INS Notice of TPS Designation for Bosnia-Hercegovina
[Notices]
[Page 41420-41421]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01au97-125]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Immigration and Naturalization Service
[INS No. 1862-97; AG Order No. 2101-97]
RIN 1115-AE26
Extension of Designation of Bosnia-Hercegovina Under Temporary Protected Status Program
AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice extends, until August 10, 1998, the Attorney General's designation of Bosnia-Hercegovina under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program provided for in section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended (Act). Accordingly, eligible aliens who are nationals of Bosnia-Hercegovina (or who have no nationality and who last habitually resided in Bosnia-Hercegovina) may re-register for TPS and extension of employment authorization. This re- registration is limited to persons who registered for the initial period of TPS, which ended on August 10, 1993.
DATES: This extension of designation is effective August 11, 1997, and will remain in effect until August 10, 1998. The re-registration procedures become effective August 1, 1997, and will remain in effect until September 2, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald Chirlin, Adjudications Officer, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Room 3214, 425 I Street, NW., Washington, DC 20536, telephone (202) 514-5014.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Subsection 308(b)(7) of Pub. L. 104-208 (September 30, 1996) renumbered section 244A of the Act as section 244. Under this section, the Attorney General continues to be authorized to grant TPS to eligible aliens who are nationals of a foreign state designated by the Attorney General (or who have no nationality and last habitually resided in that state). The Attorney General may designate a state upon finding that the state is experiencing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or certain other extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent nationals or residents of the country from returning in safety.
On August 10, 1992, the Attorney General designated Bosnia- Hercegovina for Temporary Protected Status for a period of 12 months (57 FR 35604). The Attorney General extended the designation of Bosnia- Hercegovina under the TPS program for additional 12-month periods until August 10, 1997 (61 FR 39471).
This notice extends the designation of Bosnia-Hercegovina under the Temporary Protected Status program for an additional 12 months, in accordance with subsections 244(b)(3) (A) and (C) of the Act. This notice also describes the procedures with which eligible aliens who are nationals of Bosnia-Hercegovina (or who have no nationality and who last habitually resided in Bosnia-Hercegovina) must comply in order to re-register for TPS.
In addition to timely re-registrations and late re-registrations authorized by this notice's extension of Bosnia-Hercegovina's TPS designation, late initial registrations are possible for some Bosnians under 8 CFR 244.2(f)(2). Such late initial registrants must have been ``continuously physically present'' in the United States since August 10, 1992, must have had a valid immigrant or non-immigrant status during the original registration period, and must register no later than 30 days from the expiration of such status.
An Application for Employment Authorization, Form I-765, must always be filed along with the Application for Temporary Protected Status, Form I-821, as part of either a re-registration or a late initial registration. The appropriate filing fee must accompany Form I- 756 unless a properly documented fee waiver request is submitted to the Immigration and Naturalization Service or unless the applicant does not wish to obtain employment authorization. The Immigration and Naturalization Service requires TPS registrants to submit Form I-765 for data-gathering purposes, whether or not work authorization is desired.
Notice of Extension of Designation of Bosnia-Hercegovina Under the Temporary Protected Status Program
By the authority vested in me as Attorney General under section 244 of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1254), and pursuant to subsections 244(b)(3)(A) and (C) of the Act, I had consultations with the appropriate agencies of the Government concerning (a) the conditions in Bosnia-Hercegovina; and (b) whether permitting nationals of Bosnia-Hercegovina (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Bosnia- Hercegovina) to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States. As a result, I determine that the conditions for the original designation of Temporary Protected Status for Bosnia-Hercegovina continue to be met. Accordingly, it is ordered as follows:
(1) The designation of Bosnia-Hercegovina under subsection 244(b) of the Act is extended for an additional 12-month period from August 11, 1997, to August 10, 1998.
(2) I estimate that there are approximately 400 nationals of Bosnia-Hercegovina (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Bosnia-Hercegovina) who have been granted Temporary Protected Status and who are eligible for re-registration.
(3) In order to maintain current registration for Temporary Protected Status, a national of Bosnia-Hercegovina (or an alien having no nationality who last habitually resided in Bosnia-Hercegovina) who received a grant of TPS during the initial period of designation, from August 10, 1992, to August 10, 1993, must comply with the re- registration requirements contained in 8 CFR 244.17, which are described in pertinent part in paragraphs (4) and (5) of this notice.
(4) A national of Bosnia-Hercegovina (or an alien having no nationality who last habitually resided in Bosnia-Hercegovina) who previously has been granted TPS, must re-register by filing a new Application for Temporary Protected Status, Form I-821, along with an Application for Employment Authorization, Form I-765, within the 30-day period beginning on August 1, 1997, and ending on September 2, 1997, in order to be eligible for Temporary Protected Status during the period from August 11, 1997, until August 10, 1998. Late re-registration applications will be allowed pursuant to 8 CFR 244.17(c).
(5) There is no fee for Form I-821 filed as part of the re- registration application. A Form I-765 must be filed at the same time. If the alien requests employment authorization for the extension period, the fee prescribed in 8 CFR 103.7(b)(1), currently seventy dollars ($70), or a properly documented fee waiver request pursuant to 8 CFR 244.20, must accompany the Form I-765. An alien who does not request employment authorization must nonetheless file Form I-765 along with Form I-821, but in such cases no fee will be charged.
(6) Pursuant to subsection 244(b)(3)(A) of the Act, the Attorney General will review, at least 60 days before August 10, 1998, the designation of Bosnia-Hercegovina under the TPS program to determine whether the
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conditions for designation continue to be met. Notice of that determination, including the basis for the determination, will be published in the Federal Register.
(7) Information concerning the TPS program for nationals of Bosnia- Hercegovina (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Bosnia-Hercegovina) will be available at local Immigration and Naturalization Service offices upon publication of this notice.
Dated: July 26, 1997.Janet Reno,
Attorney General.
[FR Doc. 97-20374 Filed 7-31-97; 8:45 am]
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