The Department of Homeland Security announced that Temporary Protected Status will be offered to qualified Ukrainian nationals residing in the United States as of March 1, 2022. TPS is expected to protect thousands of Ukrainians from being returned to their war-torn country while concurrently providing work authorization. The grant of TPS is for an initial 18 month period.
Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, acknowledged that “Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence, and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries.” The war, and the thousands of refugees that the conflict has already created, was the basis for the Biden Administration’s decision.
Temporary Protected Status is not an official grant of residency; rather, it is a designation offered to nationals of countries undergoing political or environmental upheaval. With Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, the U.S. government estimates that between 30,000 and 70,000 Ukrainians in the United States could benefit. TPS offers protection from removal and work authorization to qualified applicants, including Ukrainians on student visas and tourist visas presently in the country.
Should you have questions about this program and its implementation, or specifically how to apply, please contact Green and Spiegel at (215) 395-8959 or Stephen Antwine at santwine@gands-us.com.
