Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security announced a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Ukrainians in the U.S. This means all Ukrainians here since prior to March 1, 2022 can now apply for protection from deportation and a work permit.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the move was justified because of the dire conditions created by "Russia's premeditated and unprovoked attack."
Designed for nationals of countries beset by war, natural disasters or other emergencies, TPS is supposed to be temporary and does not allow beneficiaries to obtain permanent U.S. residency. The protected status will be granted for 18 months. In the past, the DHS has extended this status for other countries, and that could be the case for Ukraine as well.
One can apply for TPS using USCIS form I-821. https://www.uscis.gov/i-821
