This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq. and Janice Chen, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Falls Church, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.
In October, we explained, in these pages, that TPS-Lebanon had been announced but that the application window had not yet opened yet. Great news!
The filing window is now open. In this brief advertorial, we want to describe the application process and offer our general view about the wisdom of applying early.
On October 17, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Lebanon was designated for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months. This supplements — and, for most, will supersede — the previous grant of Deferred Enforced Departure for Lebanon. The application window opened on November 27, 2024 — just a week ago — and runs through May 27, 2026.
May 27, 2026 is more than a year away. January 20, 2025 — Inauguration Day — is substantially closer. Temporary Protected Status is a benefit granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security as a matter of discretionary authority delegated by Congress under the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
President Trump will appoint a new Secretary of Homeland Security — currently slated to be Gov. Kristi Noem — and it’s fair to assume that President Trump’s new Secretary of Homeland Security will have a different attitude towards TPS than President Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. The Trump Administration may move to revoke the grant of TPS for Lebanon.
Why is it fair to assume this? Because the Trump Administration, in its first iteration, moved to revoke TPS for El Salvador, Nicaragua, Sudan, Honduras, Haiti, and Nepal. These maneuvers were blocked by lengthy (and complex) litigation. A second round of attempts to revoke TPS is likely.
President-Elect Trump has said so, directly, that he intends to revoke TPS-Haiti; when asked if he planned to revoke TPS for Haitians in the United States, he replied, “Absolutely. I’d revoke it, and I’d bring them back to their country.”
We do not know whether President-Elect Trump will attempt to revoke TPS-Lebanon, but we believe that prospective applicants will be in a better position if they apply before he has a chance to do so.
So, if you qualify for TPS-Lebanon, we recommend that you apply before President Trump takes office. Here’s how:
- Start gathering your documents. Your lawyer will want to see your Lebanese passport or your birth certificate, plus evidence that you have been physically present in the United States on or about October 16, 2024. Evidence of physical presence includes:
- Your 2024 tax returns (file them next year!)
- Employment records, if you have them
- Rent receipts
- School records for you or your children
- Medical records concerning treatment for you or your children
- Religious records describing your attendance at a place of worship
- Put money aside. You can expect USCIS to charge up to $550 for your initial application.
- Apply! You can apply online directly here, either on your own or (as we recommend) with the assistance of counsel.
You can call us at 888-389-8655, or make an appointment via Calendly, here. But we know that, with tens of thousands of Lebanese nationals in Northern Virginia, handling all of these cases is going to be a team effort. In that spirit, here are two other trustworthy local partners for Lebanese nationals who need help applying for TPS.
Just Neighbors has a wonderful program that focuses on immigrants who make 200% or less than the amount prescribed by the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For information on how to get help from them, see here.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington — Hogar Immigrant Services
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington is an excellent non-profit legal services center. They can handle your TPS application for a modest fee, and they’re wonderful people.
As always, we are grateful for your questions and comments, and will do our best to respond.
