The Client and her minor daughters traveled from Ukraine to the U.S. in March 2022. The family made the difficult decision to leave their home country due to the ongoing war that presented an immediate danger to their lives. Concerned primarily with securing safety for her children, the mother knew they could not wait to emigrate. Unfortunately, her husband had to stay behind in Ukraine for a few more months, but he was later reunited with his family in January 2023.
The mother and her daughters arrived as B-2 visitors before the Biden administration created the Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees program. Due to their arrival date, the family was initially ineligible for public benefits. Later in 2022, the mother applied for and received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), providing greater security and support for the family in the U.S. However, TPS requires regular renewal; this family’s renewal application needed to be filed by mid-October 2023. During this time the mother and father were still working to rebuild their life in a new country and could not yet afford an attorney to help file their renewal. Unfamiliar with the community, the Client struggled to find a legal aid organization to help her apply for TPS renewal.
Thanks to a partner agency, the Client was referred to NSLAC in late September 2023, only a few weeks before the deadline. Despite a short window of opportunity, NSLAC’s Immigration Law Practice agreed to meet with her and help file for TPS renewal. This included a fee waiver and demonstrating that the family was below the federal income threshold. With hard work, everything was filed on time, and the fee waiver was approved.
