The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services division of the Department of Homeland Security published a Federal Register Notice on Wednesday, May 24 announcing a six-month extension of the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. The extension will move the termination date of the TPS from July 23, 2017 to January 22, 2018.
TPS was initially designated for Haiti in January 2010 following a severe earthquake in the country and has been extended repeatedly since that date. Had the designation not been extended, thousands of Haitians may have faced leaving valuable jobs and returning to their country where the market is far less stable. The sting would have been felt by the poultry industry as well, which employs many individuals residing and working in the United States under the TPS designation.
The TPS designation was designed to provide individuals from countries experiencing environmental disasters, armed conflict, or other extraordinary conditions with temporary immigration relief and protection in the United States because they cannot return to their own country.
Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly noted the progress made in Haiti to recover from the earthquake; however, conditions in Haiti remain that support the TPS designation. Haiti continues to experience challenges with public infrastructure, health, gender-based violence, and displacement because of a variety of factors including environmental disasters.
The TPS designation additionally allows eligible individuals to apply for and obtain employment authorization documents (EAD) to secure jobs in the United States during the TPS time period. The Federal Register Notice provides information to eligible individuals on re-registering for TPS and EAD’s to ensure continued employment.
