Can I Travel Outside the U.S. While on TPS?

You may be abundantly grateful for the protection that temporary protected status (TPS) in the United States has afforded you. Still, though, you may yearn for a more long-term solution, with possibly even building a permanent future in the country. This may have you apply for other immigration benefits, all while carrying yourself in a way that will not jeopardize this already slim opportunity. You may even be hesitant to take a quick trip abroad at this time, even if something pressing is pulling you in that direction (i.e., a loved one is ill, you have a work-related event, etc). Read on to discover whether you are permitted to travel outside the U.S. with TPS status and a pending application, and how a seasoned Lyndhurst green card immigration lawyer at the Law Offices of Salvatore A. Falletta, LLC, can help you avoid accidentally compromising your legal standing in the country.

As a TPS holder, can I apply for other immigration relief before my status expires?

First of all, as a TPS holder, you may extend your legal stay in the United States through several pathways. In other words, this temporary protection does not prevent you from seeking other forms of long-term protection, and you do not have to wait until this lawful status expires to begin exploring.

For example, you may be eligible for asylum at the same time as TPS; this is if you have a genuinely founded fear of persecution in your home country due to your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Of note, though, you may be subject to a one-year filing deadline from the date you last arrived in the U.S., which is likely the date you first received your TPS.

Besides that, there are other humanitarian relief options offered by U.S. immigration. There is a U visa if you have been made the victim of a crime and can be helpful to law enforcement with the information you possess. And then there is a T visa if you have been made the victim of sex or labor trafficking and can comply with reasonable requests for assistance with law enforcement. Lastly, there are indirect, yet still effective, routes to attaining permanent resident status with a green card, such as through a family-based visa or employment-based sponsorship.

Can I travel outside the U.S. while on TPS with a pending green card application?

Regardless of which immigration relief option you pursue, you must be extremely careful about traveling outside the United States with your pending fate. Importantly, you may only make such travel arrangements if you get the proper authorization first. More specifically, you must apply for and receive advance parole travel permission from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Otherwise, the USCIS may view your pending immigration application as abandoned, and they may simultaneously strip you of your temporary protected status.

To conclude, please prioritize scheduling an initial consultation with one of the competent lawyers from our Lyndhurst family & individual immigration law firm, the Law Offices of Salvatore A. Falletta, LLC. We would be honored to represent you in your legal case.