The Humanitarian Parole Program, styled as Uniting For Ukraine

[NotHardUp1]

The Biden Administration announce the program on April 18th, or so, and then the Department of Homeland Security finally made the program site available for applicants on April 25th.

I applied that evening, which was a mad rush, because even the requirements were not announced until the 25th, and not even fully then. They included a signed bank statement from a bank officer, and a signed letter from one's employer, for the sponsors. Frankly, for all the billions the U.S. is ponying up to arm Ukraine or help Poland host refugees, they aren't springing for almost anything for refugees coming here. Everything is on the hosts.

My application was approved as "sufficient" today. Now, it's up to the couple I invited to apply to the DHS and get approved to come stay. The program gives a two-year term, and the refugees can work once they apply for a Social Security Number and file an application to work.

It just keeps surprising me how much my life keeps changing. I post it here to discuss the refugee situation and any members' interest here. I'd prefer the thread to stay in Hot Topics for conversation, and not be just a political froth about the war. Is anyone else hosting anyone or thinking of applying?

 

[Peloso]

One of my clients will be hosting a family of four. I will likely be meeting them within the next month or so.

 

[rareboy]

We would be pleased to do this...and have offered...but I would be happiest to see all of these people safe in their own home in Ukraine, with Russia levelled to dust.

 

[NotHardUp1]

So far, the website and its software is unsurprisingly a complete clusterfuck of automated messages, dysfunction, and cryptic incompleteness.

The applicants, and their sponsors, fill out these excruciatingly detailed forms and requests, and then get automated replies that post both in the account as well as via email. Your emails tell you to log into your account to see the notices. The notices in the account tell you to long in to see decisions, yet you are already logged in and in the account, but there are no actual messages.

I've tried different browsers and get the same.

It's just a clusterfuck of disjointed automation. Typical U.S. government inhumanity.

It's shameful to think refugess and immigrants are subject to this. Not only do they have to struggle with translating from English, but then the messages are wrong or incomplete or nonsensical. To the shame of our nation.