USCIS Reminds Haitian Nationals to File for TPS

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds eligible nationals of Haiti (and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) to file for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

TPS was originally designated for Haiti in January 2010 in response to a catastrophic earthquake that devastated that country. The current 18-month extension of TPS for Haiti will remain in effect through Jan. 22, 2013. The following three groups are covered under the Haiti TPS extension and re-designation:

• Individuals filing for the first time: Individuals who do not currently have TPS may apply through Nov. 15, 2011.
• Individuals with pending TPS applications: Individuals who applied for TPS under the initial designation announcement in January 2010 and whose applications were still pending as of May 19, 2011, will not need to file a new Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status. Some individuals seeking to work should read the Federal Register notice (76 FR 2900) published on May 19, 2011, to determine if they need to file a new Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to extend or request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
• Individuals re-registering for TPS: Individuals who were initially granted TPS for Haiti through July 22, 2011 and who plan to remain in the United States., must re-register no later than Aug. 22, 2011. These individuals may still be authorized to work under the auto-extension of EADs through Jan. 22, 2012, as described in the Federal Register published on May 23, 2011 (76 FR 29777). Failure to file a TPS re-registration application before the deadline, without good cause, will result in withdrawal of TPS benefits, including employment authorization and protection from removal from the United States.

Unless TPS was denied or withdrawn before the expiration date of July 22, 2011, individuals holding a TPS-related EAD with that expiration date may still be authorized to work. These EADs have been automatically extended through Jan. 22, 2012.

These auto-extended EADs have “A12” or “C19” listed under “category” on the front of the card.

Haiti TPS beneficiaries are reminded to provide both the EAD with the July 22, 2011 date and a copy of the Federal Register notice to employers when proving proof of employment eligibility. For further guidance for Haiti TPS employers and employees, please refer to the USCIS Web page, Documentation Employers May Accept and Temporary Protected Status Beneficiaries May Present as Evidence of Employment Eligibility.

Further details on TPS for Haiti—including application requirements, fees and procedures—are available at www.uscis.gov on the TPS page.