The agitated migratory panorama experienced in the United States has caused, during the last few months, important changes regarding one of the most important programs for thousands of foreigners arriving in the North American country: the Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Until a few years ago, there were just under 20 countries that had this designation, which allows citizens of these nations to enter US territory legally and temporarily.
However, according to the information revealed on the official website of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it was on February 1st that this number was reduced after the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, terminated TPS for Venezuela, preventing, starting April 7th, any Venezuelan citizen from entering the United States through this program.
Weeks later, the same Noem revealed, on February 20th, that Haiti will also lose this designation after rejecting a request to extend the stay of this Caribbean country in TPS for 18 months. Consequently, citizens of this nation will not be able to enter the United States under this method after August 3rd of this year.
Prior to the recent designations by Noem, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone also ceased to be part of TPS in previous years.
Which countries are part of TPS?
Currently, and according to USCIS, these are the countries that have the TPS designation:
-
Afghanistan
-
Myanmar
-
Cameroon
-
El Salvador
-
Ethiopia
-
Honduras
-
Nepal
-
Nicaragua
-
Somalia
-
Sudan
-
South Sudan
-
Syria
-
Ukraine
-
Yemen
According to the information on the official website of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the TPS is designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a country in which its citizens cannot stay safely in their nation due to various reasons such as:
-
Ongoing armed conflict.
-
A natural disaster.
-
Other extraordinary temporary conditions.
This designation allows people from the country with TPS to enter the United States temporarily and to obtain other benefits such as not being removed from the country, obtaining an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and a travel authorization.
Despite its importance in the immigration field for thousands of people, the current immigration policy in the United States, driven by President Donald Trump, has made significant changes to this program that may modify new statutes in the coming months.
*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence