Haiti: TPS Extended

On August 25, 2015, Secretary Jeh Johnson of the Department of Homeland Security extended Haiti’s designation for Temporary Protected Status for another 18 months. This means that Haitians who currently have TPS and would like to extend their stay in the United States must re-register sometime between August 25, 2015 and October 26, 2015.

Haiti has been designated for Temporary Protected Status ever since January 21, 2010, in the aftermath of an earthquake that wreaked havoc across the country. Temporary Protected Status is not immigration status. Rather, it allows individuals from countries given TPS to apply for Employment Authorization and remain in the United States legally for a temporary period. The reason for granting TPS is usually a catastrophe – natural disaster, civil war, extreme famine. An individual applying for TPS must have been in the United States at the time of original designation.