukrainians in the United States will depend on when and under what conditions the authorities will cancel the ‘administrative pause’ on the consideration of their applications.
As for those who are only planning to travel to the United States, we have previously explained how Ukrainian citizens can travel to the United States in 2025 if the U4U programme is suspended.
We remind you! The US has extended temporary protection for Ukrainians for another 18 months. We wrote in more detail about the TPS extension, how to apply, and what are the current entry rules for Ukrainian citizens in 2025.
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