Norwich - A middle-aged Haitian man from Norwich, who has worked here legally as a bartender and waiter for 20 years, wants his wife to find employment to help pay their bills and send money to relatives back home in Haiti.

His wife, who came to the United States on a visa in 2006, wants a job working with young children.

Trouble is, he's legal and she's not.

The couple arrived Saturday morning at City Hall with dozens of other undocumented Haitians to get help in filling out paperwork that would give them temporary legal status for 18 months.

Connecticut Lawyers for Haiti held four clinics Saturday in Stamford, New Haven, Hartford and Norwich to assist people in filling out the applications for temporary protective status, or TPS.

In response to the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti, the Obama administration is granting TPS to undocumented Haitians who have lived in the United States since before the earthquake. They can apply for 18 months of protective status, which will shield them from deportation.

The woman with the expired visa sat at a desk answering questions posed by attorney Peg Sheehan of Old Saybrook. Are you a Haitian native? Are you a good citizen? Do you have a criminal history? Has anyone tried to deport you?

"She wants to work,'' said the husband, who asked that his name not be used. He said he tried to get his wife's visa renewed but no one followed through with the paperwork. Both speak with heavy accents, making the conversation with Sheehan difficult.

By 11:30 a.m., 25 people had come to Room 108 at City Hall seeking TPS assistance. About 10 others showed up hoping the immigration lawyers could answer other legal questions, such as adoption issues, how to become a citizen and how to get relatives out of Haiti.

Part of the problem in keeping up the necessary papers to remain legal in this country is the language barrier, according to Caleb Roseme of Norwich, who volunteered as an interpreter Saturday. Imagine you are in a new country and no one speaks your language, he said, adding that it's intimidating to fill out legal documents and many are afraid of making mistakes.

Roseme, a representative from the First Haitian Baptist Church of Norwich, said it's hard to know how many Haitians live in the area. Many work at the two casinos, where documentation is required, but those residents might have family members or friends in the United States illegally.

With a Haitian population in and around Norwich estimated at between 3,000 and 5,000, thousands have been affected by the earthquake. Most have relatives still in Haiti. Some died, some were injured and many had their homes destroyed.

"Some lost everything. Some have family members who passed,'' Roseme said. "If there was a purpose for me to be there, I would be there. My purpose is to be here today."

Amber Sarno, a volunteer attorney from the Hartford law firm Shipman & Goodwin, said many of the people she assisted had been frustrated in the past with filling out all the paperwork. But "everything seems to be going smoothly today,'' she said.

Sarno said that after she heard about the earthquake, she wanted to do something to help. When a call from immigration lawyers went out for help at the clinics, she readily volunteered.

"Here, I knew I could help,'' she said.

New London attorney Rita Provatas, who specializes in immigration law, supervised the Norwich clinic, where five stations were set up so applications could be checked and rechecked. The applicants had to prove they live here and did not have other issues, such as an arrest record. After all the reviews, they were given an envelope with the paperwork to mail out along with the $470 application fee.

"The Haitian community is wonderful,'' said Provatas. "They'll help friends and neighbors. There's been an outpouring of support."

About 20 representatives from the Haitian community, local churches and social-services agencies participated in the clinic. At the end, the Haitian volunteers who helped out asked if they could hold another clinic.

The group will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday at Norwich Free Academy to discuss results of the clinic and to continue discussing how the region can help Haiti.