March 18, 2025

Temporary Protected Status Limited for Haitians and Venezuelans

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) allows individuals from designated countries to remain in the United States if it is unsafe for them to return to their home country due to a humanitarian emergency there. TPS is a temporary benefit that does not lead to lawful permanent resident status or give any other immigration status. Individuals with TPS are authorized to work in the U.S. and are protected from deportation for the TPS designation period.

The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently implemented the following actions that impact the TPS for Haiti and Venezuela.

Venezuela

On February 5, 2025, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminated the 2023 designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Its TPS is set to expire on April 2, 2025; therefore, all TPS and related benefits associated with the 2023 designation will end on April 7, 2025.

After April 7, 2025, nationals of Venezuela (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela) who have been granted TPS under the 2023 Venezuela designation will no longer have TPS. This termination determination does not apply to the 2021 designation of Venezuela for TPS, which remains in effect until September 10, 2025, or to individuals who are registered for TPS under the 2021 designation.

Haiti

On February 24, 2025, the Secretary of Homeland Security partially vacated the June 4, 2024 decision of former DHS Secretary Mayorkas regarding the extension of the designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the new designation of Haiti for TPS. The 2/24/25 action reduces the designation period of Haiti from 18 months to 12 months. The Secretary is also made a corresponding change to the registration deadline for new applicants under the new (2024) designation. Therefore, the Haiti TPS extension and new designation will now expire on August 3, 2025, instead of February 3, 2026, and the first-time registration will remain in effect until August 3, 2025, instead of February 3, 2026.

For the latest information and details on TPS, please visit the USCIS website.

Action Item

HCANYS is seeking to assess the potential impact of these actions on your workforce. Please contact our Vice President for Workforce Development and Innovation Celisia Street by March 24 at cstreet@hcanys.org to share details on any anticipated impact on your current employees. We will be collaborating with other stakeholder organizations to promote awareness of the implications for service delivery and advocate on behalf of members and those we serve.