Certain EADs for TPS Syria beneficiaries automatically extended, Form I-9 guidance provided

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has automatically extended Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for certain Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries, and issued individual extension notices to them. The agency also provided guidance to employers on completing Form I-9 for these individuals.

Key Points:

• The extension applies to a limited number of EADs for Syrian TPS holders whose renewal applications remain pending. These documents have a Category Code of A12 or C19 and expired on March 31, 2021, Sept. 30, 2019, or March 31 2018, and have now been extended until Sept. 24, 2022.
• On Form I-9, employers should enter the new extension date of Sept. 24, 2022 in Section 2 under List A for affected employees who present their EAD and individual USCIS extension notice.
• Employers must re-verify these Syrian TPS holders on Form I-9 before they start work on Sept. 25, 2022.

Additional Information: Employers using E-Verify should create a case for affected employees and enter the EAD document number on Form I-9, along with the automatically extended date of Sept. 24, 2022. More information regarding completing Form I-9 is available here.

BAL Analysis: Employers should be aware of the extension for certain TPS Syria beneficiaries and understand how to complete Form I-9 and E-Verify procedures for these employees.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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