Re-Parole

Ukrainians and their family members who were paroled in the United States after February 11, 2022 (including under Uniting for Ukraine) and whose parole is expiring soon, can apply for a new parole term (re-parole) for up to 2 additional years.

Who is eligible for re-parole

Only Ukrainian citizens and their non-Ukrainian family members who were paroled in the United States after February 11, 2022 and remain in the United States are eligible to apply for re-parole. If you are a Ukrainian citizen or a non-Ukrainian citizen who arrived with a Ukrainian family member, and your initial form I-94 (the one you received when you first entered the United States after February 11, 2022) shows class of admission “DT” or “UHP”, you are eligible. You remain eligible for re-parole even if you traveled outside the United States on advance parole and returned with “DA” class of admission after your initial parole.

Ukrainians who arrived on a visitor visa, work visa, student visa, etc. are not eligible for re-parole.

Who should apply for re-parole

Anyone who is eligible for re-parole can apply for it. However, an application for re-parole is very costly, so you need to make a decision whether applying for re-parole is financially justified.

Who should strongly consider applying for re-parole:

• Persons who are ineligible for Temporary Protected Status. These include Ukrainians who arrived after August 16, 2023, persons without a Ukrainian citizenship and persons who may be ineligible for TPS due to disqualifying immigration or criminal history.
  
• Low-income persons and families. Low-income persons and families who were paroled before September 30, 2024 may be eligible for Medicaid and cash assistance, including TANF and SSI programs. To receive that assistance, they must maintain a valid humanitarian parole, which means their I-94 showing “DT” or “UHP” class of admission must be current.
  
• Persons whose parole-based EAD is expiring soon and who are still awaiting TPS-based EAD. If you have applied for TPS and TPS-based EAD, but your TPS-based EAD application is still pending, you can apply for re-parole and an EAD based on re-parole.
  
• Persons who intend to adjust status to that of a permanent resident and who are at risk of falling out of status. Certain avenues to a green card via an adjustment of status in the United States (e.g., via employment or reunion with relatives other than immediate family) require that you continuously maintain a lawful status in the United States. If your parole expires soon, and you do not have another approved lawful status, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), you should apply for re-parole in a timely manner to avoid falling out of status.
  
• Persons and families who intend to pursue college education. Depending on your state laws, you may need to maintain a valid humanitarian parole to be considered a resident for tuition purposes and pay less for a community college or public university. You also have different financial aid options depending on your immigration status. See Higher Education page to learn more about your options and each state’s requirements.

When and How to Apply for Re-Parole

USCIS recommends that you apply for re-parole no earlier than 180 days and no later than 60 days before your parole expires. USCIS prioritizes the applications by the date of application and the date of initial parole expiration.

To apply for re-parole, you need to fill out Form I-131. This form can be submitted online via a USCIS online account. Each person who is applying online, even minor children, must have their own USCIS online account. An online application costs $580 per person. If USCIS decides that you application merits approval, it will require you to pay an additional $1,000 before you can receive an approval of your re-parole application.

If you want to apply with a request for partial fee waiver based on low income or financial hardship, you must apply by mail. If you are applying with a fee waiver request, apply at least 90 days before parole expiration as it takes USCIS additional 3-4 weeks to adjudicate your fee waiver request.

In Form I-131:

