On March 8, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced they were designating Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eighteen months, effective March 9, 2021, through September 9, 2022. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas noted in a press release: “The living conditions in Venezuela reveal a country in turmoil, unable to protect its own citizens. It is in times of extraordinary and temporary circumstances like these that the United States steps forward to support eligible Venezuelan nationals already present here, while their home country seeks to right itself out of the current crises.”

TPS is available to Venezuelan nationals (and individuals without nationality who last resided in Venezuela) who can demonstrate continuous residence in the US before March 8, 2021. Those individuals who meet this criteria must file an application with US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) within the 180-day registration period. Applicants may also apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and for travel authorization, and all TPS applicants will undergo security and background checks. Additional information about eligibility and submitting a TPS application can be found in the Federal Register Notice (FRN).

The Biden administration noted that while these TPS protections could be extended they are not permanent, and the designation should not encourage Venezuelans outside the US to come here.

UPDATE July 18, 2022: The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced it is extending the Temporary Protective Status (“TPS”) for Venezuela for eighteen months. The extension will be effective beginning September 10, 2022, through March 10, 2024. Instructions for re-registration for TPS and applying for renewal of Employment Authorization Documents will be published in an upcoming Federal Register notice.