Temporary Protected Status Extended for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for Six Months

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has extended the designations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an additional six months.  Although there have been significant improvements in the conditions in all three countries since their designations for TPS in November 2014, the lingering effects of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak and continued recovery challenges support this six-month extension. The extended designation is effective May 22, 2016, through Nov. 21, 2016.

Current TPS Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from March 22, 2016, through May 23, 2016. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to re-register as soon as possible.

Employment Authorization:

The six-month extension allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Eligible TPS beneficiaries who re-register during the 60-day period and request a new EAD will receive one with an expiration date of Nov. 21, 2016. USCIS recognizes that some re-registrants may not receive their new EADs until after their current work permits expire. Therefore, USCIS is automatically extending current TPS Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone EADs bearing a May 21, 2016, expiration date for six months. These existing EADs are now valid through Nov. 21, 2016.

Re-registering for TPS:

To re-register, current beneficiaries must submit:

• Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status (re-registrants do not need to pay the Form I-821 application fee);
• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an EAD;
• The Form I-765 application fee (or a fee-waiver request) only if they want an EAD. If the re-registrant does not want an EAD, no application fee is required; and
• The biometric services fee (or a fee-waiver request) if they are age 14 or older.

Individuals who still have a pending initial TPS Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone application do not need to submit a new Form I-821. However, if they 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.

Additional information about TPS —including guidance on eligibility, the application process and where to file—is available at uscis.gov/tps. The Federal Register notices published today contain further details about these TPS extensions for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, including application requirements and procedures, and the six-month auto-extension of current TPS Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone EADs.

USCIS will reject the TPS application of any applicant who fails to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee-waiver request. Applicants may request that USCIS waive any fees based on an 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.

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

Applicants seeking information about the status of their cases can check My Case Status Online or call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability: TTY 800-767-1833).

For more information about USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow USCIS on Facebook (/uscis), Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.