U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services last week issued a press release reminding those eligible Hondurans and Nicaraguans to re-register for the 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by January 3, 2005.  The TPS extension will extend benefits 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 (or aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Honduras and Nicaragua) who are eligible for re-registration.

To re-register for TPS under the extension, a TPS applicant must submit Form I-821 with revisions date 7/30/2004 or 11/05/2004 (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.  Unlike previous extension procedures, TPS re-registrants need not submit photographs with the TPS application because photographs will be take when the applicant appears at an Application Support Center (ASC) for collection of biometrics.  In addition, any applicant under age 14 who seeks an EAD must submit the $70 biometrics fee.  Both the Form I-765 and I-821 must be submitted for re-registration.  USCIS has published a revised Form I-821, and will only accept Form I-821 with a revision date of 7/30/2004 or 11/05/2004.  If the applicant is only seeking to re-register for TPS and not seeking an EAD, there is no filing fee for the Form I-765.  However, all applicants seeking an EAD valid until July 5, 2005 must submit a $175 filing fee with Form I-765.  Applicants may request a fee waiver in accordance with the regulations.  The biometric fees, however, cannot be waived.  Failure to submit the correct forms and filing fees will result in the rejection of the re-registration application.

Application materials are to be submitted to the USCIS Lockbox in Chicago, Illinois, at the following address:

USCIS

PO Box 87583

Chicago, IL 60680-0583

Or for non-United States Postal Service deliveries:

USCIS

427 S. LaSalle-3^rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60605.

The revised form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status and Form I-765 are available on the USCIS web site at www.uscis.gov.