TWO months after Nepal was hit with a devastating earthquake and an aftershock that killed over 8,500 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in its wake, the US government granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the victims and Nepali families who have been affected.
Immigration authorities opened applications on Wednesday, June 24, which could affect up to 25,000 Nepalis currently in the US without long-term legal status. According to the US Census Bureau, there are more than 59,400 Nepalese residing in the nation.
Some people can now apply to stay in the country for at least another year, with work permits and temporary protection from deportation. They may also apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) and for travel authorization with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Nepalis who have overstayed their visas or have visas expiring soon may now qualify for TPS and receive authorization to stay in the country until December 2016. They have to show that they have been “continuously physically present” in the country since June 24, 2015, and they have until the end of 2015 to send in their applications. The 180-day registration period starts today and ends on December 21.
Several Congressional lawmakers pushed for TPS designation for Nepalis shortly after the magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Nepal on April 25. Democratic Reps. Al Green of Texas and Mike Honda of California introduced a bill on granting Nepalis TPS in April, and in May a group of senators wrote to the Department of Homeland Security to push for the bill.
TPS is aimed at helping immigrants in the US whose home countries have been affected by major disruptions such as genocide and natural disasters. The TPS designation allows them to stay and work in the US until conditions in their home countries improve, although it does not provide a path for legal status.
“Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles has been a resource to local Asian immigrant communities for over thirty years and stands ready to assist the victims of the Nepal earthquake,” said Aman Thind, director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – LA’s immigration project. “Advancing Justice – LA is a Bureau of Immigration Appeals (B.I.A.) Accredited Organization and assistance is provided by B.I.A. accredited representatives and experienced immigration attorneys, who will be offering low-cost application assistance to eligible TPS applicants.”
The government previously granted TPS to Haitians after the devastating earthquake hit their home country in 2010. Since then, officials have continuously extended TPS for Haitians given the slow pace for recovery after the quake, and about 58,000 people have been granted protection.
Given the scale of destruction caused by Nepal’s earthquake disaster—deaths and severe injuries well into the thousands, and even more left homeless and in poverty—the US could likewise extend protections for Nepalis past the December 2016 expiration date. (With reports from International Business Times)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend June 27 – 30, 2015 Sec A pg.8)
