Haitian Association Foundation of Tampa Bay, Inc.
Coalition in Motion - Meeting our Community's Needs for Assistance and Support Since 1986
Haitian Association Foundation of Tampa Bay, Inc.
Phone Toll Free: (855) 55-HAFTB
(855) 554-2382
Scam Warning
Dear Stakeholder,
On October 17, 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) announced a limited Haitian Family
Reunification Parole Program to help unify families and
promote safe, legal and orderly migration from Haiti.
However, this program will not begin until early 2015.
Until then, we strongly urge Haitians who may want to apply
under this program to be careful of immigration scams.
Dishonest people may try to trick potential applicants and
take their money by saying they will help them apply.
No one can apply for the program until it begins early next
year. Those Haitians who will be eligible for consideration
under the program will be contacted in writing with
information on how to apply. We will post announcements
on www.uscis.gov and inform the Haitian community when
we start this program.
Please read our newest flier, available in English, French and
Haitian Creole, about how to avoid immigration scams and
share it with your friends and family members. To learn more
about common scams and where to report scammers, and
how to find authorized assistance with immigration services,
please visit www.uscis.gov/avoidscams.
Kind regards,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Kristen J. Smith
Community Relations Officer
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
5629 Hoover Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33634
(813) 712-8911
kristen.j.smith@uscis.dhs.gov
Immigration Information
WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has extended Haiti's designation for Temporary Protected Status
(TPS) for an additional 18 months. The extended designation is effective Jan. 23, 2016, through July 22, 2017.
Current TPS Haiti beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from Aug. 25,
2015, through Oct. 26, 2015. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to re-register as soon as
possible once the 60-day re-registration period begins. USCIS will not accept applications before Aug. 25, 2015.
The 18-month extension also allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Eligible
TPS Haiti beneficiaries who re-register during the 60-day period and request a new EAD will receive one with an expiration date
of July 22, 2017. USCIS recognizes that some re-registrants may not receive their new EADs until after their current EADs expire.
Therefore, USCIS is automatically extending current TPS Haiti EADs bearing a Jan. 22, 2016, expiration date for an additional six
months. These existing EADs are now valid through July 22, 2016.
Haiti was initially designated for TPS on Jan. 21, 2010, after a major earthquake devastated the country. Following consultations
with other federal agencies, the Department of Homeland Security has determined that current conditions in Haiti support
extending the designation period for current TPS beneficiaries.
To re-register, current TPS beneficiaries must submit:
Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status (Re-registrants do not need to pay the Form I-821 application fee).
The biometric services fee (or a fee waiver request) if they are 14 years old or older.
Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an EAD.
The Form I-765 application fee, or a fee waiver request, but only if they want an EAD. If the re-registrant does not want an EAD,
no application fee is required.
Applicants may request that USCIS waive the Form I-765 application fee and/or biometrics fee based on an inability to pay. To do
so, applicants must file a Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or submit a written request. Fee waiver requests must be
accompanied by supporting documentation. USCIS will reject the TPS application of any applicant who fails to submit the
required filing fees or a properly documented fee waiver request.
All USCIS forms are free. Applicants can download these forms from the USCIS website at uscis.gov/forms or request them by
calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.
Additional information on TPS for Haiti—including guidance on eligibility, the application process, and where to file—is available
online at uscis.gov/tps. Further details about this extension of TPS for Haiti, including the application requirements and
procedures, appear in a Federal Register notice published today.
Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check My Case Status Online, or call the USCIS
National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833).
For more information on USCIS and its programs, visit uscis.gov. Follow us on Facebook (/uscis), Twitter (@uscis), YouTube
(/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.
DHS Announces
Temporary Protected Status Designations for Liberia,
Guinea, and Sierra Leone
Due to the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa,
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has
announced his decision to designate Liberia, Guinea, and
Sierra Leone for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18
months. As a result, eligible nationals of Liberia, Guinea,
and Sierra Leone who are currently residing in the United
States may apply for TPS with U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS). The Federal Register notices
provide details and procedures for applying for TPS and
are available at www.uscis.gov/tps.
The TPS designations for the three countries are effective
Nov. 21, 2014 and will be in effect for 18 months. The
designations mean that eligible nationals of Liberia,
Guinea, and Sierra Leone (and people without nationality
who last habitually resided in one of those three
countries) will not be removed from the United States and
are authorized to work and obtain an Employment
Authorization Document (EAD). The 180-day TPS
registration period begins Nov. 21, 2014 and runs through
May 20, 2015.
To be eligible for TPS, applicants must demonstrate that
they satisfy all eligibility criteria, including that they have
been "continuously residing" in the United States since
Nov. 20, 2014 and "continuously physically present in" the
United States since Nov. 21, 2014. Applicants also undergo
thorough security checks. Individuals with certain
criminal records or who pose a threat to national security
are not eligible for TPS. The eligibility requirements are
fully described in the Federal Register notices and on the
TPS Web page at www.uscis.gov/tps
Liberians currently covered under the two-year extension
of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) based on President
Obama's Sept. 26, 2014 memorandum may apply for TPS.
If they do not apply for TPS within the initial 180-day
registration period, they risk being ineligible for TPS
because they will have missed the initial registration
period. Liberians covered by DED who already possess or
have applied for an EAD do not need to also apply for one
related to this TPS designation. However, such individuals
who are granted TPS may request a TPS-related EAD at a
later date as long as the TPS designation for Liberia
remains in effect.
Applicants may request that USCIS waive any or all fees
based on demonstrated inability to pay by filing Form I-
912, Request for Fee Waiver, or by submitting a written
request. Fee-waiver requests must be accompanied by
supporting documentation. USCIS will reject any TPS
application that does not include the required filing fee or
a properly documented fee-waiver request.
All USCIS forms are free. Applicants can download these
forms from the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/forms or
request them by calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-367
Mailing Address:
Haitian Association Foundation of Tampa Bay, Inc.
P.O. Box 10733
Tampa, FL. 33679