U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
Washington, D.C. 20536

Contact: Office of Public Affairs 
Phone:  (202) 514-2648

June 16, 2003

BCIS Reminds Eligible Hondurans and Nicaraguans to Re-register
For Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension

WASHINGTON, D.C – The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) today reminded those eligible Hondurans and Nicaraguans to immediately re-register for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to maintain TPS and employment authorization for the 18-month period beginning on July 5, 2003 and ending on January 5, 2005.

BCIS Service Centers must physically receive all completed re-registration applications for TPS by close of business on July 7, 2003.  Therefore, applications should be mailed well in advance of July 7, 2003.  This re-registration is necessary even though BCIS published a notice in the Federal Register on May 5, 2003 to automatically extend the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) validity period from July 5, 2003 to December 5, 2003.  The automatic EAD extension is designed only to prevent gaps in employment authorization while re-registration applications are processed, but it does not relieve TPS beneficiaries of the responsibility to timely re-register for TPS benefits.
 
On April 30, 2003 BCIS announced an 18-month extension of the designation of Honduras and Nicaragua for TPS until January 5, 2005.  The TPS extension notice was published in the Federal Register on May 5, 2003.  This extension of TPS covers an estimated 87,000 Hondurans and 6,000 Nicaraguans who have already applied for TPS.

To re-register for the extension until January 5, 2005, a TPS applicant must submit Form I-821 Application for Temporary Protected Status and Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), as well as two identification photographs (1 1/2" x 1 1/2").  Both forms must be submitted for  re-registration.  If the applicant is only seeking to re-register for TPS and not seeking an EAD extension, there is no filing fee.  However, all applicants seeking an extension of employment authorization until January 5, 2005 must submit a $120 filing fee with Form  I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization).  The applicant may request a fee waiver in accordance with the regulations.  Applicants for an extension of TPS benefits do not need to submit new fingerprints and therefore do not need to submit a $50 fee for fingerprinting. Children beneficiaries of TPS who have reached the age of fourteen but were not previously fingerprinted must pay the $50 fingerprint fee with the application for extension. 

TPS applications submitted without the required fee, signature, and photos will be rejected.  Forms can be ordered from the toll free BCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-870-3676, or from the BCIS Web site, www.bcis.gov. 

Registrants who have been granted TPS and who need to travel outside the United States before January 5, 2005, must receive advance parole from their local BCIS office or sub-office or a BCIS Service Center with jurisdiction over their place of residence, prior to departing the United States.  Failure to do so may jeopardize their ability to return to the United States.  Advance parole allows an individual to travel abroad and return to the United States.  Advance parole is issued on a case-by-case basis.  For further information, please call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or visit the BCIS web site: www.bcis.gov.

-BCIS-