Special Program for Haitians in the U.S.
Edited version of a letter my wife (who works for a local immigration attorney) sent out to our fellow volunteers at church. Perhaps the information will also be of use to you.
The U.S. Govt. has designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals who were already in the U.S. on January 12, 2010. This means thousands upon thousands of Haitian people who have illegal (or no) status in the U.S. can now get a work permit if they are eligible for the TPS program. Lord-willing, they can then find a job in this already difficult, low-employment economy, and then be better able to send money to their family members who may be stuck in devastated Haiti. The deadline to register in this program is July 20, 2010.
If you know any Haitian people who are either illegal or have been trying to get legal but with no success, please mention TPS to them. Even if it is a person who has a Deportation/Removal Order in their Immigration record, they may still apply for TPS. (TPS protects people with a deportation order from being picked up by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and imprisoned or deported back to Haiti from the U.S. However, TPS is not the same as Permanent Resident Status. People who have one felony or two or more misdemeanors are not eligible to apply for TPS, but should still consult with a legal professional just to make sure.)
I work as a paralegal for an attorney who specializes in immigration matters. Her name is Rita Altman and her office is at 215 S. Olive Ave. Ste. 200 -- right across the street from Paris Bakery downtown. Phone number: (561) 655-5090. Ms. Altman has been practicing as an immigration attorney for 20 yrs., and her firm has been working with thousands of Haitian clients ever since; I have worked for her 6 and a half yrs. We are now attempting to contact all our previous Haitian clients whose immigration cases were denied or who had no immigration relief available to them prior to the earthquake, to let them know about TPS. In the process, we are also asking everyone how their family members in Haiti are doing and requesting that the Immigration Service (USCIS) expedite existing family-based visa cases to get family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents out of Haiti and into the U.S. (So far, to the best of our knowledge, the U.S. State Dept. is focusing on returning U.S. citizens who are in Haiti back to the U.S. and on expediting the process to get spouses, children (under 21 yrs. old) and parents of U.S. citizens out of Haiti and into the U.S. Adoption cases that were already in process before the quake occurred are also being expedited.)
People who are interested in applying for TPS can apply on their own, but if they need assistance, they may contact a private attorney such as the one I work for, or free legal service organizations such as Catholic Charities, Legal Aid or Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC). The important thing is to contact a reputable, knowledgable person or organization and to be careful of individuals and businesses who commit immigration fraud. There is info. available in Creole and French at www.uscis.gov.
Thank you for reading this and for your prayers for our Haitian friends and neighbors. I hope that in addition to praying/making donations, you all may be able to use the above info. as another tool to reach out to those affected by this tragic disaster.
The U.S. Govt. has designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals who were already in the U.S. on January 12, 2010. This means thousands upon thousands of Haitian people who have illegal (or no) status in the U.S. can now get a work permit if they are eligible for the TPS program. Lord-willing, they can then find a job in this already difficult, low-employment economy, and then be better able to send money to their family members who may be stuck in devastated Haiti. The deadline to register in this program is July 20, 2010.
If you know any Haitian people who are either illegal or have been trying to get legal but with no success, please mention TPS to them. Even if it is a person who has a Deportation/Removal Order in their Immigration record, they may still apply for TPS. (TPS protects people with a deportation order from being picked up by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and imprisoned or deported back to Haiti from the U.S. However, TPS is not the same as Permanent Resident Status. People who have one felony or two or more misdemeanors are not eligible to apply for TPS, but should still consult with a legal professional just to make sure.)
I work as a paralegal for an attorney who specializes in immigration matters. Her name is Rita Altman and her office is at 215 S. Olive Ave. Ste. 200 -- right across the street from Paris Bakery downtown. Phone number: (561) 655-5090. Ms. Altman has been practicing as an immigration attorney for 20 yrs., and her firm has been working with thousands of Haitian clients ever since; I have worked for her 6 and a half yrs. We are now attempting to contact all our previous Haitian clients whose immigration cases were denied or who had no immigration relief available to them prior to the earthquake, to let them know about TPS. In the process, we are also asking everyone how their family members in Haiti are doing and requesting that the Immigration Service (USCIS) expedite existing family-based visa cases to get family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents out of Haiti and into the U.S. (So far, to the best of our knowledge, the U.S. State Dept. is focusing on returning U.S. citizens who are in Haiti back to the U.S. and on expediting the process to get spouses, children (under 21 yrs. old) and parents of U.S. citizens out of Haiti and into the U.S. Adoption cases that were already in process before the quake occurred are also being expedited.)
People who are interested in applying for TPS can apply on their own, but if they need assistance, they may contact a private attorney such as the one I work for, or free legal service organizations such as Catholic Charities, Legal Aid or Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC). The important thing is to contact a reputable, knowledgable person or organization and to be careful of individuals and businesses who commit immigration fraud. There is info. available in Creole and French at www.uscis.gov.
Thank you for reading this and for your prayers for our Haitian friends and neighbors. I hope that in addition to praying/making donations, you all may be able to use the above info. as another tool to reach out to those affected by this tragic disaster.
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