TPS Registration Deadline is August 18 for Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone
Tuesday, August 18, 2015, is the deadline for eligible nationals of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone (and people without nationality who last habitually resided in one of those three countries) to register for temporary protected status (TPS). The deadline marks the end of the 90-day extension of the initial registration period, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a reminder. The TPS designations for these three countries began on November 21, 2014, and run through May 21, 2016.
Eligibility criteria include having been “continuously residing” in the United States since November 20, 2014, and having been “continuously physically present in” the United States since November 21, 2014. Eligible persons also must undergo security checks. Those with certain criminal records or who pose a threat to national security are not eligible for TPS.
Liberian nationals currently covered under the two-year extension of deferred enforced departure (DED) based on President Obama’s September 26, 2014, are eligible for TPS. Liberians under DED who have an employment authorization document (EAD) or have applied for an EAD do not need to apply for another EAD related to this TPS designation. However, those who are granted TPS may request a TPS-related EAD at a later date as long as the TPS designation for Liberia remains in effect.
Those who wish to register for TPS must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status; the biometrics services fee (or fee waiver request with documentation) for those who are 14 years old or older; Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (regardless of whether the applicant wants an EAD); and the I-765 application fee or fee waiver request with documentation for those who want an EAD. No application fee for the I-765 is required for those who do not want an EAD, and for initial applicants under the age of 14, or 66 and over; the latter may receive their initial EAD cards at no charge.
See also:
- The TPS announcement is also available in French
- Additional information about TPS for Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, including guidance on eligibility, the application process and where to file
- The September 2014 presidential memorandum on DED
