DHS Designates TPS for Ethiopia – Registration Period Open Now through June 12, 2024

On December 9, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the designation of Ethiopia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months.

To be eligible for TPS, individuals must be able to demonstrate their continuous residence in the United States since October 20, 2022, and continuous physical presence in the United States since December 12, 2022. Individuals arriving in the United States after October 20, 2022, are not eligible for TPS under this designation and may be subject to removal from the United States if they have no other authorization to be in the United States.

DHS has designated both countries due to ongoing armed conflict and “extraordinary and temporary conditions” in Ethiopia, including large-scale displacement and humanitarian concerns over access to food water, and healthcare resulting from armed conflict, intercommunal violence, catastrophic natural disasters, and impacts of climate change.

The 18-month designation went into effect on December 12, 2022, and will remain in effect until June 12, 2024. The registration period for individuals to submit their applications for TPS to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began on December 12, 2022 and runs through June 12, 2024. More information about the designation is available in the Federal Register published on December 12, 2022, and more information about the registration process is available on the USCIS website.

Ethiopian nationals present in the United States should consult with a qualified immigration attorney about their eligibility for TPS and about possible eligibility for any other immigration status or benefit that may allow them to reside in the United States lawfully.