USCIS Reminds Eligible Nationals of El Salvador to Re-Register for TPS Update

 WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds nationals of El Salvador (and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in El Salvador), who have Temporary Protected Status (TPS), to file their re-registration applications for TPS before the end of the re-registration period on Sept. 7, 2010.

The 18-month extension of TPS for El Salvador will remain in effect through March 9, 2012.  Individuals who have received TPS previously must re-register for the 18-month extension during the re-registration period. Failure to file a TPS re-registration application during the re-registration period, without good cause, will result in withdrawal of TPS benefits, including employment authorization and protection from removal from the United States.

To re-register, all TPS beneficiaries must file both the Application for Temporary Protected Status, Form I-821, and the Application for Employment Authorization, Form I-765, with the correct fees or a properly documented fee waiver request.  If the TPS re-registrant is not seeking employment authorization or an extension of his/her current employment authorization, the Form I-765 fee is not required, but the re-registrant must still file Form I-765 for data-gathering purposes.  All TPS re-registrants age 14 and older must submit the biometric fee. Applicants who are able to demonstrate an inability to pay may request a fee waiver for the TPS application, biometric services or employment authorization, or all three fees combined. Failure to submit the required application and biometric fees or a properly documented fee waiver request will result in the rejection of the re-registration application.  For information on TPS fee waivers, visit the “Questions and Answers on Temporary Protected Status Fee Waivers.” 

To receive information about filing or case status, applicants may choose to:

• File the E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, Form G-1145, together with their TPS package.  This will enable them to receive an email and/or cell phone text message informing them that USCIS has accepted the TPS application.  
• Access “My Cases Status” online and register to receive alerts through text messages or emails. Registered users may now elect to receive messages in English or Spanish.

USCIS reminds applicants that the most common reasons for rejection are:

• The application was not filed with the correct fees or a properly documented fee waiver request. 
• The application was missing critical biographical information.
• The applicant did not sign one or more of the required forms (Forms I-821 and I-765).
• The application was filed using an incorrect version of the form. Check the lower right hand corner of the first page of the form instructions for the edition date. The Form I-821 must be dated Oct. 17, 2007 or later, and the Form I-765 must be dated Oct. 16, 2008 or later.  If the edition dates are earlier, the forms will not be accepted by USCIS.  The correct form versions are free and available online at USCIS’s Forms Web page. 

Further details on the extension of TPS for El Salvador, including the application requirements, fees and procedures, are available at http://www.uscis.gov/ on the TPS page and in the Federal Register Notice. For additional information, applicants may also contact USCIS at 1-800-375-5283.