U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opened the re-registration period Tuesday for current beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras who want to continue to maintain their status. The program will be terminated Jan. 5, 2020.

Key dates and deadlines:

  • Current beneficiaries under the Honduras TPS designation who want to re-register to maintain their TPS status must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and apply for an employment authorization document using Form I-765 between now and Aug. 6, 2018.
  • USCIS will issue new employment authorization documents with a Jan. 5, 2020, expiration date—the date when the TPS designation for Honduras will be terminated.
  • Current employment authorization documents that were issued under the TPS designation for Honduras will be automatically extended through Jan. 1, 2019, to prevent them from lapsing while applications are pending.

Background: The Trump administration ended the TPS designation for Honduras last month with a delayed effective date of Jan. 5, 2020. The Department of Homeland Security has also terminated TPS designation for El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Nepal and Sudan, and has ended Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberian nationals.

BAL Analysis: Honduran nationals should re-register as soon as possible and not wait until the end of the re-registration period. Employers should be aware of the automatic extension of currently valid TPS Honduras employment authorization documents. DHS has advised Honduran nationals to explore other visa categories or to plan to leave the country by Jan. 5, 2020.

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

Copyright © 2018 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.