KATHMANDU: The US government has decided to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of Nepal and several other countries.
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Nepal’s TPS designation had expired a year ago, but a decision on whether to extend or terminate the protection had not been made.
The US government has now concluded that there is no longer a legal basis to maintain TPS for Nepali citizens and has decided to end the programme.
Under TPS, eligible citizens of designated countries are allowed to remain and work in the United States for a specified period and are temporarily protected from deportation.
With the termination of TPS, Nepali citizens who do not have another valid immigration status may be required to leave the United States. The decision is therefore expected to create uncertainty and risks for Nepali nationals currently residing in the US under TPS.
The US government has also announced the termination of TPS for citizens of Haiti, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, South Sudan, Myanmar (Burma), Somalia and Ethiopia, among other countries.
TPS is a form of temporary legal protection granted by the US to citizens who cannot safely return to their home countries due to armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances.
Comment