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What is the Uniting For Ukraine Program?

The war in Ukraine has dragged on for two horrifying, tragic, painful years with no end in
sight. The situation is much worse than is being portrayed in the media. Millions have
lost their homes, loved ones, livelihoods, hopes and dreams. An entire nation of children
has been robbed of their childhood. Millions need a safe place to go until this terrible
war is over and rebuilding can begin. Europe is overcrowded with refugees. Many
Ukrainian refugees are unable to find housing, jobs and are facing harassment and
discrimination in European countries. Some countries such as Spain and Canada have
discontinued their programs for Ukrainians. As a result, more and more Ukrainians are
seeking safety in the US.
The Uniting For Ukraine program was started in March 2022 to allow those with legal residency in the US (citizen, green card, work visa, refugee, humanitarian parolee, TPS) to sponsor/host Ukrainians in order to bring them to safety in the US. This is a 2-year temporary program so they can escape the war. It is not currently a path to citizenship.

learn about program

About us

Team of Volunteers

We are a grassroots volunteer group who finds sponsors/hosts and matches them with
beneficiaries. We are people who wanted to find a way to help Ukrainians find safety
and created a group on Facebook for this purpose.

Our experience

We started volunteer activities April 24, 2022. Thousands of Ukranians and hundreds of families have already came to the USA, thanks to our support. Hundreds of Americans became sponsors for them and have received a wonderful experience which is full of love, kindness and gratitude.

What is a Beneficiary?
A Beneficiary is the Ukrainian that the sponsor files the I-134a application for. Some
beneficiaries have friends or family who are already in the United States and simply
need to be sponsored so that they can come live in safety with said friends or family.
This is known as paper sponsorship. Some beneficiaries need a sponsor and a host.
They don’t yet have a place to live and need housing, financial help of varying degrees
and assistance with the resettlement process.

What is a sponsor?
A Sponsor is a legal resident of the US who is willing to complete ~30 minutes of
paperwork on behalf of a Ukrainian. It is free to file. The number of beneficiaries that
you can file for is based on income. Essentially the Sponsor is asking the government
to consider this Ukrainian for the program.

What is a Host?
Hosts offer housing to Ukrainian newcomers while they get established in the United
States. This is like a foreign exchange student host program. You can meet newcomers
at the airport, provide housing, help apply for jobs, enroll children in school, enroll in
health insurance, and begin English classes. The host usually also helps the beneficiary
apply for a social security number, work authorization and driver’s license when
applicable.

Our team

of volunteers

44500+

Members in our group

10

Moderators and admins

1000+

Succesfull stories

Do I have to be both a Sponsor and a Host?

No, some people choose to do both, but there are many opportunities to be just a sponsor or a Host. If you only want to do one or the other, you are still very much needed. This will be one of the most rewarding and worthwhile things you will ever do!

What Is Our Process?

1) We screen potential beneficiaries to determine their eligibility for the program and
their individual needs. Do they need a sponsor, a host or both? How much financial
support do they need? We also determine their level of English, job skills, financial
resources, health care needs, and motivation to succeed in the US.

2) If they only need paper sponsorship (they already have a host here) we verify their
hosting and support situation. We contact the family member or friend in the US to verify
that the beneficiaries really have a place to live for a realistic period of time, financial
support, and help with resettlement. We obtain a letter of support from the host to be
uploaded with the application.

3) If they also need a host, we try to find a suitable host based on their needs.

4) When we feel we have a good match, we introduce the sponsor/host and
beneficiary. If all parties are in agreement, the sponsor gathers the needed documents.
(needed documents vary depending on if the sponsor is employed, retired or self-
employed)
• A letter from their employer stating position, date of hire, income and if it is a
temporary or permanent position.
• most recent pay stub and/or W2 or 1099
• most recent tax return
• most recent bank statement
• proof of US residency status (for example, passport, birth certificate, work visa, I94)
Even though a paper sponsor does not provide housing or financial support, the
government still requires this information since there is only one form that is for both
traditional and paper sponsorship.

5) The sponsor creates an account at www.USCIS.gov.

6) The sponsor fills out and submits the I-134a application on this website.

7) Once the application is submitted, the USCIS reviews the application and approves
or denies it. Application processing is currently taking around 30 to 90 days.

8) If the sponsor is approved, the beneficiary will receive an email from the USCIS with
instructions to create their own account and submit their application for Travel
Authorization. Once approved, the beneficiary will receive their travel documents and is
now able to enter the US within 90 days.

9) We celebrate!! Congratulations! You have potentially saved lives, future generations,
and helped preserve Ukrainian culture and language.

With Kindness and Love

Uniting for Ukraine

Contact us to find your beneficiary!

[email protected]

This website is intended for the exchange of information between the participants of the "Uniting for Ukraine" program.
Let’s help to find each other!

Use FB icon to find our group. In order to be approved as a group member you may be asked to answer the questions and you must agree to group rules.
You can directly contact one of our moderatiors or admins and ask your question via messenger.

We believe that people change the World doing kind things.

Join us and be one to extend a hand of help.

To become a sponsor is easy and safe