DHS Secretary Designates Venezuela for TPS; Implements DED for Venezuela

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, effective March 9, 2021, through Sept. 9, 2022. Venezuelan nationals and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela may submit an initial registration application under the Venezuela TPS designation during the 180-day registration period that begins March 9, 2021, and ends on Sept. 5, 2021, and apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).

Based on a Jan. 19, 2021, presidential memorandum, DHS is also implementing Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Venezuela through July 20, 2022, for Venezuelan nationals and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela.

When applying for a federal, state, or local government benefit, TPS beneficiaries will need to provide documentation reflecting their TPS. TPS beneficiaries may provide their new TPS EAD with a category code of A12 or C19; their new Form I-94 indicating that they are a TPS beneficiary; or a copy of their current Form I-797, Notice of Approval, for Form I-821, Application for Temporary Status, to show they have TPS. Individuals may provide their new DED EAD with an A11 category code to show they are covered under DED. SAVE will be able to verify an individual’s TPS or DED using information from a benefit applicant’s TPS or DED documentation.

Note that individuals who apply for and receive TPS and are also covered by DED for Venezuela do not need to apply for an EAD under both programs.

For more information regarding Venezuela’s TPS designation and implementation of DED for Venezuela, please refer to FRN, dated March 9, 2021. For up-to-date information, please check the USCIS TPS webpage or call the USCIS TPS Hotline at 202-272-1533. (Please note that this is not a toll-free number.)