On March 16, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the designation of Afghanistan for temporary protected status (TPS) for 18 months, effective on the publication date of a forthcoming Federal Register notice. Only those who were already residing in the United States as of March 15, 2022, and who meet all other requirements, including undergoing security and background checks, will be eligible for TPS. Under the designation, TPS will also provide “additional protections and assurances to trusted partners and vulnerable Afghans who supported the U.S. military, diplomatic, and humanitarian missions in Afghanistan over the last 20 years,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.
Through Operation Allies Welcome, DHS said, most Afghan nationals who arrived as part of the evacuation effort were paroled into the United States on a case-by-case basis, for humanitarian reasons, for a period of two years, and received work authorization. These individuals may also be eligible for TPS, the agency noted.
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