Immigrants in the US are required to pay $1,000: will these changes affect Ukrainian refugees?

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has introduced a new fee of $1,000 for obtaining or renewing a humanitarian permit, which may affect Ukrainian citizens participating in the U4U program.

This new fee is introduced as part of H.R. 1 and will take effect on October 16, 2025. It applies to individuals who wish to obtain or renew their humanitarian status in the United States.

The next fee amount may be adjusted annually to account for inflation. A fee must be paid before a humanitarian permit is approved, but there may be exceptions for some categories of individuals that have not yet been made public. The U.S. government has promised to prepare a list of situations in which the fee will not be charged.

While waiting for the renewal of a humanitarian status, a person in the United States must first pay the fee; otherwise, their application will be considered incomplete. The USCIS response letter will include details of the payment.

For Form I-131 filings, an advance payment is not required. In such a situation, the fee is collected directly upon entry into the United States if the person is granted temporary resident status.

These changes may affect Ukrainians who received status through the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program. Provisions for the continuation of humanitarian status may require them to pay a fee.

In addition, the USCIS notice includes information on possible exceptions for Ukrainian citizens who arrived during the war. However, the final list of individuals exempted from payment has not yet been published in the Federal Register.

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