Ukrainians in the U.S. Who May Qualify for Temporary Protected Status: An Overview

On March 3, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS allows Ukrainians already in the U.S. as of March 1, 2022, especially those with expired legal status, the opportunity to remain in the U.S. legally for an 18-month period. This paper from the American Immigration Council estimates that of the 344,000 foreign-born Ukrainians in the United States, approximately 10% or 34,000 individuals, do not have an otherwise defined immigration status. These 34,000 individuals would be the ones who would benefit from the TPS program. The largest group of potential beneficiaries (19%) are found in the State of Illinois, followed by Michigan (10%), California (9%) and New York (9%). The paper points out that this group of potential TPS recipients is highly educated compared to immigrants in general and the U.S.-born population. While about one-third of all foreign-born and U.S.-born Americans hold at least a bachelor’s degree, half of the eligible TPS Ukrainian population fall into this category.

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