subject: Six Additional Months Granted To The Haitian Nationals To Seek Temporary Protected Status [print this page] U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently made a proclamation that eligible Haitian nationals will be given an additional 180 days to request for their Temporary Protected Status (TPS.) The earthquake that hit Haiti in the beginning of this year necessitated the addition of six months. January 18, 2011 has been announced as the last date for the new registration.
Alejandro Mayorkas, USCIS Director, stated that USCIS after a conversation with the Haitian community leaders and advocates came to the conclusion that Haitian nationals require additional time to apply for their TPS. With the registration period extended for an additional 180 days, Haitian nationals will now be allowed to remain in the United States until the aftereffects of the devastation gets settles in Haiti.
Apart from being granted permission to live in the United States, the TPS for Haitian nationals also allows them to get work authorization through the course of the program. Since the day the TPS program was initiated, USCIS has worked towards communicating the benefits and providing information about the registration procedure. Haitian nationals are still being encouraged by USCIS to apply for their TPS before the deadline approaches. Fee waiver can be requested for by applicants who face economic hardship in paying the application fee.
From the interaction that USCIS made with the public, it was able to collect several reasons that refrained eligible Haitian nationals from applying for their Temporary Protected Status. There were individuals who had difficulties in gathering documents that needed to be submitted for the TPS. Others had difficulties in paying the application fees.
Beginning January 12, 2010, Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, allotted Temporary Protected Status for a period of 18-months for Haitian nationals. This allotment is applicable only to those Haitians who resided in the US since January 12, 2010. It does not apply to Haitians who entered into the US after Jan. 12, 2010.
