About our legal clinics

July 2024 Legal Clinic (Initial Applications for Temporary Protected Status)

Applications for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

What is TPS?

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If you are a citizen of a country designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), living in the U.S. and do not have permanent immigration status, you may be eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS, if granted, would allow you to legally live and work in the U.S. as long as your home country is a TPS-designated country. This is a temporary form of protection, which, in most cases lasts for 18 months at a time. Current TPS-designated nations, as of June 2024, include Haiti, Venezuela, Myanmar, Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Sudan, among others.  Our July 2024 Clinic will focus on first time applicants for TPS.

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Each TPS-designated country has its own registration period, which is available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website (USCIS).  In addition, there are requirements for continuous residency and continuous physical presence in the U.S. for each TPS-designated country.  Below, please find, in the table below, some current required dates and timelines associated with each TPS-Designated country.  This list is only a partial list. For all TPS-designated countries, please see: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status:

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What documents and forms will be needed to apply for TPS?

Generally, to apply for TPS, you will need to show three things:

1. You are from a TPS-designated country

2. You meet the continuous residency and physical presence requirements in the U.S. for the specific TPS-Designated Country (see table above).

3. You would not be eligible for TPS if you have been convicted of any felony or 2 or more misdemeanor committed in the U.S. Therefore, if you have ever been arrested, cited or convicted of a crime, you will need documentation of the disposition of each criminal matter before proceeding with an application.

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Generally, to apply for TPS, you will need:

1. Proof of nationality: Passport, birth certificate with photo identification, or a national identity document from your home country with a photo and / or fingerprint.

2. Proof of your date of entry into the U.S: Passport entry stamp, I-94 arrival / departure record, or other documents proving your entry into the U.S. on or before the date required for your TPS-Designated country.

3. Payment of the required USCIS filing fees for the TPS application and the work authorization application.  For current schedule of fees, please see the USCIS TPS website.  For most first time applicants (as of June 2024), the fees are $80.00 for the TPS application (Form I-821). If also applying for work authorization, then additional fees for the work authorization application apply (Form I-765).

4. Proof of your continuous residence as required (varies by TPS-designated country). This may include:

   •  Employment records (pay stubs, W-2 forms, IRS tax transcripts, state verification of state tax filing, letters from your employer).

   • Rent receipts, utility bills (gas, electricity, phone, etc.), receipts or letters from companies showing the dates you received service.

   • School records (report cards, letters, etc.) from the schools you or your children attended in the US, showing the names of the schools and dates of attendance.

   • Hospital or medical records

   • Statements from churches, unions, or other organizations

   • Other miscellaneous documents, such as birth certificates of your children born here, dated bank transfers and transactions, letters, U.S. Social Security card, driver's license, Selective Service card, contracts, mortgages, insurance policies, etc.

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Please note that our limited scope TPS clinic will not be able to provide support to you if are currently in immigration court/removal proceedings.  Further, if you have had any interaction with police you will need to provide records related to those interactions to analyze your eligibility for TPS.   In cases where you may need to seek full or legal representation, one resource is the American Immigration Lawyers Association Lawyer Search tool, which is available at:  https://www.ailalawyer.com/

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The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. 

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