When the earthquake shattered Haiti in January of 2010, USCIS quickly made a provision for Haitians to apply for immigration relief by allowing them to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The deadline originally granted for Haitians to complete and file their TPS application was until July 20, 2010.
On July 12, 2010, USCIS announced that they have extended the deadline now to January 18, 2011, which provides Haitians with an additional 6 months or so to file their applications for TPS. A TPS application, if approved by USCIS, allows the applicant to receive an employment card and be able to legally work, drive and remain in the US for the duration of the employment card.
The USCIS filing fees for TPS are $470 per applicant and the length of the employment card is for an 18-month period. Only Haitians that were already in the US when the earthquake occurred are eligible for TPS. While some Haitians are skeptical and afraid to request TPS relief because they believe that USCIS will use their information against them in the future, others have applied and received their employment cards. So far, around 55,000 Haitians have applied for TPS relief. For more information on the newly released news, please see the article by the Associated Press at
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h3-xkjfd_KkYtFN4obYFedRnyKtAD9GTJEVO0
A TPS application must be made on Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and on Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Applicants must provide proof of their Haitian nationality as well as proof of their residence in the US on or about January 12, 2010.