DHS Announces 18-Month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Sudan

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson will extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of Sudan for an additional 18 months, effective Nov. 3, 2014, through May 2, 2016.

Current Sudanese beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from Sept. 2, 2014, through Nov. 3, 2014. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to re-register as soon as possible once the 60-day period begins. USCIS will not accept applications before Sept. 2, 2014.

The extension of TPS for Sudan is based on ongoing armed conflict in that region and the continuation of extraordinary and temporary conditions that led to the country’s most recent TPS designation in 2013. Secretary Johnson determined that extending the designation is warranted based on Department of Homeland Security and Department of State reviews of country conditions conducted during the past year.

The 18-month extension also allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Eligible Sudan TPS beneficiaries who re-register during the 60-day period and request a new EAD will receive one with an expiration date of May 2, 2016. USCIS recognizes that some re-registrants may not receive their new EADs until after their current EADs expire. Therefore, USCIS is automatically extending current TPS Sudan EADs bearing a Nov. 2, 2014, expiration date for an additional six months. These existing EADs are now valid through May 2, 2015.

DHS anticipates that there are approximately 600 individuals who will be eligible to re-register for TPS under the existing designation of Sudan.

Individuals re-registering for TPS must submit:

• Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status;
• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an EAD;
• The Form I-765 application fee, but only if they want an EAD (All individuals re-registering for TPS who want an EAD must pay the I-765 fee, regardless of their age); and
• The biometric services fee if they are age 14 or older.

Individuals who still have a pending initial TPS application under TPS Sudan do not need to submit a new Form I-821. However, if such individuals currently have a TPS-related EAD and want a new EAD, they should submit:

• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization;
• The Form I-765 application fee, regardless of their age; and
• A copy of the receipt notice for the initial Form I-821 that is still pending.

Applicants may request that USCIS waive any or all fees based on inability to pay by filing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or by submitting a written request. Fee-waiver requests must be accompanied by supporting documentation. USCIS will reject the TPS application of any applicant who fails to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee-waiver request.

All USCIS forms are free. Applicants can download these forms from the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/forms.

Additional information about TPS for Sudan—including guidance on eligibility, the application process and where to file—is available online at www.uscis.gov/tps. The Federal Register notice published today  contains further details about this extension of TPS for Sudan, including application requirements and procedures and the six month auto-extension of current TPS Sudan EADs.
 
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.gov or follow USCIS on Facebook (/uscis), Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.