Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months on account of “Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack” that has caused the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis.
If Ukrainian nationals have continuously resided in the US since March 1, 2022, they are eligible. Those who travel to the US after March 1, 2022 will not be eligible for the designation. TPS applicants must prove their TPS eligibility and pass the security and background checks.
There are currently only 12 countries with TPS designations, including Haiti, Somalia, and Myanmar, as these countries cannot safely accept deportations. Once TPS is granted, it will not only block deportations but offer them employment authorization documents (EAD) when published in the Federal Register, which has not yet occurred.