DESIGNATION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, SOMALIA AND MONTSERRAT FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS EXTENDED

The Attorney General has extended the designation of Bosnia-Herzegovina under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program until August 10, 2000. This is not a new designation, but only an extension. Therefore, to qualify one must already be registered for TPS.

Those who currently have TPS may re-register by filing Form I-821, without fee. The form must be submitted between August 11 and September 10, 1999, and should be sent to the local INS office with jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence. Also, Form I-765 must be filed, whether or not the applicant is seeking employment authorization. If employment authorization is not requested, no fee is required, otherwise the $100 fee must be provided with the I-765.

Some people may also be eligible for late registration. To be eligible one must be a citizen of Bosnia-Herzegovina, or a person with no nationality who last habitually resided there; have been continuously physically present and continually resided in the U.S. since August 10, 1992, and otherwise be admissible as an immigrant. The applicant must also be able to prove that during the initial period of registration, from August 10, 1992 to August 10, 1993, was in valid immigrant or nonimmigrant status, had an application pending with INS, was a parolee, or is the spouse or child of someone currently eligible for TPS.

TPS for Somalia has also been extended, until September 17, 2000. The registration period is from September 13, 1999 to October 13, 1999. As with the Bosnian TPS discussed above, this is an extension, not a redesignation. Therefore, eligible applicants must have been continuously physically present since the original designation on September 16, 1991. Most will have already registered for TPS, except for those who were eligible under the initial late registration period under the same criteria discussed above.

Finally, TPS for Montserrat has been extended until August 27, 2000, with the period for registration from September 2, 1999 to October 4, 1999. Because this is an extension of TPS, eligible applicants must have been continuously physically present since the original designation on August 28, 1997, and have already registered for TPS or be eligible for late initial registration.

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