Temporary Protected Status extended for Syrian refugees
Syrian refugees given extension for protected status in the United States. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has redesignated Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and extended the existing TPS designation for the country from Oct. 1, 2016, through March 31, 2018. This allows eligible nationals of Syria (or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the Federal Register notice published today.Individuals re-registering for TPS:
Current beneficiaries under Syria’s TPS designation seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from Aug. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2016. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to re-register as soon as possible.
The 18-month extension also allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Eligible Syria TPS beneficiaries who re-register during the 60-day period and request a new EAD will receive one with an expiration date of March 31, 2018. USCIS recognizes that some re-registrants may not receive their new EADs until after their current work permits expire.
Therefore, USCIS is automatically extending current TPS Syria EADs with a Sept. 30, 2016, expiration date for an additional six months. These existing EADs are now valid through March 31, 2017.
To re-register, current TPS beneficiaries must submit:
- Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status (re-registrants do not need to pay the Form I-821 application fee);
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an EAD;
- The Form I-765 application fee (or a fee-waiver request) only if they want an EAD. If the re-registrant does not want an EAD, no application fee is required; and
- The biometric services fee (or a fee-waiver request) if they are age 14 or older.
Individuals applying for TPS for the first time:
For Syrian nationals (and persons having no nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) who do not currently have TPS, the TPS redesignation may allow them to apply for TPS if they have continuously resided in the United States since Aug. 1, 2016, and have been continuously physically present in the United States since Oct. 1, 2016. Applicants must meet all other TPS eligibility and filing requirements.
To apply for the first time, individuals must submit:
- Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status;
- The Form I-821 application fee;
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an EAD;
- The Form I-765 application fee, but only if they want an EAD and are 14 to 65 years old (those under 14 or 66 and older do not need to pay the Form I-765 fee with their initial TPS application); and
- The biometric services fee if they are age 14 or older.
Individuals who still have a pending initial TPS application under Syria’s designation do not need to submit a new Form I-821. However, if they currently have a TPS-related EAD and want a new EAD, they should submit:
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization;
- The Form I-765 application fee, regardless of their age; and
- A copy of the receipt notice for the initial Form I-821 that is still pending.
Applicants may request that USCIS waive any fees based on inability to pay by filing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, or by submitting a written request. Fee-waiver requests must be accompanied by supporting documentation. USCIS will reject the application of any applicant who fails to submit the required filing fees or a properly documented fee-waiver request.
All USCIS forms are available for free. Download forms or order them by mail through the USCIS website at uscis.gov/forms or by calling the USCIS Forms Request Line toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.
Applicants can check their case status at My Case Status Online or by calling the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TDD for the deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-767-1833).
|
Who is Eligible |
Current TPS Status |
When to File |
|
Current TPS beneficiaries from Syria |
Have TPS |
To extend your TPS, you must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period that runs from Aug. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2016. |
|
Syrian nationals and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Syria, who have:
|
Do not have TPS |
To obtain TPS, you may apply for TPS during the 180-day initial registration period that runs from Aug. 1, 2016, through Jan. 30, 2017. |
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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