This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh, Fredrikson Immigration Department Chair, is a member.
The Department of Homeland Security has taken several actions to provide relief for Venezuelans in the United States.
TPS extended. DHS has extended the designation of Venezuela for temporary protected status for 18 months, effective September 10, 2022, through March 10, 2024. Existing TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend their status must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period that began on September 8, 2022, and runs through November 7, 2022.
DHS noted that re-registrants should re-register timely and not wait until their employment authorization documents expire because delaying re-registration could result in gaps in work authorization documentation.
Special student relief. DHS is suspending certain regulatory requirements for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Venezuela, regardless of country of birth (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela), and who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Such students who were in lawful F-1 nonimmigrant student status on April 22, 2021, and are currently maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant student status may request work authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their course loads while continuing to maintain status.
DHS said it will deem an F-1 nonimmigrant student who receives such employment authorization to be engaged in a "full course of study" for the duration of the employment authorization, if the nonimmigrant student satisfies the minimum course load requirement described in the notice.
