Information re Temporary Protected Status for Haitians

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security has offered Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians in the aftermath of the January 12, 2010 earthquake. TPS will be offered for a minimum of 18 months to those eligible. All nationals of Haiti, and those having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti, and who have continuously resided in the United States since January 12, 2010 or before, may be eligible for TPS. This includes Haitians who are undocumented or who are in a temporary status, such as visitor status, in the United States. Haitians who wish to apply for TPS must file an immigration form I-821 along with a form I-765 in accordance with the forms' instructions during the applicable registration period, which will end in 6 months. Potential applicants should check the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS ) website at uscis.gov for further instructions or consult a reputable immigration attorney or BIA accredited representative regarding the Haitian TPA application process. In Mississippi Haitians can also seek assistance at the USCIS office located in Jackson. All visitors to the Jackson USCIS office must have an Infopass appointment prior to appearing at the office. To make an Infopass appointment seek the assistance of a reputable immigration attorney, BIA accredited representative or go online at uscis.gov. There are government filing fees that apply to TPS that may be waived under certain conditions. Haitian nationals who have been convicted of certain crimes may not be eligible for TPS.
In addition to TPS, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is offering other immigration relief on a case by case basis to eligible Haitians such as university students, orphans, visitors and others. Please check with a reputable immigration attorney, BIA accredited representative or the uscis.gov web site for more information. Please be aware that there may be disreputable individuals charging fees for preparing and filing TPS applications. Always be cautious when requesting assistance with U.S. immigration documents.
TPS is sometimes offered by the United States government to individuals from designated countries that have suffered severe disasters, political upheaval or armed conflict. TPS beneficiaries are eligible to remain in the United States and may obtain work authorization so long as they continue to meet the terms and conditions of their TPS status. TPS does not lead to permanent resident status in the United States. When the Secretary of Homeland Security terminates a country's TPS designation, the beneficiaries return to the same immigration status they maintained before TPS unless that status has since expired or been terminated. Among Latin American countries that have TPS designations are Nicaragua and Honduras.
Received by the HAV from immigration attorney and contributor, Patricia Ice.

Mississipi workshop on immigration

From our immigration attorney, Patricia Ice, who writes a regular column for the Hispanic American Village:
The Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA!) will host a Naturalization Workshop on Thursday, January 28, 2010 from 3 to 7 P.m. at 612 N. State Street in Jackson. At that time MIRA licensed attorneys will assist applicants in preparing their N-400 applications for submission to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The fee for the Naturalization Workshop is $150, which includes a year long MIRA membership. The United States government N-400 filing fee is $675. This Naturalization Workshop is only for individuals who have been lawful permanent residents for the last five (5) years or three (3) years if married to and living with a United States citizen spouse. For more information, and a list of documents to bring to the Workshop, please contact Tatiana or Ulises at the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance at 601-354-9355 or send e-mail to t.mcdonald@yourmira.org.