DHS Announces New Protections for Lebanese Nationals Currently in the United States
18 Oct
by Foster, on Immigration Updates
DHS Announces New Protections for Lebanese Nationals Currently in the United States
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanon. Lebanese nationals, including individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon, who began residing in the United States on or before October 16, 2024, and who continue to do so, will be able to apply for TPS and work authorization in the form of an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Lebanese nationals who entered the United States after October 16, 2024, will not be eligible for TPS.
DHS reviewed the current conditions in Lebanon and determined that 18 months of designated TPS status is warranted due to the “ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Lebanon that prevent nationals of Lebanon from returning in safety.”
Lebanese nationals who are approved for TPS will be permitted to temporarily remain and work in the United States for a period of 18 months, even after their original immigration status has expired. More information will be published in a forthcoming Federal Register Notice in the following weeks. Until this Federal Register Notice is published, individuals should not apply for TPS.
Separately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced the procedures for Lebanese nationals to apply for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), as previously announced by President Biden on July 26, 2024. A grant of DED will allow eligible Lebanese nationals to apply for an EAD with validity through January 25, 2026.
Finally, DHS is also publishing a Special Student Relief Notice for F-1 students from Lebanon. This will allow eligible Lebanese students to request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain F-1 status through the DED designation period.
DHS predicts that approximately 11,000 individuals will be eligible for TPS and DED under these protections for Lebanese nationals.
For assistance in determining eligibility for TPS or DED, contact your Foster immigration attorney. Foster continues to follow developments impacting immigration benefits and will provide additional information as it becomes available via future Immigration Updates©, and on our firm’s website at www.fosterglobal.com.