Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen has announced that her staff and volunteers will assist Haitian nationals who are interested in applying for Temporary Protective Status (TPS) on Saturday on St. Croix. Haitian nationals in need of assistance with filing for TPS are invited to come between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 20, to the Mezzanine Room of the Innovative Business Center, located at 4006 Estate Diamond, Sunny Isle.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced in January that an 18-month designation of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti is warranted because of the devastating earthquake and aftershocks which occurred on Jan. 12, 2010. As a result, Haitians in the United States (and other individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) are unable to return safely to their country and as of Jan. 21, eligible Haitian nationals residing in the United States prior to the devastating earthquake can register for TPS..
Christensen said the status allows qualified Haitian immigrants to legally remain and work in the United States for 18 months and assures us that no one will be sent back against their will to the devastated country.
Haitians in the United States (and other individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) who are unable to return safely to Haiti because of the earthquake are eligible to apply for TPS if they meet certain qualifications. To qualify, a person must:
- Be a national of Haiti, or a person without nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti.
- Have continuously resided in the U.S. since January 12, 2010.
- Meet certain immigrant admissibility requirements, and other TPS eligibility requirements.
- Satisfactorily complete all TPS application procedures.
- Persons interested in applying for TPS on March 6, 2010, must file both an Application for Temporary Protective Status (Form I-821) and an Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765), with any appropriate fees or fee waiver request. The fees for applying for TPS are as follows, and must be made payable to the U.S.V.I. Commissioner of Finance:
- The fee for Form I-821 is $50.
- A separate $80 biometric fee is required if you are age 14 or older.
- A $340 fee must accompany Form I-765 for employment authorization if you are age 14 to 65
- If you do not require employment authorization, Form I-765 is still required but no fee is necessary.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to have all necessary supporting documentation required for registering for TPS. Information on the type of documentation that is required will be provided. French/Creole interpreters will assist applicants free of charge and no monies will be accepted by the delegate’s office. Applicants will be responsible for the application fees and mailing the application packets.
TPS registration will be open for a 180-day period only. Haitians in the U.S. who are eligible to apply for TPS should go to www.uscis.gov or call the toll-free USCIS Forms Hotline (800) 870-3676. Haitians residing in the Virgin Islands are also encouraged to contact local CIS offices in St. Thomas at 774-1390 and in St. Croix at 778-6559 for further information.
For more information, contact Aesha Duval in the Delegate Donna M. Christensen’s St. Croix Office at 778-5900.
