Tag: temporary protected status

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DHS Announces Temporary Protected Status Designation for Nepal

From U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services:

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson announced his decision to designate Nepal for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months based on the conditions resulting from the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, and the subsequent aftershocks. As a result, eligible nationals of Nepal residing in the United States may apply for TPS with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The Federal Register notice published today provides details and procedures for applying for TPS.

The TPS designation for Nepal is effective today, June 24, 2015, and will be in effect through December 24, 2016. The designation means that, during the designated period, eligible nationals of Nepal (and people without nationality who last habitually resided in Nepal) will not be removed from the United States and may receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The 180-day TPS registration period begins June 24, 2015 and runs through December 21, 2015.

To be eligible for TPS, applicants must demonstrate that they satisfy all eligibility criteria, including that they have been both “continuously physically present” and “continuously residing” in the United States since June 24, 2015. Applicants also undergo thorough security checks. Individuals with certain criminal records or who pose a threat to national security are not eligible for TPS. The eligibility requirements are fully described in the Federal Register notices and on the TPS Web page atwww.uscis.gov/tps.

Applicants may request that USCIS waive any or all TPS-related fees based on inability to pay by filing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or by submitting a written request. Fee-waiver requests must be accompanied by supporting documentation. USCIS will reject any TPS application that does not include the required filing fee or a properly documented fee-waiver request. All USCIS forms are free. Applicants can download these forms from the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/forms or request them by calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.

Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check My Case Status Online or call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833) at no cost.

For more information about USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis), and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

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We thank Guerrero Yee LLP for this informative video produced by AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association).  Watch Rio Guerrero explain how Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will help 500K+ Filipinos — both documented and undocumented — inside the United States, when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may grant TPS, and what Filipinos should do next. Rio serves as co-chair of AABANY’s Immigration and Nationality Law Committee.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
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BREAKING NEWS! The Philippine Government Requests TPS

16/12/2013: PH SEEKS ADDITIONAL IMMIGRATION RELIEF FOR PINOYS IN US

PRESS RELEASE
WDC-131-2013
16 December 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Philippines has formally requested Washington for additional immigration relief measures to allow eligible Filipinos to stay and work in the United States so they could support the country’s long-term post-typhoon recovery efforts, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced Monday, 16 December.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario said the request to designate the Philippines under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was officially conveyed on Friday, 13 December, by Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. to the Department of Homeland Security through a note verbale to the Department of State.

“Recognizing the intense desire of the Filipino-American Community to more effectively assist victims, we would like to formally request that eligible Filipino nationals in the US be granted Temporary Protected Status under Section 244 of the US Immigration and Nationality Act,” said the letter signed by Ambassador Cuisia and addressed to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Rand Beers.

The request was made in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,000 people; displaced more than 4 million and affected more than 12 million during its violent rampage across the Central Philippines last month.

More than 200 Filipino-American organizations across the US, backed by members of the US Senate and House of Representatives, the Catholic Church and other NGOs have requested for the additional immigration relief measures that a TPS designation would be able to provide to Filipinos.

Secretary Del Rosario said if the request is granted, the Philippines will join four other countries that were placed under TPS after going through similar natural catastrophes. These are El Salvador and Haiti after these were devastated by earthquakes in 2001 and 2010 respectively and Nicaragua and Honduras after they were affected by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

Ambassador Cuisia said the Embassy has also been in discussions with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State and the DFA in Manila since the TPS was first brought to his attention a few days after Haiyan struck the country.

Ambassador Cuisia said the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Consulates General in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and Agana made the recommendation to Secretary Del Rosario during their annual conference in Washington, D.C. last week and after extensive consultations with leaders of the Filipino Community in their respective jurisdictions.

Ambassador Cuisia explained that a TPS designation for the Philippines would allow eligible Filipinos currently in the US to support the long-term relief and rehabilitation efforts in the country because they could be given temporary authorization to stay and work for a limited period.

He said the request will have to first be evaluated by US authorities and may take some time. If approved, eligible Filipinos can start filing their applications, which will be reviewed on a case-to-case basis.

He said that in addition to TPS, Filipinos already in the US can also take advantage of the immigration breaks announced by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service on 15 November of which some Filipinos have already availed themselves.

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NAPABA DONATES $10,000 TO TYPHOON HAIYAN RELIEF EFFORTS

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400 
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 20, 2013

Contact: Emily Chatterjee 
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA DONATES $10,000 TO TYPHOON HAIYAN RELIEF EFFORTS 
Supports Immigration Relief for Filipinos Based in the United States

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) today announced that it has committed $10,000 to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in support of the IRC’s emergency relief efforts in the Philippines. NAPABA also announced its support for temporary immigration-related relief for individuals from the Philippines who are currently in the U.S.

“NAPABA is committed to supporting the victims of the Typhoon Haiyan catastrophe. We will be donating $10,000 to support the IRC, which is currently focused on clean water, health care, and other urgent needs in the Philippines,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of NAPABA. “Almost a million people have been displaced internally, and the rebuilding efforts will be ongoing for years to come. We encourage all those who are able to do so to make a charitable donation to the IRC or to other groups working on the ground.”

In addition to the list of aid agencies recommended in NAPABA’s statement in support of victims of Typhoon Haiyan on Monday, which may be found here, potential donors may want to consider Save the Children and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON).

Tina Matsuoka, executive director of NAPABA, stated, “We recognize that, in addition to financial support, victims and their families need other assistance, which is why NAPABA has endorsed Temporary Protected Status for the Philippines. With TPS, Filipinos in the U.S. can be protected from deportation and are eligible to work, enabling them to continue to send remittances back home, thereby helping their families rebuild their lives.”

Under §244(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would allow nationals from the Philippines residing in the U.S. to receive a temporary, humanitarian form of relief from deportation, and make them eligible to obtain work authorization. The Department of Homeland Security designated Haiti for TPS in similar circumstances after a massive earthquake in 2010. Today, NAPABA joined the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and others in a letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Beers, and formally requested that the Philippines be designated for TPS will all due haste.

About the International Rescue Committee:

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. When an emergency arises, the IRC arrives on the scene within 72 hours with urgently needed supplies and expertise that protect people caught in the midst of chaos. We commit to stay as long as we are needed, helping survivors to heal, recover and rebuild their communities to be stronger, more stable and more democratic.

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