DHS Announces 18-Month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Somalia

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has re-designated Somalia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and has extended the existing TPS designation for Somalia from Sept. 18, 2012 through March 17, 2014, allowing eligible nationals of Somalia to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the Federal Register notice.

Somali nationals with TPS who are seeking to re-register for TPS must file their application packages during the 60-day re-registration period that runs from May 1, 2012, through July 2, 2012. Somalis (or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) in the United States who do not currently have TPS may apply under the re-designation during the six-month period that runs from May 1, 2012 through Oct. 29, 2012. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages eligible individuals to register as soon as possible.

During the past year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State have reviewed the conditions in Somalia. Based upon this review, Secretary Napolitano has determined that a re-designation and 18-month extension of TPS for Somalia is warranted.

The extension of the current Somalia TPS designation is due to the continued disruption of living conditions in the country based upon extraordinary and temporary conditions that prompted the U.S. Attorney General’s re-designation of Somalia for TPS on Sept. 4, 2001. The Secretary’s re-designation is based on ongoing armed conflict and the worsening of the extraordinary and temporary conditions, including the effects of the recent severe drought in Somalia.

A Somali national may be eligible under the re-designation if she or he has continuously resided in the United States since May 1, 2012, and has been continuously physically present in the United States since Sept. 18, 2012.

DHS anticipates that there are approximately 250 individuals who will be eligible to re-register for TPS under the existing designation of Somalia and estimates that fewer than 1,000 additional individuals will be eligible for TPS under the re-designation.

Individuals applying for TPS for the first time must submit:

               A Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status;

               A Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an Employment Authorization Document (EAD);

               The Form I-821 application fee;

               The biometrics services fee if they are age 14 or older; and

               The Form I-765 application fee, but only if they want an EAD and are 14 to 65 years old. Those under 14 or over 65 do not need to pay the I-765 fee with their initial TPS application.

Individuals re-registering for TPS must submit:

               A Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status;

               A Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an Employment Authorization Document (EAD);

               The biometric services fee if they are age 14 or older; and

               The Form I-765 application fee, but only if they want an EAD. All individuals re-registering for TPS who want an EAD must pay the I-765 fee, regardless of age.

TPS applicants who are registering for the first time and applicants re-registering for TPS may request that USCIS waive any or all fees by filing a Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or by submitting a written request. Failure to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee-waiver request will result in the rejection of the TPS application.

Applicants can download free TPS forms from the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/forms or request free TPS forms by calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.

Additional information on TPS for Somalia, including guidance on the application process, eligibility, and where to file, is available online at www.uscis.gov/tps. Further details on this extension and re-designation of Somalia for TPS, including the application requirements and procedures, may be found in the Federal Register notice 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.