Information about attending high school in New York City for recently arrived immigrants.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a designation by the United States government that allows individuals from certain countries with unsafe conditions to reside and work legally in the U.S. temporarily. It is valid for 18 months at a time, allows you to apply for a work permit and a Social Security Number, and may be renewed for as long as your country is designated for TPS.

If you are a single adult New Arrival or part of an adult family of New Arrivals, you have a right to shelter in New York City if you have no other safe place to sleep and cannot afford permanent housing. You are a “New Arrival” if you arrived in the United States on or after March 15, 2022, and have a fear of returning to your home country.

You are an “adult” if you are 18 or older. You are an “adult family” if you and your adult family members have no child here with you who is under 21 years old. You are a “single adult” if you are applying by yourself. Even though you have a right to shelter if you don’t have another safe place to sleep, the City will require you to follow certain steps to make sure you are eligible (see below).

This information only applies to adult New Arrivals. The information does not apply to New Arrival families in New York with minor children (children under the age of 21) or pregnant people. This information does not apply to anyone from another country (adults and families) who arrived in the United States before March 15, 2022.

New York City is issuing 60-day notices to all families with children living in shelter who arrived in the United States after March 15, 2022 and are afraid to return to their home country. These 60-day notices tell families that their shelter placement will end after 60 days.

In New York City, school-age children are afforded certain rights under The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

If you are in New York City and have nowhere safe to sleep, you have a right to a shelter bed. If you recently came to New York City from a different country, and you have no other safe place to stay, you have a right to shelter, regardless of your immigration status. Please be aware that there have been recent changes regarding the right to shelter for single adult and adult family New Arrivals. Read our full resource on these changes here.

You may have an appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE is a federal government office that deals with immigrants. ICE agents do different things, including detaining and prosecuting immigrants.

Many people have ICE appointments after they encounter immigration agents at the US/Mexico border, even if the encounter was very brief. ICE agents use these appointments to keep track of immigrants that they have released from detention.

An ICE appointment is different than an immigration court hearing. You might have regular ICE appointments and also an immigration court case. Or you might only have ICE appointments for now.

You may need to speak with a judge in an immigration court. This immigration court case will determine whether or not you will be allowed to stay in the U.S.  

*If you are detained by ICE, you may be able to receive free immigration legal representation from NYIFUP.

Asylum is legal status that will allow you to live and work in the United States. You can apply for asylum if you are afraid to live in your country because you will be persecuted (severely mistreated). After a year in asylum status, you can apply for a green card (lawful permanent residence). 

The New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, also known as NYIFUP is a group of attorneys from The Legal Aid Society, The Bronx Defenders and Brooklyn Defender Services. We believe all people in immigration detention should have an attorney. We represent people with different kinds of immigration cases. We do not work for the U.S. government or the immigration court. All our services are free.

Even if you came to the United States recently, you may be eligible for immigration options based on things that might have happened to you here in the United States. Some examples include:

• You have been a victim of certain crimes in the United States and have been helpful or are willing to be helpful to a law enforcement agency;
• Someone used fraud, force, or coercion to make you work or have sexual contact with someone for money;
• You had your rights violated in the workplace, including not being paid properly, and you have been helpful or are willing to be helpful in an investigation about this.

If you are a noncitizen and do not have work authorization, employers are not legally allowed hire you. Employers must ask you for identification and work authorization at the time of hiring. They can also ask you to update this information when they know that your work authorization has expired or will soon expire.

If you entered the U.S. without permission, or were paroled in, but now wish to leave, you could leave the U.S. voluntarily. However, there are some things that you should be aware of.

Over the years, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) agents have placed thousands of non-citizens in removal/deportation proceedings, often following a trip abroad. Below are some questions and answers that may help you decide whether you can leave the United States and come back without causing immigration problems. Generally, the answer will depend on the facts of your individual case. If any of the following things apply to you, you should seek legal advice from a reputable, experienced immigration lawyer before making any plans to leave the U.S.

Receiving Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) from USCIS (an immigration government agency) means that the government will not deport you. It also allows you to get employment authorization (a work permit), a Social Security number, and permission to travel outside of the U.S. A grant of DACA is valid for two years, and can be renewed for more two-year periods. Currently, USCIS charges a filing fee of $495 for DACA.

**Please Note** In 2021, a federal district court judge blocked first-time DACA applicants from being granted status. For now, individuals who already have DACA can continue to renew their status, until there is a further decision from that judge or from a higher court. For assistance with filing a DACA renewal application, please 311 and say “Action NYC” Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

“Public Charge” is a legal term used in immigration law. It is part of a screening process used by U.S. immigration officials primarily when someone is applying for lawful permanent residence (LPR/“green card” status). If someone is considered a public charge, then they won’t be able to get a green card, unless they are able to post a public charge bond.

There is a lot of information about what kind of health insurance (sometimes called “health coverage,” or “coverage”) you might be eligible for depending on your immigration status. This page is intended to provide basic information to you so that you can make an informed decision about your health coverage. Because this can be complicated, if you have questions or concerns you can contact The Legal Aid Society, another legal services organization, or a trained assistor to learn about your coverage options. You should not assume that even if you are not a citizen or a green card holder (lawful permanent resident) that you are not eligible for health coverage.

In New York, regardless of your immigration status and your ability to pay, you are entitled to hospital treatment in the case of a medical emergency. There are also many ways to access affordable health care in New York City.

Intimate partner and domestic violence can make a frightening immigration situation more perilous. There are some steps you can take to get yourself and your family out of these situations and into a safe space.