Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan in Effect May 20, 2022 

With the publication of the Federal Register Notice on May 20, the Department of Homeland Security has designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan for 18 months, effective May 20, 2022, through November 20, 2023. While TPS is a temporary benefit that does not lead to lawful permanent resident status, this designation grants nationals of Afghanistan who have continuously resided in the U.S. since March 15, 2022, protection from removal, as well as eligibility to apply for work authorization and travel authorization during the designated period. When the current TPS designation is near expiration, the Secretary of DHS will determine whether or not to extend or re-designate TPS for Afghanistan. While DHS often re-designates TPS for countries where the conditions previously warranting designation are ongoing, re-designation for Afghanistan is not guaranteed. An extension of TPS would only benefit those who registered during the original designation, whereas a redesignation would include a new registration period. DHS also has not announced a process to extend parole for Afghan nationals who entered the country as part of Operation Allies Welcome. Therefore, this TPS designation may serve as a reliable option for Afghans to maintain temporary residency in the United States if they are nearing the end of their initial parole period and are still in the process of pursuing, or are ultimately found ineligible for, alternative pathways to lawful permanent resident status, such as asylum.  

All individuals who wish to register for TPS under this designation must file an application (Form I-821). For more information about the criteria and registration process, please visit USCIS’ webpage. 

As stated in ORR’s revised Policy Letter 22-11, ASA-eligible individuals who are granted TPS will continue to remain eligible to receive ORR ASA benefits. Additionally, ORR ASA funds may be used for legal assistance in drafting and filing of TPS applications. 

Please be on the lookout for more in-depth guidance on TPS and considerations for Afghan clients to be shared in an upcoming newsletter. 

Update: Afghan Adjustment Act 

While the President’s Ukraine supplemental funding request to Congress reiterated the need for legislation that would streamline the process for Afghan nationals to pursue permanent legal status in the United States, an Afghan Adjustment Act was not added to the bill. To date, no legislation providing adjustment of status for Afghan parolees has been introduced in either chamber of Congress. The timeline going forward remains uncertain, but getting this legislation introduced and enacted remains a top priority for the USCCB and all eight of its fellow resettlement agencies, as well as Catholic Charities USA.

Resource Alert 

Legal Service Provider Roundtable on Afghan Asylum Interviews  

Date: Thursday, May 26 | 1pm EDT 

Link to Register: Here 

Summary: PALA and VECINA will host a roundtable featuring legal panelists who have attended Afghan clients’ asylum interviews, and will discuss how OAR Parolee Afghan interviews are differing from other types of affirmative asylum interviews, common questions asked and how asylum officers are vetting TRIG (Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds), material support and persecutor bar issues. 

Refugee Representation Gender-Based Afghan Asylum Claims 

Date: Tuesday, June 7 | 1pm-2:30pm EDT 

Link to Register: Here 

Summary: Human Rights First, Tahirih Justice Center and Women for Afghan present a webinar to discuss various legal grounds of protection for gender-based asylum claims, hypotheticals, trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive interviewing, common grounds of protection and country conditions. 

New additions to APA Legal Resource Library 

·       Recording & PowerPoint Slides from “Afghan Legal Service Provision Roundtable: Operational Strategies” (5.13.22) | USCCB and CLINIC 

·        Sample: Asylum Interview Questions (English and Dari) | Catholic Community Services of Utah 

·       Sample: Asylum Intake Form (English and Dari) | Catholic Community Services of Utah 

·       Reports: Country Conditions – Afghanistan (with live updates) | VECINA / VISTA 

·       Tried-and-True Document Translation Resources: Refugee Translation Project and Languex Translation 

HIAS De-Escalation Training 

HIAS will be offering a webinar for refugee resettlement agency program staff with de-escalation training – the same training will be offered 3 times (May 26, May 27, and May 31, from 2-3pm EST on each day). Please only register for 1 training; sign up as soon as possible, as capacity limits apply.  

Registration links: 

May 26 | May 27 | May 31 

Objectives: 

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be able to: 

·        Recognize the fundamental elements of escalated behavior. 

·       Identify how to prevent and prepare for potentially aggressive situations. 

·       Assess a situation for potential physical, behavioral, and linguistic indicators of escalation. 

·       Recognize techniques that can be used to de-escalate an incident. 

·       Apply de-escalation strategies during an incident. 

Afghan Evacuation Lost or Unclaimed Luggage 

As you may be aware, PRM is working with Cherokee National Management and Consulting and their subcontractor Emergency Management Solutions (EMS) to support the Operation Allies Welcome Afghan Luggage Reunification Project. Since August 2021, the program has succeeded in reuniting almost 9,000 pieces of luggage with their owners. Of the 10,000 pieces that were abandoned in Kabul and enroute, 1,520, or 15% remain in a warehouse in Bethesda, MD, waiting to be reunited.  

 If any of your clients have been separated from their luggage, please have them call EMS at 1(877) 691-2247. Their call center is fluent in Pashto and Dari and more than happy to connect your clients to their bags so that they can ship them to their address. You can also reach EMS through the State Department website located at https://www.state.gov/lost-luggage/.

ORR Survey

On June 1, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) will launch a survey of Afghan households who resettled in U.S. communities before April 1, 2022, as part of Operation Allies Welcome. We kindly request your help in spreading the word to Afghan clients about the upcoming survey, stressing it is a legitimate request and not a scam, as this survey will be incredibly helpful to understand their needs and any possible gaps in services. This is a valuable opportunity for each household to share feedback on their resettlement experience.

The short survey, which will run through June 14, will be voluntary; all responses will be confidential and anonymous. Each household will receive a unique link, which will be distributed in English, Dari, and Pashto via email, SMS, or WhatsApp. ORR has developed fact sheets in English, Pashto and Dari that describe key details about the survey, and we encourage you to share these widely. 

The survey questions will cover key areas such as housing, employment, school enrollment, and mental health assistance. Responses will inform near-term resource and policy decisions, as well as future planning since Afghan humanitarian parolees are a new population for ORR. ORR anticipates using a broad descriptive summary of the results in its discussions with stakeholders to direct future programmatic decisions, guide training needs, and inform technical assistance provision. Additional rounds of this survey are being planned, and we will keep you informed on these efforts.