The continuous armed war in Ethiopia, along with other extreme circumstances such as acute food shortages, floods, and droughts that prevent Ethiopians from safely returning home led to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designating Ethiopia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of eighteen months. The period begins on December 12th, 2022 and ends on June 12th, 2024. This designation allows Ethiopian nationals and people without a nationality who last habitually resided in Ethiopia and have lived in the United States continuously since October 20th, 2022, as well as people who have been physically present in the United States continuously since December 12th, 2022, ro apply for TPS.
This designation will not only allow Ethiopian nationals to remain in the United States, but it will also provide them with employment authorization for the following eighteen months. Even though TPS recipients are eligible to live and work in the United States for a period of time, the program does not provide a direct path to permanent legal status or citizenship. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), about 26,700 people may qualify for TPS under Ethiopia’s categorization.
Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, must be submitted by TPS candidates under Ethiopia’s designation within the initial 18-month registration period, and this can be done online. In addition, applicants can also request an Employment Authorization Document by submitting a completed Form I-765 online along with their Form I-821.
