The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today the termination of Venezuela’s 2023 designation for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program that has allowed Venezuelan nationals to live and work legally in the United States due to unsafe conditions in their home country.
“After reviewing country conditions and consulting with the appropriate U.S. government agencies, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has determined that conditions in Venezuela no longer support the 2023 designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS),” said DHS.
TPS and related benefits associated with the 2023 designation will no longer be in effect starting 60 days after the publication of the Federal Register notice, according to DHS. After this date, nationals of Venezuela (and individuals with no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela) who were granted TPS under the 2023 designation will no longer have TPS status. The Federal Register notice is set to be published on Wednesday.
This termination does not apply to the 2021 designation of Venezuela for TPS, which remains in effect until September 10, 2025. Individuals registered for TPS under the 2021 designation are not affected by this decision.
DHS estimates that approximately 348,202 individuals are eligible for TPS under the 2023 Venezuela designation. The Department cited improvements in several areas in Venezuela, such as the economy, public health, and crime, as factors allowing for the safe return of these nationals to their home country.
On October 3, 2023, the U.S. government designated Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), citing extraordinary and temporary conditions in the country that made it unsafe for Venezuelan nationals to return. The designation also affirmed that allowing Venezuelans to remain temporarily in the United States aligned with U.S. national interests. The 2023 TPS designation for Venezuela was scheduled to expire on April 2, 2025.