TPS RE-REGISTRATION PERIOD

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced just today that they have just opened the registration period for TPS designation for those who want to keep the TPS designation through the final termination date of July 22, 2019. The re-registration period is between January 18, 2018 to March 19, 2018. USCIS made the following statement in part: "USCIS will issue new Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) with a July 22, 2019, expiration date to eligible Haitian TPS beneficiaries who timely re-register and apply for EADs. Given the timeframes involved with processing TPS re-registration applications, however, USCIS is automatically extending the validity of EADs that show an expiration date of Jan. 22, 2018, for 180 days through July 21, 2018. Additionally, individuals who have EADs with an expiration date of July 22, 2017, and who applied for a new EAD during the last re-registration period but have not yet received their new EADs are also covered by this automatic extension. These individuals may show their EAD indicating a July 22, 2017, expiration date and their EAD application receipt (Notice of Action, Form I-797C) that notes the application was received on or after May 24, 2017, along with this statement, to employers as proof of continued employment authorization through July 21, 2018. On Nov. 20, 2017, former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke determined that disaster-related conditions in Haiti, upon which the country’s original designation was based, no longer supported its designation for TPS and announced the termination of the status. The Acting Secretary made her decision to terminate TPS for Haiti after reviewing country conditions and consulting with appropriate U.S. government agencies. She also delayed the effective date of the termination for 18 months from the current expiration date of Jan. 22, 2018, to allow time for an orderly transition. As a result of the delayed effective date, Haiti’s TPS designation will end on July 22, 2019. " If you would like to re-register for the final TPS destination date, feel free to call our office for additional information. Jarbath Pena Law Group can be reached at (305) 615-1005.