Haitians given six more months to file for TPS

MIAMI — The federal government on Monday announced a decision to extend by six months the deadline for undocumented Haitian nationals in the United States to apply for Temporary Protected Status, giving them until January of 2011 to ask for the benefit.

Alejandro Mayorkas, head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made the TPS announcement Monday at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami field office during a news conference. TPS is now available for undocumented Haitians who were in the United States when the Jan. 12 earthquake struck Haiti.

But in an interview before the news conference, Mayorkas told El Nuevo Herald that the administration is considering the possibility of allowing Haitians who arrived in the United States after the Jan. 12 earthquake to also apply for TPS.

Mayorkas said this could be accomplished by moving forward the date of TPS registration. Right now that registration date is Jan. 21.

Mayorkas also said that his office is examining — along with the State Department — whether to expedite visas for Haitians whose petitions for relatives in Haiti have been approved.

Mayorkas did not announce any special benefit for Haitians who have tourist visas and arrived in the United States after the earthquake. But he encouraged them to apply for so-called deferred action, which would grant them a work permit or a simple extension of their visitor visa, which would not authorize them to work.