DHS Releases Temporary Protected Status Notices For Sudan, Burundi, El Salvador and Sierra Leone

The Department of Homeland Security has announced a one-year extension to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Sudan and Burundi. The extension covers 525 Sudanese individuals and 30 nationals of Burundi and will allow them to reside and work in the country until November 2, 2004. The extensions are only available to those who already have TPS and re-register between September 3 and November 3 of this year.

To re-register for the TPS extension, applicants must submit Form I-821 (Application for Temporary Protected Status), Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) and two photographs to the Citizenship and Immigration Service district office no later than November 3, 2003. Those seeking an extension of employment authorization must submit a $120 filing fee, but there is no fee for those only seeking to re-register for TPS.

The Department also announced the termination of TPS for nationals of Sierra Leone, affecting about 2,700 people. The DHS will allow a six month extension of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) until May 3, 2004. Upon conclusion of TPS status, beneficiaries return to the immigration status they maintained before registering for TPS, unless that status has expired or been terminated, or to any other status acquired while registered for TPS.

Lastly, officials reminded eligible Salvadorans to immediately re-register for TPS. Applications must be postmarked no later than Monday, September 15, 2003. Nearly 300,000 Salvadorans are eligible for TPS extension. Officials caution that those eligible must re-register even though EADs have been automatically extended for a period of six months from September 9, 2003 to March 9, 2004; the automatic EAD extension is meant to prevent employment authorization gaps while re-registration applications are processes, and it does not relieve beneficiaries of the need to re-register for TPS.

Further information about TPS is available online at www.immigration.gov.