TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR HONDURANS AND NICARAGUANS EXTENDED
Last
week, the INS announced that Temporary Protected Status for Honduran and
Nicaraguans in the US would be extended for another year, until July 5, 2002.
TPS was initially granted in December 1998, following the devastation of
Hurricane Mitch, and was set to expire this July.
There are an estimated 100,000 Hondurans in TPS and about 5,000
Nicaraguans. I
n announcing the extension, Acting INS Commissioner Kevin Rooney said “While
Honduras and Nicaragua continue to make progress in recovering from the
devastation of Hurricane Mitch, the environmental disaster has resulted in
substantial disruption to living conditions and both countries remain unable to
handle adequately the return of its nationals.” Hurricane Mitch killed nearly 10,000 people, left another two
million homeless, and caused about $10 billion in damage.
To qualify for the extension, the person must have been in the US on or before
December 30, 1998. They will need
to already be in TPS, or have been in some other valid status since that time.
The application, which can include a request for employment
authorization, is filed with the appropriate regional service center.
SISKIND'S IMMIGRATION BULLETIN