In late September, several initiatives concerning the immigration status of Ukrainians living in the United States were introduced in the U.S. Senate. One bill would preserve Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine through July 1, 2029, while another would establish a separate mechanism allowing a defined category of Ukrainians to apply for lawful permanent resident status in the United States, commonly known as a Green Card. At the same time, more than 30 senators appealed to the administration to extend TPS for another 18 months.
As previously reported, on September 24, 2026, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, together with Senators Chris Coons and Richard Blumenthal, introduced Senate bill S.5521 which would adjust the immigration status of Ukrainians who meet the established requirements. The measure is titled the Ukrainian Adjustment Act of 2026 and was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill’s introduction was also recorded in the Congressional Record on September 24.
A day earlier, on September 23, Blumenthal, Murkowski, Coons, and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy introduced another bill S.5490intended to preserve TPS for Ukraine after October 19, 2026. The measure was also referred to the relevant Senate committee.
TPS Would Be Preserved Through July 2029
Senate bill S.5490 provides that after the current TPS designation expires on October 19, Ukraine would continue to be treated as a country designated for the program from October 20, 2026, through July 1, 2029. To qualify, an applicant would have to be a Ukrainian citizen or a stateless person who most recently habitually resided in Ukraine, have continuously resided and been physically present in the United States since the law takes effect, meet admissibility requirements, and register under procedures established by the Department of Homeland Security.
Thus, the legislative initiative concerns more than a technical extension of documents already issued. The proposed text establishes a new period of TPS designation for Ukraine, while the continuous-residence date would be tied to the date the law is enacted. If the legislation takes effect after October 20, its provisions would apply retroactively from that date.
In a statement, Senator Murkowski notes, the initiative is intended to preserve Ukrainians’ ability to legally live and work in the United States. According to her, many Ukrainian families have already integrated into local communities, while returning them to a country where war continues would be unsafe.
Blumenthal, while introducing the bill, also emphasized the risks Ukrainians would face if returned amid Russian missile and drone attacks and energy-supply problems ahead of winter.
Separate Bill Would Open a Path to Permanent Residency
The other initiative — S.5521, or the Ukrainian Adjustment Act of 2026— has a fundamentally different purpose. Rather than providing temporary protection, it proposes a mechanism through which a defined category of Ukrainians could transition to lawful permanent resident status in the United States.
The potentially eligible group would include Ukrainian citizens or people who most recently habitually resided in Ukraine, have undergone the necessary screening, and are already physically present in the United States. In particular, the bill covers individuals who were lawfully inspected and admitted to the United States before the law takes effect, as well as those granted parole after February 20, 2014, and certain members of their families.
Simply being present in the United States would not be enough to obtain a Green Card. An applicant would have to submit a separate application, meet immigration-law requirements, and undergo screening equivalent to that applied to refugees under the United States Refugee Admissions Program. The Secretary of Homeland Security would also have to determine, based on the individual circumstances of each case, that granting permanent status would not be contrary to U.S. public or national security.
The bill also provides protections while an application is pending: subject to the established conditions, an applicant could not be removed from the United States before a final administrative decision, the period would not count as unlawful presence, and the applicant would not be treated as unauthorized to work. The measure also provides for the possibility of waiving certain administrative fees, while people granted status under the law would not be subject to the usual numerical immigration quotas.
Senators Urge the Administration to Extend TPS
In parallel with these legislative initiatives, on September 22, Senator Tammy Duckworth and 30 other senators from both parties appealed to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the administration to extend and redesignate TPS for Ukraine for another 18 months.
This is a mechanism separate from the two bills. An extension would preserve protection for current TPS beneficiaries, while redesignation — a new designation of the country for the program — would allow an additional group of Ukrainians who arrived in the United States after October 20, 2023, to become eligible for TPS. The senators specifically emphasized this point in their letter to the administration.
According to figures cited in the letter, approximately 101,000 Ukrainians currently hold TPS. The senators also refer to economic estimates indicating that this group contributes approximately $2.6 billion to the economy annually and generates about $716 million in tax revenue. These figures are those cited by the authors of the letter in support of their position.
Photo: AI-generated
Author: Inna Mikhno