The Department of Homeland Security has provided information on how to register for temporary protected status (TPS) under Afghanistan's 18-month designation. The registration period began on May 20, 2022, and runs through November 20, 2023. USCIS estimates 72,500 individuals currently in the United States may be eligible for TPS under the designation of Afghanistan.
To be eligible for TPS under this designation, individuals must demonstrate their continuous residence in the United States since March 15, 2022, and continuous physical presence in the United States since May 20, 2022. Afghan nationals currently not residing in the United States or who arrived in the United States after March 15, 2022, are not eligible for TPS under this designation.
DHS said that through Operation Allies Welcome, most Afghan nationals who arrived as part of the evacuation effort were paroled into the United States on a case-by-case basis for humanitarian reasons for a period of two years and received work authorization. These individuals may also be eligible for TPS.
Details:
- Designation of Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status, DHS (USCIS), 87 Fed. Reg. 30976 (May 20, 2022), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-05-20/pdf/2022-10923.pdf
- USCIS news release, May 19, 2022, https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-announces-registration-process-for-temporary-protected-status-for-afghanistan
- "Secretary Mayorkas Designates Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status," DHS, Mar. 16, 2022, https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/03/16/secretary-mayorkas-designates-afghanistan-temporary-protected-status
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