DHS Secretary Designates Afghanistan for TPS

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has designated Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, effective May 20, 2022, through Nov. 20, 2023. Afghan nationals and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Afghanistan may submit an initial registration application under the Afghanistan TPS designation and apply for an employment authorization document (EAD) during the 18-month registration period that begins May 20, 2022, and ends on Nov. 20, 2023.

When applying for a Federal, state, or local government benefit, individuals will need to provide documentation to show they are Afghan TPS beneficiaries. Afghan TPS beneficiaries may provide their new TPS EAD with a category code of A12 or C19, or a copy of their Form I-797, Notice of Action, for a current Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, to show they have TPS or a pending TPS application. SAVE will be able to verify an individual's TPS or pending TPS application and employment authorization by using information from one of these documents.

For more information regarding Afghanistan's TPS designation, please refer to 87 FR 30976, dated May 20, 2022.

For up-to-date TPS information, please check the USCIS TPS webpage or call the USCIS TPS Hotline at 202-272-1533. (Please note that this is not a toll-free number.)