The Department of Homeland Security announced that certain Lebanese nationals currently residing in the United States are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Departure (DED) protections.
Important points:
DHS has designated Lebanon as a TPS country for 18 months due to ongoing armed conflict in the region and a temporary situation where Lebanese nationals cannot safely return home. Eligible individuals must have continuously resided in the United States since October 16, 2024. Further information will be provided in a future Federal Register notice. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has published a federal bulletin establishing procedures for Lebanese nationals eligible for the DED granted by President Biden in July to apply for employment authorization documents, valid through January 25, 2026. DHS also released a special student relief notice targeting F. -1 non-immigrant student of Lebanese nationality. Eligible students can request employment authorization, increase the number of hours they work during school hours, and reduce their course load while maintaining their F-1 status during the DED designation.
Additional Information: Approximately 11,000 Lebanese nationals are expected to be eligible for TPS and DED, and approximately 1,740 F-1 nonimmigrant students from Lebanon may be eligible for Special Student Relief.
BAL Analysis: BAL continues to track this issue and will provide updates as they become available.
This alert is provided by the BAL US Practice Group.
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