Final Re-Registration Period for Honduran TPS Set to Open June 5

---

At a glance

• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras will terminate on January 5, 2020.
• Current Honduran TPS beneficiaries will have 60 days to re-register in order to maintain status through the program expiration date, according to a USCIS notice that is to be published on June 5, 2018.
• Honduras TPS employment authorization documents with an expiration date of July 5, 2018 will automatically be extended through January 1, 2019.

---

The situation

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras on January 5, 2020. Current Honduran TPS beneficiaries will have 60 days to request a final 18-month extension of status and work authorization while seeking another immigration status or prepare to depart the country, according to an advance copy of a notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on June 5, 2018.

Re-registering for TPS

• Who may re-register: Re-registration will be limited to those who previously registered for and were granted TPS under the designation of Honduras.
• When to re-register: To obtain an 18-month extension of status, current Honduras TPS beneficiaries will have to submit Form I-821 with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) within the 60-day re-registration period. Applicants need not pay the filing fee but may be required to pay the biometrics fee.
• Extending employment authorization: Beneficiaries who wish to extend their employment authorization for 18 months must also submit a timely Form I-765 application for an employment authorization document (EAD) and the applicable fees (or a fee waiver application).
• Automatic EAD Extensions: DHS recognizes that not all re-registrants will be able to file and receive new EADs before their current employment authorization expires on July 5, 2018. Accordingly, DHS will automatically extend the validity of all EADs issued under the TPS designation of Honduras for 180 days, through January 1, 2019.
• Beneficiaries with pending TPS applications: Applicants who have a Form I-821 or a Form I-765 pending on the notice publication date, need not re-file the pending form. Approved applications will be granted validity dates through January 5, 2020.

 

I-9 eligibility verification

For Form I-9 employment eligibility verification purposes, through January 1, 2019, employers may accept a TPS-related EAD with a July 5, 2018 expiration date, along with a copy of the published June 5, 2018 Federal Register notice or a USCIS Form I-797C receipt notice indicating that the TPS-related EAD is automatically extended through January 1, 2019.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.