USCIS Extends TPS Re-Registration Period for Haitians

On December 27, 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an extension of the re-registration period for Haitian nationals who have already been granted temporary protected status (TPS) and seek to maintain that status for an additional 18 months. Because of the impact Hurricane Sandy has had on regions where Haitians reside, USCIS extended the re-registration period through January 29, 2013.

USCIS strongly encourages Haitian TPS beneficiaries to apply as soon as possible. Under this extension, USCIS also will accept applications from eligible individuals who have already applied after the close of the re-registration period on November 30, 2012, and will continue to accept applications through January 29, 2013.

Approximately 60,000 Haitian nationals (and people having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) are eligible for TPS re-registration. TPS is not available to Haitian nationals who entered the United States after January 12, 2011. The initial 60-day re-registration period was established after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in October 2012 an 18-month extension of the TPS designation of Haiti, from January 23, 2013, through July 22, 2014.

In the October notice, DHS also automatically extended by six months, through July 22, 2013, the validity of employment authorization documents (EADs) for eligible Haitian TPS beneficiaries. USCIS said this will allow sufficient time for eligible TPS beneficiaries whose re-registration is timely to receive an EAD without any lapse in employment authorization.

To re-register, TPS beneficiaries must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Individuals seeking to re-register do not need to pay the I-821 application fee. However, a biometric services fee (or a fee-waiver request) is required for all re-registrants 14 years of age and older. All re-registrants seeking employment authorization through July 22, 2014, must submit the Form I-765 fee (or a fee-waiver request). Re-registrants who do not want employment authorization are not required to submit the I-765 fee but must still submit a completed I-765. Failure to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee-waiver request will result in the rejection of the re-registration application, USCIS said.

See also: Federal Register, Details on Re-Registration Period’s Extension