Liberian TPS / DED Update

On March 20, 2009, President Obama extended Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) for thousands of Liberians in the U.S. Liberians who had DED status as of March 31, 2009 have been granted a one year extension through March 31, 2010. Employment authorization cards (EADs) with the expiration date of March 30, 2009 issued to Liberians with DED status are automatically extended until September 30, 2009. Liberians may show their existing EAD cards and a copy of the federal regulations in order to work. Persons wanting to obtain work authorization from September 30, 2009 to March 30, 2010 need to file form I-765 with the Vermont Service Center. Please go to the U.S. CIS website for more details.

Countless Liberians with DED status have family members that could file family-based petitions for them, which would allow the beneficiary to obtain legal permanent residence in the U.S. Depending on the relationship between the petitioner and the beneficiary, it could take many years before the beneficiary becomes eligible to receive permanent residence. Because of these visa backlogs, many Liberians have delayed filing family-based petitions. It took much lobbying by various congressional members and groups to get DED extended for another year. It is very uncertain what will happen to Liberians with DED after March 31, 2010, so it is more important than ever to file these family-based petitions. If you would like more information on how to petition for a family member, please contact our office.