On June 24, DHS designated Nepal for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months based on the conditions resulting from the devastating 7.8 earthquake that struck that nation on April 25, 2015, and the subsequent aftershocks. The TPS designation for Nepal is effective June 24, 2015, through December 24, 2016. The designation means that, during the designated period, eligible nationals of Nepal (and people without nationality who last habitually resided in Nepal) will not be removed from the United States and may receive work authorization. The 180-day TPS registration period began June 24, 2015 and runs through December 21, 2015. To be eligible for TPS, applicants must demonstrate that they satisfy all eligibility criteria, including that they have been both “continuously physically present” and “continuously residing” in the United States since June 24, 2015. Applicants also undergo thorough security checks. Fee-waiver requests are available, but USCIS will reject any TPS application that does not include the required filing fee or a properly documented fee-waiver request.
