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The Department of Homeland Security announced it will grant temporary protected status to Ukrainians in the US for 18 months.
Ukrainians applying for the status must have been living in the US by March 1. Those who arrived in the US after that date will not be eligible, the DHS said.
“Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries,” DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
“In these extraordinary times, we will continue to offer our support and protection to Ukrainian nationals in the United States.”
The 18-month designation will go into effect on the publication date of the coming Federal Register notice, the DHS said.
Democratic and Republican members of Congress have urged President Joe Biden's administration to grant Ukrainians temporary protected status.
“This invasion has caused a humanitarian crisis with significant numbers of individuals fleeing and damage to civilian infrastructure that has left many without electricity or water or access to food, basic supplies, shelter and emergency medical services,” Mr Mayorkas said.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has already suspended deportations to Ukraine, citing a “humanitarian crisis".
More than 2.1 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began a week ago, the UN has said.
