While you are in the United States, an event might occur that may lead to it no longer being safe for you to return to your country. When this occurs, you may be granted a temporary protected status. If you do not have a nationality, but you last resided in the designated country, you may also receive a temporary protected status.
Your Rights Under a Temporary Protective Status
When you are given a protective status, you are allowed to work within the United States. You also will not be removed until you no longer have a protected status. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for determining when a country can be designated as qualifying applicants for protection. A designation lasts for a limited number of months and the secretary can decide whether to extend or terminate this designation. To make this determination, the secretary will usually need to review the status of the country.
You are able to live anywhere in the United States if you have a temporary protection status. Oftentimes, those who are from a particular country will form a large community in a particular area.
Reasons Why You Can't Go Home
Common situations that can lead to a nation being impossible to return to include the following:
- Armed conflict
- A natural disaster
- An epidemic
However, these reasons are not exhaustive. First, you must be a national of one of the nations designated as experiencing these problems. You must also be physically present in the United States at the time of the designation. So if you simply own property in the United States, but are currently in your nation of origin, you might not qualify. Also, you must not be inadmissible to the United States. Some individuals are not admissible because they have been deemed a national security risk or have been convicted of a felony.
Beware of Your Temporary Protection Status Expiring
Because of the temporary nature of this status, you'll want to have a plan for if you decide to remain in the United States beyond when your protection status ends. You're still able to apply for non-immigrant status. You're also able to apply for an adjustment to your status. You are also able to apply for any other immigrant benefit that you are eligible for. If you are not sure about the best course of action you should take to remain in the United States, make sure to consult with a U.S. immigration law firm.
