The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua until July 5, 2006.  Under this extension, those who have already been granted TPS are eligible to live and work in the United States for an additional 18 months and continue to maintain their status.  There are approximately 81, 875 nationals of Honduras and 4,309 nationals of Nicaragua who are eligible for re-registration.

The extension of Honduras and Nicaragua is effective January 5, 2005, and will remain in effect until July 5, 2006.  Nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua who have been granted TPS must re-register for the 18-month extension during the 60-day re-registration period, which begins on November 3, 2004 and remain in effect until January 3, 2005.  In order to prevent potential gaps in employment authorization while eligible Hondurans and Nicaraguans wait for their TPS re-registration applications to be processed, DHS is granting a six-month automatic extension of the expiration date of their current TPS-related EADs to July 5, 2005.

A TPS extension is also pending with DHS for El Salvador, which suffered damage similar to that of Honduras and Nicaraguan based on a series of severe earthquakes.  DHS is favorably disposed to considering an extension for El Salvador if the country conditions there warrant.  The current TPS designation for El Salvador expires March 9, 2005.

On January 5, 1999, the Attorney General designated TPS for Honduras and Nicaragua based on the devastation resulting from Hurricane Mitch and subsequently extended the designation four times.  The most recent extension expires on January 5, 2005.  Due to continued reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Mitch, the U.S. Government has determined that an 18-month extension of the TPS designation is warranted because Honduras and Nicaragua remain temporarily unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. 

To reregister for TPS under the extension, a TPS applicant must submit Form I-821 (Application for Temporary Protected Status) without the filing fee, Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), and a $70 biometrics services fee for each applicant age 14 and older.  In addition, any applicant under age 14 who seeks an EAD must submit the $70 biometrics service fee.  If the applicant only seeks to re-register for TPS and does not seek to renew an EAD, there is no filing fee for the Form I-765.  Applicants may request a fee waiver in accordance with the regulation, however the biometric fees cannot be waived.  Failure to submit the required documents and fees will result in the re-registration application.  TPS re-registrants need not submit photographs with the TPS application because photographs will be taken when the application because photographs will be taken when the applicant appears at an Application Support Center for collection of biometrics. 

For more information on where to file, call the USCIS National Customer Service Center toll-free number: 1-800-375-5283, or visit the USCIS web site at www.uscis.gov.