Policy Update | Temporary Protected Status

New Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Designations for Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Cameroon

Written by: Vincent Wells, CRIS Immigration Attorney

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a designation from the United States Government given to nationals of certain foreign countries who are currently in the United States due to temporarily unsafe conditions in their respective foreign countries. Individuals who obtain TPS in the United States are (1) not removable from the United States, (2) can obtain employment authorization, and (3) may be granted travel authorization.

When the United States designates TPS for a foreign country they give an initial TPS designation date to that country. The initial designation date sets the time in which individuals of that nationality must have been in the United States to be eligible for TPS. A redesignation moves that initial designation date to a more current date and therefore extends the TPS eligibility to individuals of that foreign country who arrived after the initial designation date. 

Recently the United States government redesignated TPS for four countries: Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Cameroon. 

Below are the new designation dates for the above-referenced countries:

Cameroon | October 5th, 2023

Ukraine | August 16th, 2023

Afghanistan| September 20th, 2023

Venezuela | July 31st, 2023

Nationals of the above countries who were physically present in the United States prior to these new designation dates may qualify for TPS.