All anyone has to do is watch the news any evening to see trouble: wars, floods, famine or other disasters. These problems in far away countries not only impact the citizens within that country’s borders, but those who are temporarily in the United States as well. Citizens of those countries who have been temporarily living in the U.S. are often reluctant to return themselves and their families to a country at war or in the midst of a chaotic emergency situation.
When a foreign country is in the midst of a national emergency, for whatever reason, the Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized to declare that any of that country’s nationals who are already within the U.S. may be eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This is only a temporary benefit; it does not mean that someone who has been granted TBS has become a legal resident of the U.S.
Temporary Protected Status means that during this period the person cannot be removed from the U.S. The person can obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and might be granted authorization to travel. Since TPS is only a temporary status (until the emergency situation in the person’s country is resolved), it will not allow the person to stay permanently in the U.S. However, while holding TPS, a person can apply for non-immigrant status, file for a status adjustment or for any other immigrant benefit he or she may be entitled to.
Unfortunately, filing for and receiving Temporary Protected Status is complicated. There are required documents which must be submitted with the forms. If the documents (such as a birth certificate) are not available, it will be necessary to prove that efforts have been made to obtain the documents. Affidavits from friends or family may be necessary. It’s a difficult process.
The Bell Law Office, LLC has one mission: immigration and naturalization services. Jessica Rodriguez Bell is a Naturalization Lawyer in Columbus, OH who understands how the United States immigration system works. She has gained a tremendous amount of experience in immigration and naturalization law as that is the sole focus of her legal practice. People who wish to remain in the US should contact Ms. Bell for a free consultation to discuss available options.
