On March 8, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, until September 2022.
The designation applies to Venezuelan nationals and those who last resided in that country and are now currently residing within the U.S. As long as such individuals meet other TPS eligibility requirements, they may apply for the protected status.
TPS gives an individual temporary status to remain in the U.S. for a designated time. You can also apply for work authorization for the duration of your TPS status.
There are three statutory bases for designating TPS: ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary and temporary conditions. The Department of Homeland Security has cited “extraordinary and temporary conditions” as its reason for conferring TPS upon Venezuela. Such conditions, it argues, may prevent Venezuelan nationals from returning safely to the country.
Specifically, DHs has cited the following as extraordinary and temporary conditions:
- Widespread hunger and malnutrition
- Growing influence of non-state armed groups
- Repression
- Crumbling infrastructure
“The living conditions in Venezuela reveal a country in turmoil, unable to protect its own citizens,” said Secretary Mayorkas in a DHS press release. “It is in times of extraordinary and temporary circumstances like these that the United States steps forward to support eligible Venezuelan nationals already present here, while their home country seeks to right itself out of the current crises.”
Eligibility for Temporary Protected Status
If a Venezuelan national or someone who most recently resided in Venezuela can demonstrate continuous residence in the U.S. as of March 8, 2021, they may be eligible for TPS under Venezuela’s designation.
For more information about eligibility requirements and how to apply for TPS,contact The Law Office of Rosina C. Stambaugh. . We a can provide the legal support necessary to help youe file for TPS.
For more information about our services and how we can help, please contact us online or call 717-900-1818.
