Haitian nationals who were in the United States prior to the January 12, 2010, Haitian earthquake have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Application for TPS will provide Haitians individuals and businesses in the United States with greater access to employment and mainstream financial services, among other opportunities. The largest Haitian-American diaspora in the United States is found in South Florida, within the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta-district. A 2007 Federal Reserve study, The Enduring Challenge of Concentrated Poverty in America, included a case study on Little Haiti, a Miami neighborhood recognized as the heart of the Haitian community in South Florida. The study noted the important role of access to financial education and mainstream financial products for Haitian immigrants' success in the United States. This TPS fact sheet is intended to provide financial institutions and Haitian consumers with general information on this particular immigration status as well as the types of U.S.-issued documentation that will be available to those who are approved for TPS designation. A partial list of organizations providing support for TPS application is also included in the fact sheet. For more information on Haitian-American access to banking, please contact Ana Cruz-Taura at the Atlanta Fed's Miami Branch.
