The U.S. administration has decided to extend and re-designate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in an irregular situation.
All Haitians in the United States until November 6, 2022 are eligible for TPS for a period of 18 months.
This new re-designation takes effect on February 4, 2023 and expires on August 3, 2024.
A decision by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas “due to extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti.”
With this re-designation of TPS, more than 70 Haitian nationals newly arrived in the United States will have the opportunity to have an employment card and other benefits offered by Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Those arriving in the United States after November 6, 2022 will not be eligible, the U.S. Homeland Security official said.
“It is important to note that Haitians entering the United States after November 6, 2022 are not eligible for TPS and, like other individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States, will be subject to deportation.” I repeat: Haitians entering the U.S. after November 6, 2022, including those considering entering now, are not eligible for TPS,” warned Alejandro Mayorkas.
The decision to re-designate Haiti for TPS was made because “conditions in Haiti, including socio-economic challenges, political instability, violence and gang crime – compounded by the environmental disaster – have dictated the humanitarian assistance we are providing today,” wrote the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
Instructions will be provided on when recipients can begin submitting their applications and other eligibility requirements. The decision will soon be published in the U.S. Federal Register.
The Department of the Interior estimates that between 70,000 and 100,000 Haitian immigrants will benefit from the new TPS re-designation.
Since Joe Biden took office, many thousands of Haitians have migrated to the United States in search of better socio-economic and security conditions. The situation in Haiti is becoming increasingly untenable.