by Natasha B. | Jan 18, 2018 | Immigration, Legal Services, Press Releases and Statements, Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
January 18, 2018
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti on November 23, 2017. TPS for Haitian recipients will expire on July 22, 2019. Please read the following for information pertaining to the re-registration process.
Catholic Migration Services urges anyone who receives TPS for Haiti to call our office and schedule an appointment for a free legal consultation.
What are the important deadlines?
- If you are a current Haitian TPS holder with a pending TPS application as of January 18, 2018 you do NOT need to apply again. If TPS is approved from the pending application, TPS will be granted through the termination date of July 22, 2019 and you will receive an Employment Authorization Document (work permit) with an expiration date of July 22, 2019.
- Current Haitian TPS holders who received an Employment Authorization Document with an expiration date of January 22, 2018, will receive an automatic extension of their work permit for 180 days (valid through July 21, 2018) however, you must re-register in order to continue receiving TPS through the termination date of July 22, 2019.
- Re-registration for Haitian TPS runs from January 18, 2018 through March 19, 2018.
- If you do not re-register during this time period, you will not be in lawful status and will effectively abandon your TPS.
Do I need to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (work permit)?
- The Department of Homeland Security has automatically extended the validity of work permits expiring on January 22, 2018 for 180 days, through July 21, 2018. If you wish to maintain status and have a valid work permit through July 22, 2019, you should apply for a new work permit before the July 21, 2018 expiration date.
Do I need to pay any fees?
- If you are 14 years or older, you must submit an $85 biometrics fee with your re-registration;
- If you are unable to pay the biometrics fee, you may submit a request for a fee waiver;
- You do not need to pay a filing fee for renewing your TPS if you are under 14 years old;
- If you wish to receive a new work permit with a July 22, 2019 expiration date on the face of the card, you must pay the $410 Employment Authorization Document fee;
- All forms and payments can be filed together.
To be screened for other possible forms of immigration relief or if you have any questions, please contact Catholic Migration Services at 718-236-3000.
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by Natasha B. | Dec 23, 2017 | Immigration, Legal Services, Press Releases and Statements, Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Presione aquí para la versión en Español
Peze la pou tradui nan Kreyol Ayisyen
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently made important announcements impacting the rights of people from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Haiti who receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Honduras and Nicaragua were originally designated for TPS in 1999, after the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch while Haiti’s original designation for TPS was issued in 2010 following the effects of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. The TPS designation has permitted Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Haitian nationals to live and work in the United States legally, to own homes and businesses, and to establish family roots.
Catholic Migration Services urges anyone who receives TPS for Honduras, Nicaragua, or Haiti to call our office and schedule an appointment for a free legal consultation.
The DHS Determination for TPS Holders from Honduras
The Department of Homeland Security announced that additional information is necessary regarding the TPS designation for Honduras, and therefore it has made no determination regarding Honduras at this time. As a result of the inability to make a determination, the TPS designation for Honduras will be automatically extended for six months from the current January 8, 2018 date of expiration to the new expiration date of July 5, 2018. TPS recipients from Honduras must re-register with DHS between December 15, 2017 and February 13, 2018.
TPS beneficiaries are reminded that, prior to July 5, 2018, the Secretary will review the conditions in Honduras and decide whether to extend or terminate the TPS designation. During this period, beneficiaries are encouraged to prepare for their return to Honduras in the event Honduras’ designation is not extended again and if they have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States, including requesting updated travel documents from the Government of Honduras.
The DHS Determination for TPS Holders from Nicaragua
The Department of Homeland Security announced that the TPS designation for Nicaragua will terminate on January 5, 2019. At that time, nationals of Nicaragua (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Nicaragua) who have been granted TPS under the Nicaragua designation will no longer have TPS.
Nationals of Nicaragua (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Nicaragua) who have been granted TPS and wish to maintain their TPS and receive TPS-based Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) valid through January 5, 2019, must re-register for TPS. The 60-day re-registration period runs from December 15, 2017 through February 13, 2018. (NOTE: It is important for re-registrants to timely re-register during this 60-day period and not to wait until their EADs expire).
The DHS Determination for TPS Holders from Haiti
The Department of Homeland Security announced on November 20, 2017 that the TPS designation for Haiti will terminate on July 22, 2019. At that time, nationals of Haiti (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) who have been granted TPS under the Haiti designation will no longer have TPS.
Nationals of Haiti (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) who have been granted TPS and wish to maintain their TPS must re-register. Information about re-registration will be published in the Federal Register. No Federal Register Notice has been issued as of November 21, 2017. Please check this website periodically for updates regarding the renewal process.
How Anyone Can Advocate on Behalf of TPS Recipients
We urge the community to contact your local representatives and inform them to maintain this critical humanitarian protection. Take action by writing a letters(s) to the Administration and your local members of Congress requesting an extension of TPS; share stories; and learn more.
Catholic Migration Services is a non-profit organization that offers free immigration, employment, and housing legal services to Brooklyn and Queens residents. Please continue to visit our website at catholicmigration.org for further updates and important information about the government’s immigration policies.
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by changer | Aug 7, 2017 | News, Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
TPS is a temporary legal status granted to Haitian nationals. Temporary Protected Status also offers Haitian nationals the opportunity to apply for work authorization, which permits them to work legally in the United States.
TPS must be renewed every 18 months. Haitian nationals must renew their TPS NO LATER than July 24, 2017. Upon renewal, TPS will be extended until July 22, 2018.
This renewal period is open ONLY to Haitian nationals who currently have TPS. With rare exceptions, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is NOT accepting new TPS registrations.
The basic eligibility requirements to renew Haitian TPS are:
– Applicant must be a Haitian national
– Applicant must have entered the U.S. prior to January 12, 2011
– Applicant must have resided in the U.S. continuously before or since January 12, 2011
– Applicant must have been approved for TPS previously (either in 2010, and timely re-registered in 2011 OR in 2011)
– Male applicants 18 years or older must be registered with Selective Service
The USCIS fees for Haitian TPS renewal are:
– $465, for applicant 14 years or older applying for employment authorization
– $85, for applicant 14 years or older not applying for employment authorization
– $380, for applicant under 14 years applying for employment authorization
– $0, for applicant under 14 years not applying for employment authorization
Fee waivers are available under certain circumstances.
Catholic Migration Services provides legal representation before USCIS to all Haitian TPS applicants we serve.
If you would like more information, or if you are a Haitian national and need to re-register your TPS, please call our Brooklyn office at 718-236-3000 or our Queens office at 347-472-3500 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Click here for information about Haitian TPS in Kreyòl Ayisyen.
Article written by Deacon Paul Dorsinville, Health Education Coordinator and Kimberley Kearns, Public Ally/Capacity Building Specialist
Special thanks to the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Law Unit for information.
