These claims are false, and should be ignored, the US Embassy said in statement. “Only individuals who have been continuously physically present in the United States on or before June 24, 2015 and who continue to remain physically present in the United States are eligible for this status.”

On June 24, the Department of Homeland Security of the United States announced the designation of Nepal for TPS in the aftermath of the April 25 earthquake. Media reports suggested that following the Great Earthquake there is a sudden rise of middlemen who have promised to take Nepalis to the US in a way to secure the TPS.

Individuals who were promised entry into the US are taken to Malaysia first, then Dubai and Brazil and Cuba. According to reports, these individuals are asked to pay Rs3 million and some have already left Nepal. Money was collected from individuals in Kathmandu to initiate the process while another 100 are on the waiting list.

Middlemen have deployed individuals to several villages in Nepal, who are collecting money in advance on the false promises of easy entry into the United States. Gullible youths are taken to several South American nations like Equator, Panama, Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala in the process. Earlier, several Nepalis were caught in South American countries, where they were stranded for several months.

Eligible Nepali nationals (and people without nationality who last habitually resided in Nepal) who are already residing in the United States can apply for the TPS.  For Nepalis who meet the criteria, the registration period runs from June 24, 2015 until December 21, 2015. TPS is a temporary benefit that does not lead to lawful permanent resident status or give any other immigration status.

It is important to understand what TPS is and how the process works by going through information provided, the embassy stated, asking the interested people to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website.