By Boulder Weekly Staff
It’s been four and a half years since Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to go after more of Ukraine. Millions have fled, including five million to European countries. The U.S. has accepted 300,000 immigrants with various forms of temporary residence status.
This is the story of one of them in Colorado, whose legal residency days are numbered, with probably fewer than 30 days left. The Boulder Weekly is using a pseudonym, Vira, because she fears that publishing her identity could jeopardize her immigration status.
Vira was raised in a poor family in Crimea. Her father served in the military, and the pay was only in food. Her family was transferred to Kyiv before the 2014 Russian occupation of Crimea.
She was raised speaking Russian, but in Kyiv she had to learn Ukrainian quickly. Her father supports the Russian occupation, and this split the family. She has not spoken with him since.
Five years ago, Vira never imagined leaving Ukraine. She earned a college degree in food science but did not like the career. She worked in social services but was heartbroken by how little difference she could make. Vira was trying to find her path and build a life. Then Russia invaded Ukraine, kicking off the war.
When the Russian attacks began, every day it seemed Kyiv might be overrun. Her mother’s apartment was damaged, leaving only one room intact. In Bucha, 50 miles away, more than 400 civilians and prisoners were killed by Russian troops.
In the first months, people fled by the millions to nearby countries into refugee camps. Vira and her family were scrambling to find food, while the bombing persisted.
A close friend had moved to the U.S. years earlier, married an American and started a family. She reached out to Vira. Her friend's husband offered to sponsor her through a humanitarian immigration program. She could help the family with childcare.
Vira felt it was the “one chance I had.” There was only one open road leading west out of the country, but it was still very dangerous. A man with a van was willing to drive her and others out for a high fee. She sold possessions and made the harrowing journey.
Now, after several years in the U.S., it is starting to feel like home, and Vira can imagine building a life here. “Everyone here smiles and is friendly,” she said.
In contrast, the Ukrainian economy is fraught with high unemployment, bombed-out apartments and currency devaluation that has driven up costs. An apartment in Kyiv would cost as much as a months salary, and there is no room for her with family. And of course, “people are still dying in the war every day,” Vira said.
Her authorization is expiring this month. She is applying for renewal but worries it will not be approved, as the U.S. administration is less supportive of immigration. The application fee is more than $1,500, which is a significant challenge since she has not found a job. Vira speaks English reasonably well, but she has struggled to secure a job. She also doesn’t have a car.
Her understanding is that, for any hope of her authorization being renewed, she will need to say that she does not want to stay in the U.S. long term. But she can’t see how she could have a life in Ukraine. The application requires her to show how her presence “would benefit a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident or community in the United States.”
Vira feels ashamed that she must “prove that I am not a bad person.” For her, this isn’t a choice she made. “I feel like I was uprooted by no fault of my own.”
Applications submitted more than six months in advance may be rejected. But application processing takes three to six months or longer.
It is unclear if she can remain here during that time. She does not want to stay without legal status but does not know where she can go. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has arrested people from Ukraine even with current legal residence status.
Meanwhile in Congress, two bills were introduced in 2025 to help Ukrainian residents: Protecting Our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act and the Ukrainian Adjustment Act. Both remain stalled without a vote.
In 1883, Emma Lazarus was asked to contribute a poem for a fundraiser to build the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. The poem, “The New Colossus,” was placed on the pedestal of Lady Liberty, which has welcomed immigrants for a century. The contrast with the conditional welcome Vira is experiencing is worth noting.
Excerpt from “The New Colossus”
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”