Legal Aid

Immigration Questions

Free legal aid on immigration-related questions, including help with filling out immigration forms, is often available in resettlement agencies. Lawyers in these agencies are well-versed in legal issues affecting Ukrainians.

Legal Information Network for Ukraine (LINU) conducts regular webinars in Russian and Ukrainian languages on immigration issues affecting Ukrainians. If you are searching for information on a particular immigration topic, watch a recorded LINU webinar on this topic, or sign up for an upcoming webinar to ask your question. You can also contract LINU with your question via a website form, and one of LINU attorneys will respond.

Ukraine Immigration Task Force has compiled a list of Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking immigration attorneys who provide services to Ukrainians. These attorneys usually charge fees for their services, although, in exceptional cases, they can take representation pro bono.

Lawyers for Good Government provide free help to Ukrainians eligible for Temporary Protected Status in filling out TPS applications.

You can also search for free or low-cost legal aid in these national directories:

Immigration law is federal, which means an immigration attorney from any state can answer your questions and represent you in your immigration case.

Search for an attorney who specializes in the exact area of immigration law you are interested in. Lawyers who specialize in political asylum may not know anything about family immigration, and lawyers who are experts in family immigration may not know anything about employment-based immigration. Immigration attorneys who do not specialize on Uniting for Ukraine and Ukrainian TPS may not be aware of specific rules of these programs. Before making an appointment, check with the secretary that the attorney is competent to provide consultation on the question you have. If the attorney does not specialize in the area you need, ask if they can refer you to someone who does.

Be mindful that only attorneys licensed by a state bar may provide legal advice in the U.S. You can always check an attorney’s license number on the state bar website. Do not accept legal advice from paralegals or legal assistants, they are not qualified to give advice on legal issues and are prohibited from doing so by law!

Non-Immigration Questions

If you urgently need legal help and cannot afford to hire a lawyer, local government agencies and nonprofit organizations are the best sources of assistance. Because most laws operate at the state or local level, you’ll likely want to connect with an organization located in your city or county. You can find such organizations by googling “legal aid” and the particular issue you face. For example, if you are getting evicted in Los Angeles, google “tenant legal aid in Los Angeles.” If you need help with a family-related issue in New York, google “family legal aid New York.”

State bar websites often maintain lists of pro bono organizations providing legal aid on various issues in the state. State court websites may have helpful resources advising you of your rights and guiding you through the legal process. Some courts and local bar associations hold regular legal aid clinics where you can receive free consultation on your legal question.

You can also search for legal help and local legal aid organizations in these databases:

If you are a victim of domestic violence, call national hotline 800-799-7233, or text START to number 88788, or visit thehotline.org to find shelter and legal help. The line is open 24/7, and interpreters are available.