H.R. 3310: Venezuela TPS Act of 2025

The bill directly designates Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, treating it as if it were designated under subsection (b)(1)(C). The initial designation would last 18 months beginning on the date the Act is enacted. That means the protection starts only once the bill becomes law, and the physical-presence rule is tied to that exact enactment date.

Eligibility is limited and specific. A person must be a national of Venezuela, must have been continuously physically present in the United States since the date of enactment, must be admissible as an immigrant except for the existing exceptions in section 244(c)(2)(A) of the INA, must not be barred under section 244(c)(2)(B), and must register in a manner set by the Secretary of Homeland Security. In plain English, the bill opens a path only for Venezuelans already here when the law takes effect and who clear the normal TPS screening rules.

The bill also sets concrete terms for travel and fees. The Secretary of Homeland Security may allow travel abroad only with prior consent under section 244(f)(3) of the INA, and only if the applicant shows that emergency and extenuating circumstances beyond the person’s control require a brief, temporary trip abroad. The application fee is set at $360 per application for people eligible solely because of this Act, but the Secretary must allow people to request a fee waiver.

This is a focused immigration relief bill, not a broad rewrite of TPS law. It does not spell out a new appropriation, a cap on applicants, or a pathway to permanent status. Instead, it creates a country-specific TPS designation for Venezuela, assigns the Secretary of Homeland Security to run registration, travel consent, and fee waivers, and leaves the bill’s budget scoring to the standard PAYGO process using the House Budget Committee chairman’s statement submitted before the final House passage vote.