US offers almost 500,000 Venezuelans legal status

Venezuelans seeking asylum in the US who are already living in the country will be allowed to work legally under new rules announced by the Biden administration.

About 472,000 people will be eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months.

It follows calls by Democrats to expand work access for newly-arrived migrants.

US cities have been grappling with large numbers fleeing economic and political turmoil in Venezuela.

People must have been living in the US on or before 31 July to be eligible for temporary deportation relief and access to work permits under TPS. If granted, they will be allowed to work while they wait for an asylum determination to be made.

Some 243,000 Venezuelans already have the status stemming from a 2021 policy that was renewed last year.