TPS Re-Registration Period Open for Somalis

Unlike many beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Somalis will have an opportunity to maintain their protected status until 2020. USCIS announced an 18-month extension period of TPS benefits for Somalis ending on March 17, 2020.

Re-Registration

Applicants who wish to re-register for TPS must submit a Form I-821 before October 26^thof this year. Beneficiaries may request an EAD during the re-registration process, or separately at a later date. Those who apply before the October deadline for EADs will receive new employment authorization with an expiration of March 17^thof 2020. However, if a Somali TPS beneficiary possesses an EAD with an expiration date of September 17^th, they may not receive a new EAD until after the expiration. Thus, USCIS has automatically extended the validity of EADs for Somali TPS beneficiaries until March 16^thof 2019.

Cause for TPS

For several decades, Somalis have fled armed conflict in search of a safer environment. Because the situation continues to deteriorate in Somalia, the Secretary of Homeland Security extended the designation of Somalia as a region eligible for TPS.

Uncertainty for TPS

Although the 18-month extension is good news for Somalis who have lived and worked in the United States for decades, there is increasing uncertainty regarding the longevity of the TPS benefits program. In the last several months, nations (including Haiti, Nicaragua and Nepal) have lost TPS status. The program is one of the many legal immigration programs that are at risk under new executive directives.