The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has released an update regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia. The Department of Homeland Security has extended and redesignated Somalia for TPS for 18 months, starting from March 18, 2023, through September 17, 2024. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the extension and redesignation of Somalia for TPS on January 12, 2023.
The redesignation allows approximately 2,200 Somali nationals or individuals without nationality who previously lived in Somalia to apply for TPS if they have been continuously residing in the US since January 11, 2023, and have been continuously physically present in the country since March 18, 2023. The extension also enables current beneficiaries to retain TPS through September 17, 2024, as long as they re-register and meet TPS eligibility requirements.
Re-registration is limited to individuals who previously registered for and were granted TPS under Somalia’s prior designation. The re-registration period runs from March 13, 2023, through May 9, 2023. USCIS will continue to process pending applications filed under Somalia’s previous TPS designation. Individuals with a pending Form I-821 or a related Form I-765 as of March 13, 2023, do not need to file either application again.
Those who are eligible to apply for TPS under the redesignation can submit an initial Form I-821 during the registration period, which runs from March 13, 2023, through September 17, 2024. They may also apply for TPS-related employment authorization documents (EADs) and travel authorization.
The Federal Register notice explains the eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew EADs, and for new applicants to submit an initial application under the redesignation and apply for an EAD. USCIS recognizes that some re-registrants may not receive a new EAD before their current one expires. Therefore, certain EADs previously issued under Somalia’s TPS designation are automatically extended through March 17, 2024.
