- Prior to arrival
- After arrival
- Identifying long-term goals
- Guides for Sponsors
- Welcome circle/Community Circle: how to get support
- Ask for donations
- Local transportation support
- Welcome baskets
- etc…
- How to prepare
- What to provide
An excellent source of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for the United States can be found here: Welcome.US Sponsor FAQ.* They cover a wide range of questions, such as:
-What is required to be a sponsor?
-How do I fill out the sponsor application?
-What type of day-to-day support will families need?
*Please note that this website is separate from, and not affiliated with, North America for Ukraine.
USA Definitions
Uniting for Ukraine/U4U: The Uniting for Ukraine program is simply an expedited Humanitarian Parole status. On April 21, 2022, the United States announced a key step toward fulfilling President Biden’s commitment to welcome Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion. Uniting for Ukraine provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are outside the United States to come to the United States and stay temporarily in a two-year period of parole. Ukrainians participating in Uniting for Ukraine must have a supporter in the United States who agrees to provide them with financial support for the duration of their stay in the United States.
Sponsors will be vetted by the US government to ensure that they are able to support Ukrainians and to mitigate against potential exploitation. Every Ukrainian seeking authorization to travel to the United States to seek parole must be supported by a US based individual and may include representatives of non-governmental organizations. Each sponsor must pass security and background vetting and demonstrate sufficient financial resources to receive, maintain, and support the Ukrainians they commit to. They will file for I-134 for declaration of financial support along with providing information about themselves and the Ukrainian “Beneficiary”.
Beneficiary/Refugee/Sponsee: The Ukrainian participating in the Uniting for Ukraine program.
All Uniting for Ukraine beneficiaries are subject to biographic and biometric security checks conducted by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before they are granted travel authorization or authorized parole into the United States.
Sponsor: The American who completes forms with USCIS, proving financial stability and undergoing a background check, in order to help Ukrainians gain entry to the USA under the Uniting for Ukraine program.
Host: The American who agrees to provide accommodations to the beneficiary/sponsee. Ideally, this would be the same person as the sponsor. However, we understand that there are unique circumstances that will allow for some beneficiaries to have a separate sponsor and a host.
Paper Sponsorship: When a sponsor is requiring document assistance only, and not hosting, this is called Paper Sponsorship.
I-134 Form: The form that a sponsor must fill out and submit to USCIS in order to sponsor someone through the Uniting for Ukraine program.
FAQ
What is a beneficiary, sponsor, host, and paper-sponsor?
A beneficiary, is a Ukrainian seeking support. A sponsor submits an I-134A, an Online Request to be a Supporter, in order for an immigrant to receive Travel Authorization and gain entry into the US. A host provides accommodations, transportation, and help filing necessary paperwork, including applications for health and food benefits and work authorization. Most often, a sponsor and host are the same person — we call that a hosting sponsor. A paper-sponsor only submits the I-134A while the refugee is hosted by someone other than the sponsor, usually a family
member or friend. At NA4U, we verify hosts before providing access to a paper sponsor to ensure the refugee will not be stranded and become a ‘public charge’ upon arrival.
Liability Concerns:
The Declaration of Financial Support required by a sponsor for Uniting With Ukraine is not an enforceable contract. It is different from the binding I-864 Affidavit used in family- based immigration cases. Sponsors in the Uniting With Ukraine program cannot be sued by the government or sponsored immigrant (the ‘parolee’). Mainly the government needs a way to keep track of people coming into the country and ensure that they do
not become a ‘public charge’ upon entering the US, so they require a sponsor/host upfront.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvGagO5KNAo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l-JG7gAn9k
I-134 Form:
Q: What is humanitarian parole? Humanitarian parole is a temporary discretionary authorization to enter the United States that can be granted based on humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons. Each application for humanitarian parole must be accompanied with an Affidavit of Support from a sponsor. The U4U program is not a refugee resettlement program. It is a temporary stay. They may eventually be granted full refugee status, and in that case, they will have a pathway to citizenship, but as of now, parole is a temporary status of 2 years.
Q. What kind of support do I have to provide? There is no specific requirement regarding the kind of support you offer. In effect, the amount of support is an individual choice and considered a moral obligation, regardless of whether you are a hosting sponsor or paper sponsor.
Q: What does it mean to have sufficient income or resources? There are no clear rules on what “sufficient” income or resources are under immigration law for the I-134A form. With that said, because USCIS has familiarity with the Federal Poverty Guidelines, these guidelines can be a guide to showing sufficient income. As an example, 125% of the poverty guidelines for a family of 4 is: $30,000. The government requires this because they want to ensure parolees have sufficient support upon arrival. In the case of a paper sponsor, that responsibility is assumed by the host, which is why we require proof of a host (accommodations and support).
Q: Is the Form 1-134A legally binding? No. According to the Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (https://fam.state.gov/fam/09fam/09fam030208.html) “This affidavit, submitted by the applicant at your request, is not legally binding on the
sponsor and should not be accorded the same weight as Form I-864.”
Q: Do sponsors have to pay money up front? No. Sponsors do not have to pay any fees. No money should be exchanged at any point in the process.
Q. Do Paper Sponsors have to provide any financial or social support? No. Paper sponsors only submit the paper work and have no obligation to provide any financial or logistical assistance. In the case of a paper sponsor, you submitting the paperwork in conjunction with proof of a host in the form of a letter of commitment, proof of US-issued ID, and a bank statement and/or leasing agreement, all of which will be included with the I-134A as Additional Evidence.
Q: Who will see my personal information? All information is submitted directly to the government at USCIS. You should not present your personal data or documents to anyone else. Ukrainians will only see your address on their account; no other information is made public, just like filing taxes.
OUR NA4U PROCESS:
For a hosting sponsor: a sponsor coordinator will reach out to you to confirm what accommodations you have available and your preferences. We cross-reference our database and present a potential beneficiary to you. If you approve, the coordinator will link you in a group chat so you may ask questions and become better acquainted. We will help facilitate a video chat for visual reference, to confirm identities and to showcase
your accommodations. Then, if you feel comfortable, you submit the I-134As for the family. After you are confirmed, they create their account and enter their data. After they receive Travel Authorization, they make their travel arrangements to come to you in the US.
For a paper sponsor: a coordinator will verify and collect proof that the host will provide housing, transportation and social support. Then, you, the paper sponsor, will be contacted with information about the individual(s) in need. If you approve, the coordinator will link you in a group chat so the beneficiaries can provide you with their data. Then, you submit the I-134A form to the USCIS for each member of the family. After you are confirmed, your part is finished. They create their account and enter their information. After they receive Travel Authorization, they make their travel arrangements to come to the US. It is your prerogative if you wish to stay in touch with them.
We are available to answer questions throughout the process.