Visa Lawyer Blog: October 17, 2024: Biden Administration Announces DED Protections for Lebanese Nationals In the United States

Today, October 17, 2024, the U.S. government announced new measures providing immigration relief to Lebanese nationals currently residing inside the United States.

18-Month Designation of TPS for Lebanon

Firstly, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the designation of Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months. This is the first time Lebanon has been designated for TPS. Lebanese citizens who have been approved for TPS may remain in the United States until the security situation improves. To be eligible for TPS, Lebanese citizens (and those without a nationality who have last lived in Lebanon) need to demonstrate continuous residence in the United States.

Those who attempt to enter the United States after October 16, 2024, are

ineligible

for TPS. Lebanese nationals currently not residing in the United States are also

ineligible to receive benefits.The program’s effective date has not yet been announced but is expected to be published in the Federal Register in the coming weeks including the application instructions.As a reminder, TPS applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and undergo security and background checks to gain approval.Who is not eligible for TPS?You may NOT be eligible for TPS or to maintain your existing TPS if you:

Have been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors committed in the United States;

Are found inadmissible as an immigrant under applicable grounds in INA section 212(a), including non-waivable criminal and security-related grounds;

Are subject to any of the mandatory bars to asylum. These include, but are not limited to, participating in the persecution of another individual or engaging in or inciting terrorist activity;

Fail to meet the continuous physical presence and continuous residence in the United States requirements;Fail to meet initial or late initial TPS registration requirements; orIf granted TPS, you fail to re-register for TPS, as required, without good cause

• Where can I find more information about TPS?
• For more information, please check the USCIS Temporary Protected Status webpage on a regular basis for Lebanon’s country webpage to be added.
• If you are a Lebanese national in the United States and you would like to apply for the TPS designation, we invite you to contact our office for a consultation.
• Deferred Enforced Departure
• Separately, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a new Federal Register Notice creating procedures for certain Lebanese nationals covered by Biden’s July 26, 2024 grant of Deferred Enforced Departure to apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) that will be valid through January 25, 2026.
• Pursuant to the notice, eligible Lebanese nationals can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.

To learn more about DED please click here.

Special Student Relief for Lebanese Students in F-1 Nonimmigrant Status

The government has also published a Special Student Relief Notice for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Lebanon. Students who are eligible may apply for employment authorization, increase their work hours during school hours, and reduce the course load they take while maintaining F-1 status throughout the Deferred Enforced Departure designation period. Special Student Relief may also be available to 1,740 F-1 nonimmigrant students from Lebanon. An additional 1,740 F-1 nonimmigrant students from Lebanon could also qualify for Special Student Relief.

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