Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Deadline to Register for Nepal has been Closed
What is TPS? Why we need this? Or what is the benefit of having TPS?
According to the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services), the secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporary prevent the country’s nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. USCIS may grant TPS to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries), who are already in the United States. Eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country may also be granted TPS.
On April 2015, Nepal earthquake killed over 9,000 people and injured more than 23,000. It occurred at 11:56 am NST (Nepal Standard Time) on 25th April, with a magnitude of 7.8M or 8.1M, and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX. Many countries helped Nepal with their support and services. One of the services is a TPS. United States opened TPS for the Nepali Illegal people, who have been staying in the United States before earthquake. This status will provide a temporary legal status for the Nepalese people residing in the United States. This status will also give them to visit their home and come back here until it expires its date. Having TPS will also authorize to work legally in the United States. Therefore, Nepal had an advantage of this package. However, Nepali people are failed to file a maximum number of TPS. Since, the deadline of TPS has been closed on December 21, 2015; people will no longer be able to file TPS anymore.
According to NRN USA, there are hundreds and thousands of illegal Nepali people in the United States. However, only eleven thousand people filed TPS, which conclude that the US government has failed for this package. There are no words yet, whether the TPS for Nepali people will get a chance to renew after 18 months. Previously, TPS was also offered to other nation as well; and this package did well with them. Therefore, USCIS gave them couple chance renew TPS again and again.
Many professionals are asking, why did Nepali people failed to take an advantages of TPS? Why they do not want to go home, visit their family and come back again? In my opinion, there are few problems, where this package did not become successful to the Nepalese people.
1. Lack of awareness.
2. You can still live in US without any status.
3. Not having proper understanding of language.
4. Many Nepalese lawyers and big organizations are failed to educate these people.
Many people were not aware of this status, or they have not got any information from anybody. There might be a reason, that people did not understand the English and dare to ask others, since they are illegal. We, Nepali people lacked on these benefits that were offered by the United States. As we heard that, some people could not afford to pay the lawyer fees to file this status, and they do not know if they can still file it for free. Some were scared that the United States will keep track of them and will deport them after this status expired.
We did not see any active lawyers or any prestigious people from the Nepali Organizations. We failed to work together; we really failed to be united. We are still jealous of others success. Our thinking still has not changed what we had in Nepal. Our Nepalese organizations are still busy doing their programs for their election for the position, so that they can have money from the government. They pretend doing social work, however that was just to make money for themselves.
Recently won CNN Hero Maggie Doyne, we have to learn from her. We have to sacrifice our life to help others. I want to see Nepalese people become like Maggie Doyne. One American philanthropist (Maggie Doyne) who has built orphanage women’s center and school in Nepal; if she can do that in foreign land than why can’t we do it in the United States. One American woman is helping Nepali Women and kids, but we are still failed to help our own people in foreign land.
-Bishal Aryal
