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

HAITIAN ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION OF TAMPA BAY,Inc P.O. Box 5 Wimauma, FL 33598 Tel 855 554-2382; 855 55-HAFTB Website: www.haftb.org