On Dec. 13, 2023, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) took significant steps to extend the re-registration periods for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several countries, including El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan.
In a Federal Register notice, DHS reiterated and extended the periods allowing current TPS beneficiaries to re-register under the existing designations for these nations.
This decision aligns with the department’s prior announcement and seeks to address various logistical and legal complexities surrounding TPS designations.
The most noteworthy change is the extension of the re-registration periods from the standard 60 days to the entire duration of each country’s current TPS designation extension.
This alteration aims to accommodate current beneficiaries who may have faced challenges or constraints in meeting the previously limited re-registration window.
As of the publication, the re-registration periods for each country are as follows:
- El Salvador: The re-registration window remains open until March 9, 2025.
- Haiti: Beneficiaries can re-register until August 3, 2024.
- Honduras: The re-registration period extends until July 5, 2025.
- Nepal: The window for re-registration continues until June 24, 2025.
- Nicaragua: Beneficiaries have until July 5, 2025, to re-register.
- Sudan: The re-registration period extends until April 19, 2025.
This extension enables eligible beneficiaries to submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and, if desired, Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to obtain an Employment Authorization Document during the full extension period of their country’s TPS designation.
Importantly, this extension does not alter eligibility criteria or introduce new beneficiaries; it allows existing beneficiaries to re-register for their benefits throughout the extended duration.
Secretary of DHS Alejandro N. Mayorkas previously announced the decision to rescind the prior administration’s terminations of TPS designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, extending their TPS designations for 18 months.
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Initially, the re-registration periods were set at 60 days; however, considering the unique circumstances surrounding these designations, DHS reevaluated and extended the re-registration periods to align with the full length of the TPS designation extension.
Why does DHS extend Temporary Protected Status re-registration?
The decision to extend the re-registration period acknowledges the complexities caused by ongoing litigation, resulting in overlapping TPS validity periods announced in several Federal Register notices.
This move aims to prevent confusion among current beneficiaries and enables those who have not been required to re-register due to litigation to do so throughout the entire designation extension period.
It’s crucial to note that this Federal Register notice does not modify the previously announced extensions of the TPS designations for these six countries, change the eligibility requirements, or add new beneficiaries.
Instead, it serves as an extension for existing beneficiaries to re-register for their TPS benefits within the extended timeframe.
For the most current information on Temporary Protected Status, visit the Temporary Protected Status webpage. For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov .