According to the AILA website, we can expect the registration process for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians to begin upon publication in the Federal Register; USCIS hopes to have that done by the week of January 18th.

Again, it looks like TPS will be available for those Haitians who can prove that they were in the US as of January 12, 2010. The registration period will run for 180 days, and will allow Haitians to apply for work authorization and travel documents (in the case of travel documents, it’s important to consult with an attorney prior to foreign travel, especially  for those who entered without visas or who overstayed their status in the US).

Besides proof of presence in the US, applicants will have to show Haitian citizenship (passport or birth certificate, though USCIS will consider secondary evidence) and application will be made on form I-821 for TPS ($50 filing fee), I-765 for Employment Authorization Documentation, or EAD ($340 filing fee), and a fingerprint fee of $80 will also be required. The travel document, or advance parole, is applied for on form I-131 ($305 filing fee).

We appreciate Secretary Napolitano’s rapid and humane response to this terrible crisis.