US grants temporary protection status to Venezuelan migrants

The announcement has been expected since Barack Obama’s time in the White House. Hope has grown with the administration of Donald Trump and his approach to Venezuelan exile. But ultimately the realization came in the first hundred days of Joe Biden’s government.. The United States government will grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Venezuelan citizens who are in that country.

As the name suggests, This is not a visa, but rather a temporary status that the United States grants to citizens of certain nations affected by political conflicts, wars or natural disasters, this means that for citizens who are already in the United States, returning to their territory involves a great risk. Until now, citizens of the United States have benefited from this type of immigration status. Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Syria, Nepal, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. Since it is not a visa, it does not grant a pathway to permanent residence in the United States, but does provide legal stay and a work permit in that territory.

From tomorrow, Any Venezuelan citizen arriving in the United States up to and including March 8, 2021 will have 180 days to apply for GST.

The Immigration Department will perform a background check on those who apply to the program, as well as a review of documents proving the person was already in the United States. (From the entry stamp to the country, to registration documents for children at school, including car rental or purchase contracts, all are valid). The the cost of processing the process will be $ 545 and, if approved, the person will have legal residence in the United States for 18 months. After this period, the government will decide whether the situation in Venezuela continues to be dangerous, as if to extend the program (as has happened with other countries).

According to official data from the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the International Organization for Migration, the Bolivarian regime caused the exile of 5 million Venezuelans. According to these same organizations, until March of last year The United States was the sixth most chosen destination for these exiles, with more than 350,000 Venezuelans living in that country. It is officially calculated that at least 150,000 of them are believed to be living undocumented in the United States. These people would be the main beneficiaries of the TPS approval. So far, the only immigration benefit this community has received has been the suspension of deportations approved by the Trump administration, which will remain in effect after the implementation of the TPS.

“We are happy, the community is already celebrating. This has been requested for many years by various organizations. Letters have been sent, signatures have been collected. In the past two years, only 16 immigration protection applications have been made to the United States government.. For the first time, thousands of us are sleeping peacefully knowing that we are no longer in migratory limbo ”, said Infobae Mariana Molero, Venezuelan activist in Miami.

The same primary White House source consulted by Infobae confirmed that in parallel with the approval of the TPS, the administration Biden will redouble his efforts to pressure the Venezuelan regime to seek a democratic solution to the current situation. They confirmed that the United States will not negotiate directly with Nicolás Maduro, but will support the government of Juan Guaidó to lead the negotiations. The source acknowledged that these efforts have failed in the past, but they are convinced that by putting pressure on anyone who helps members of the Venezuelan dictatorial regime, they will block the ways for Maduro to negotiate a peaceful solution leading to a democratic government.

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