Press Release
Saturday, November 09, 2013
Current Somali beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from Nov. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2013. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to re-register as soon as possible once the 60-day period begins. USCIS will not accept applications it received before Nov. 1, 2013.
The 18-month extension also allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Eligible Somali TPS beneficiaries who re-register during the re-registration period and request work authorization will receive a new EAD that expires on Sept. 17, 2015.
To re-register, current TPS beneficiaries must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status. Re-registrants do not need to pay the Form I-821 application fee, but they must submit the biometric fee, or a fee-waiver request, if they are age 14 or older. All TPS re-registrants must also submit Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, but no I-765 application fee is required if the re-registrant does not want an EAD. TPS re-registrants requesting an EAD must submit the Form I-765 application fee, or a fee-waiver request.
Applicants may request that USCIS waive any or all fees based on inability to pay by filing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or by submitting a written request. Fee-waiver requests must be accompanied by supporting documentation. Failure to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee-waiver request will result in the rejection of the TPS application.
All USCIS forms are free. Applicants can download TPS forms from the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/forms or request them by calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.
Additional information on TPS for Somalia—including guidance on eligibility, the application process, and where to file—is available online at www.uscis.gov/tps. Further details on this extension of Somalia for TPS, including application requirements and procedures, are available in the Federal Register notice published Nov. 1. A correction to the Federal Register notice amending the dates of the re-registration period published today.
Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check My Case Status Online or call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833).
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Facebook (USCIS), Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.