Temporary Protected Status

What is TPS (Temporary Protected Status)The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately.  USCIS may grant TPS to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries), who are already in the United States.  Eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country may also be granted TPS.The Secretary may designate a country for TPS due to the following temporary conditions in the country:

• Ongoing armed conflict (such as civil war)
• An environmental disaster (such as earthquake or hurricane), or an epidemic
• Other extraordinary and temporary conditions

During a designated period, individuals who are TPS beneficiaries or who are found preliminarily eligible for TPS upon initial review of their cases (prima facie eligible):

• Are not removable from the United States
• Can obtain an employment authorization document (EAD)
• May be granted travel authorization

Once granted Temporary Protected Status, an individual also cannot be detained by DHS on the basis of his or her immigration status in the United States.TPS is a temporary benefit that does not lead to lawful permanent resident status or give any other immigration status. However, registration for TPS does not prevent you from:

• Applying for nonimmigrant status
• Filing for adjustment of status based on an immigrant petition
• Applying for any other immigration benefit or protection for which you may be eligible

PLEASE NOTE: To be granted any other immigration benefit you must still meet all the eligibility requirements for that particular benefit.  An application for TPS does not affect an application for asylum or any other immigration benefit and vice versa. Denial of an application for asylum or any other immigration benefit does not affect your ability to register for TPS, although the grounds of denial of that application may also lead to denial of TPS.  Countries Currently Designated for Temporary Protected Status

Designated Country	Most Recent Designation Date	Current Expiration Date	Current Re-Registration Period	Current Initial Registration Period	Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Automatically Extended Through
El Salvador	March 9, 2001	September 9, 2016	January 7, 2015 through March 9, 2015	N/A	September 9, 2015
Guinea	Effective November 21, 2014	18 months, beginning November 21, 2014	N/A	Nov. 21, 2014- May 20, 2015	N/A
Haiti	July 23, 2011	January 22, 2016	March 3, 2014 through July 22, 2014	N/A	January 22, 2015
Honduras	January 5, 1999	July 5, 2016	October 16, 2014 through  December 15, 2014	N/A	July 5, 2015
Liberia	Effective November 21, 2014	18 months, beginning November 21, 2014	N/A	Nov. 21, 2014- May 20, 2015	N/A
Nicaragua	March 9, 2001	July 5, 2016	October 16, 2014 through  December 15, 2014	N/A	July 5, 2015
Sierra Leone	Effective November 21, 2014	18 months, beginning November 21, 2014	N/A	Nov. 21, 2014- May 20, 2015	N/A
Somalia	September 18, 2012	September  17, 2015	November 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013	N/A	NO Automatic Extension**Sufficient time was deemed available to issue new EADs.
Sudan	May 3, 2013	May 2, 2016	September 2, 2014 – November 1, 2014	N/A	May 2, 2015
South Sudan	September 2, 2014	May 2, 2016	September 2, 2014 – November 1, 2014	September 2, 2014 – March 1, 2015	May 2, 2015
Syria	January 5, 2015	September 30, 2016	January 5, 2015 through March 6, 2015	January 5, 2015 through July 6, 2015	September 30, 2015

Eligibility RequirementsTo be eligible for TPS, you must:

• Be a national of a country designated for TPS, or a person without nationality who last habitually resided in the designated country;
• File during the open initial registration or re-registration period, or you meet the requirements for late initial filing during any extension of your country’s TPS designation;
• Have been continuously physically present (CPP) in the United States since the effective date of the most recent designation date of your country; and
• Have been continuously residing (CR) in the United States since the date specified for your country. The law allows an exception to the continuous physical presence and continuous residence requirements for brief, casual and innocent departures from the United States. When you apply or re-register for TPS, you must inform USCIS of all absences from the United States since the CPP and CR dates. USCIS will determine whether the exception applies in your case.

You may NOT be eligible for TPS or to maintain your existing TPS if you:

• Have been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors committed in the United States;
• Are found inadmissible as an immigrant under applicable grounds in INA section 212(a), including non-waivable criminal and security-related grounds;
• Are subject to any of the mandatory bars to asylum. These include, but are not limited to, participating in the persecution of another individual or engaging in or inciting terrorist activity;
• Fail to meet the continuous physical presence and continuous residence in the United States requirements;
• Fail to meet initial or late initial TPS registration requirements; or
• If granted TPS, you fail to re-register for TPS, as required, without good cause.