The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the temporary protected status for Venezuela. An order was published in the U.S. federal newspaper (Feredal register) on September 8, 2022. The Secretary of Homeland Security also issued a statement on the DHS website. “After careful consideration, and in consultation with the Secretary of State, I am extending this designation today. This action is one of many ways the Biden Administration is providing humanitarian support to Venezuelans at home and abroad, in collaboration with our regional partners. We will continue to work with our international partners to address regional migration challenges while ensuring the security of our borders,” the statement said.
The 18-month extension is valid until March 10, 2024 for Venezuelans in the United States on or before March 8, 2021. “Only beneficiaries of Venezuela’s existing designation, and who were already residing in the United States as of March 8, 2021, are eligible to re-enroll in TPS under this extension,” DHS said adding, “Venezuelans who arrived in the United States after March 8, 2021, are not eligible for TPS.”
Thanks to this extension, more than 343,000 Venezuelans will benefit from this extension, informs the Department of Homeland Security.
According to Reuters, six other countries, including Haiti, are also expected to benefit from an extension of temporary protection status. “Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be extended until June 30, 2024 for citizens of Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras and Nepal, according to a document filed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,” revealed the English newspaper. This information was also relayed by other local media including Metronome. However, until November 11, 2022 no information was made public on the website of the U.S. Federal Register and DHS.
The extension of the TPS for Venezuelans has been in effect since September 10th. They have a 60-day re-enrollment period, the DHS said in the Federal Register, which urged recipients not to wait until their employment cards expire to re-enroll. “It is important that re-enrollees re-enroll in a timely manner during the 60-day enrollment period and not wait until their EAD expires, as any delay in re-enrollment could result in gaps in their employment authorization documents,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security encourages.