United 4 Ukraine
Have you ever felt that there is nothing you can do to stop all the hate and violence around the world?
How often have you told yourself that you are going to volunteer and bring about change? It is always a great time to explore some volunteer opportunities and help someone in need. When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, tensions between the two nations escalated and in just a matter of days, millions of Ukrainians, mostly women and children, fled the country. According to the United Nations, over eight million Ukrainian refugees remain scattered across Europe, in countries like Poland and Germany, with another five million internally displaced inside Ukraine.
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 (U4U). U4U provides a way 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 2-year period of parole.
Many Homeland Security staff worked long hours on a bifurcated parole process between US Customs and Border Protection and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Manpreet Dhanjal, assisted in co-managing the development and implementation of the new process. Manpreet is a Senior Advisor with the Office of Policy & Strategy within USCIS. For his work in this endeavor Manpreet was awarded the USCIS Director’s Award for Exceptional Service in April 2023. This is one of the highest and most prestigious award granted within USCIS for sustained overall contribution by an individual to USCIS and its mission.
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If you are interested in learning more about U4U and the sponsorship model, see the following websites:
USCIS - Uniting for Ukraine - If you are interested in sponsoring a person from Ukraine
Welcome.us - A national initiative built to inspire, mobilize, and empower Americans to welcome and support those seeking refuge here and help them thrive
USA for UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency- To assist Ukrainian families, and especially children, with mental health
About : Manpreet Singh Dhanjal is an attorney and lives in Vienna, Virginia with his wife and two sons. Dhanjal works as a Senior Advisor at the Office of Policy & Strategy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and has been with USCIS for over eighteen years bringing with him a strong humanitarian background in asylum and refugee processing.