Temporary Protected Status Extended for Salvadorans

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of El Salvador for an additional 18 months, beginning March 10, 2012, and ending Sept. 9, 2013.

Current Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period that runs through March 12, 2012. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to register as soon as possible within the 60-day re-registration period. Although the Federal Register notice erroneously states that re-registration applications must be filed January 9, 2012 through March 9, 2012, USCIS will accept applications filed January 9, 2012 through March 12, 2012. USCIS is working to correct the public information on the re-registration filing dates.

The 18-month extension also allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Eligible Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries who re-register on time will receive a new EAD with an expiration date of Sept. 9, 2013. USCIS recognizes that all re-registrants may not receive their new EADs until after their current EADs expire. Therefore, USCIS is extending the current TPS El Salvador EAD bearing a March 9, 2012, expiration date for an additional six months, through Sept. 9, 2012.

To re-register, current TPS beneficiaries must submit an Application for Temporary Protected Status, Form I-821. TPS re-registrants must also submit an Application for Employment Authorization, Form I-765, regardless of whether they are applying for an EAD. Re-registrants do not need to pay the Form I-821 application fee, but they must submit the biometric services fee, or a fee waiver request, if they are age 14 or older. TPS re-registrants applying for an EAD must submit the Form I-765 application fee, or a fee waiver request.

TPS applicants may request that USCIS waive any or all the fees by filing a Request for Fee Waiver, Form I-912, or by submitting a personal letter. Failure to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee waiver request will result in the rejection of the TPS application.

Applicants can download free TPS forms from the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov/forms. Applicants can also request free TPS forms by calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.

Additional information on TPS for El Salvador, including guidance on the application process and eligibility, is available online at http://www.uscis.gov/tps. Further details on this extension of TPS for El Salvador, including the application requirements and procedures, will appear in a Federal Register notice scheduled for publication on January 11, 2012.

Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check My Case Status Online, or call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833).

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.govor follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The The Beacon.