1. Select “Arrival/Departure Records for Re-parole…” application type, and check option “Certain Ukrainians Paroled Into the United States After February 24, 2022” (question 10.C in Part 1 of the paper from).
2. Indicate the Admit Until date shown in your I-94 with parole (question 12 in Part 1 of the paper form).
3. Complete the About You section and Biographic Information section with your information (questions 1-14 in Part 2, and questions 1-6 in Part 3 of the paper form).
4. To the question, “Do you hold status as a refugee, were you paroled as a refugee?” respond “No” (question 13 in Part 1 of the paper form).
5. Indicate if you have ever been in a deportation or removal proceeding (question 1 in Part 4 on the paper form).
6. To the question, “Have you ever been issues a Reentry Permit or Refugee Travel Document?” respond “No” (question 2 in Part 4 on the paper form).
7. Indicate if you have ever been issued an advance parole document (questions 3.a-b in Part 4 on the paper form).
8. Explain why you qualify for a new period of parole and how long you expect to stay in the United States (questions 1 and 2 in Part 8 on the paper form). Parole is granted for personal humanitarian reasons, so try to make your explanation personal. Write how the war touched your home, your city, your family. Avoid generalities whenever possible. For the expected length of stay in months, you can indicate “24”.
9. If you would like to request a new employment authorization card (EAD) with your re-parole, select this option (Part 9 on the paper form).
10. Sign the form in the Applicant Signature section. THE FORM MUST BE SIGNED REGARDLESS THE AGE OF THE APPLICANT! If the form is unsigned, USCIS will return it.
    • A parent or legal guardian may sign the form for a child under the age of 14 who cannot sign the form personally. The signature of the parent or guardian must be in the form “PARENT/GUARDIAN FULL NAME for CHILD’s FULL NAME” (for example: “Yakov Franko for Ivan Franko”). Children older than 14 must sign their applications themselves.
11. Attach:
    • a copy of the government-issued ID. This can be the bio page of your travel passport, or front and back of your employment authorization card or U.S. driver’s license.
    • Form I-94 showing your prior parole. You can download your current I-94 at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/recent-search. If you cannot find your I-94 on this website and do not have a paper I-94, attach a photo of the stamp in your passport showing your initial parole.
    • Evidence of urgent humanitarian reasons warranting approval of you re-parole request.
    • Any additional information and documents to explain prior immigration issues, criminal history or non-compliance with U4U tuberculosis and vaccine attestations (if applicable).
    • If you are signing the form for your child under the age of 14, attach the child’s birth certificate or legal guardianship documents with a certified translation showing your relationship to the child.

Employment Authorization Based on Re-Parole

You may renew your EAD card based on re-parole by selecting the corresponding option in the form I-131. USCIS will send you a new EAD card after USCIS approves your re-parole application.

The cost of an EAD based on re-parole is $745. If you have requested an EAD in your application for re-parole, you will have to pay this fee in addition to the $580 re-parole fee, for a total of $1325. Low-income applicants requesting reduced fee via Form I-912 (request for a fee waiver), have to pay only $275 for the EAD.

If you were paroled with a “UHP” class of admission before September 30, 2024 and your re-parole application has been approved, you remain employment-authorized incident to your parole and may work up to 90 days based on your new form I-94 while waiting for your new EAD card.

Requesting a Partial Fee Waiver

If you cannot afford to pay the full fee, you may apply by mail with a partial fee waiver request. Fill out one form I-912 – Request for Fee Waiver for the entire household. If you are requesting EAD in form I-131, also fill out form G-1450 or G-1650 authorizing USCIS to charge your credit card or bank account for the reduced fee of $275 multiplied by the number of household members requesting EAD. Put Form I-912 along with form G-1450/G-1650 and the evidence supporting the fee waiver request on top of the applications for all family members for whom you are asking the fee waiver. Evidence for Form I-912 may include:

• a benefits verification letter from the social services showing you are receiving means-tested benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps or cash assistance;
• your last year’s tax return showing income less than 150% of federal poverty level; or
• a detailed explanation of financial hardship with evidence in the form of paychecks, bank statements, proof of monthly expenses, etc.

Mail all forms and supporting evidence to the address for Ukrainians found in the “Arrival/Departure Records for Re-parole” section on page https://www.uscis.gov/i-131-addresses.

When your re-parole application is approved, you will receive by mail a USCIS approval notice with an attached new Form I-94 showing your new parole term.

If you requested EAD in form I-131, your new EAD card should be issued after the re-parole approval. Beware that EAD issuance may take weeks or months. After your re-parole application is approved, you can find out the receipt number for your related EAD application by contacting USCIS via the phone or Emma chat.