Syria TPS Re-Registration Period Opens

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At a glance

• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria is extended for 18 months, from April 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019.

• Current Syrian TPS beneficiaries will have through May 4, 2018 to re-register to maintain status through September 30, 2019, according to a USCIS notice published today.

• Syrian TPS employment authorization documents with an expiration date of March 31, 2018 will automatically be extended through September 27, 2018.

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The situation

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria for 18 months, from April 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019. Current Syrian TPS beneficiaries will have 60 days, or until May 4, 2018, to request an 18-month extension of status and work authorization while they seek another immigration status or prepare to depart the country, according to a notice published in the Federal Register today.

Re-registering for TPS

• Who may re-register: Re-registration is limited to those who previously registered for and were granted TPS under the designation of Syria.

• When to re-register: To obtain an 18-month extension of status, current Syrian TPS beneficiaries must 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 March 31, 2018. Accordingly, DHS will automatically extend the validity of all EADs issued under the TPS designation of Syria for 180 days, through September 27, 2018.

• Beneficiaries with Pending TPS applications: Applicants who have a Form I-821 or a Form I-765 pending as of March 5, 2018, need not re-file the pending form. Approved applications will be granted validity dates through September 30, 2019.

I-9 Eligibility Verification

For Form I-9 employment eligibility verification purposes, through September 27, 2018, employers may accept a TPS-related EAD with a March 31, 2018 expiration date, along with a copy of the March 5, 2018 Federal Register notice or a USCIS Form I-797C receipt notice indicating that the TPS-related EAD is automatically extended through September 27, 2018.

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