My niece was a Peace Corps volunteer in Moldova. On March 25, she posted an email she got from a friend there. I’ll share parts of it here with you.

“The war continues. The refugee crisis is almost beyond comprehension. Also beyond comprehension: Ukrainian refugees who wish to come to America for all intents and purposes, cannot. … In order to gain refugee status, you have to be in America. In order to get into America, you have to have an open visa (like a tourist visa or a student visa, something allowing you entry.) It is difficult to get this kind of visa in normal times, and one major hurdle is you have to prove that you will return home when your visa expires. So, if you are a Ukrainian hoping to visit New York in normal times, you have to show lots of proof that you have an apartment in Ukraine, a job, a family – that you aren’t going to overstay your visa.” 

Susan Crangle Vdovichenko ended her letter with a plea to write to Congress to make accepting Ukrainian refugees easier. Because of her letter, I looked up the requirements for immigration for Ukrainians. Here they are for those within the U.S.

Extension of Stay or Change of Status: Those physically present in U.S. may extend their stay through the usual process which requires that you prove you will return to bombed-out cities and maybe nonexistent families when the time runs out. Your word is not good enough.

Temporary Protection Status: The Department of Homeland Security on March 3, 2022, gave this designation to Ukrainians who have been continuously in the U.S. since March 1, 2022. This gives them an 18-month extension on their visas. It hasn’t gone into effect yet.

Asylum Applications: Asylum applications can be made at any border processing center within one year of entering the country. The backlog, especially at our southern border, is enormous and Ukrainians are not prioritized.

The options available for those who are fleeing their homes in Europe include:

Designating Ukrainians as Homeless Nationalities IV visas lets them apply for visas at U.S. consulate in Frankfurt, if they can get there. Other consulates have very long processing times due to COVID-19 cutbacks.

Standard Nonimmigrant Visa Options: The person must petition the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the U.S. and be approved. Then the foreign national can apply for a visa at a U.S. consulate abroad. If approved, the foreign national can travel to the U.S. and seek admission. They must meet the requirements in Vdovichenko’s letter.

Refugees: Ukrainians must receive a referral from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for consideration. U.S. consulates can accept applications. The White House has announced plans to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians. No procedure has been set up to process the applications. Six months is not long for these things.

Vdovichenko’s letter: “I have had several people ask me if they can help – ‘we have a garage,’ the farm is almost empty, ‘we can make it work’ – but the answer is … this enormous humanitarian crisis isn’t something … Americans can help with. Unless the laws change … I understand a visa waiver could be offered by either the president or Congress.” 

She asks us to write our congressmen.

Maybe we should send that Lady in New York harbor to Poland. They seem to have made it work.

 

Dr. Jane Elza, Ph.D., retired, is a resident of Valdosta.