DHS Announces 18-Month Redesignation and Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Yemen

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has redesignated Yemen for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and extended the existing TPS designation for the country for an additional 18 months, from March 4, 2017, through Sept. 3, 2018. This allows eligible nationals of Yemen (or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen) to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the Federal Register notice published today.

Individuals re-registering for TPS:

Current beneficiaries under Yemen’s TPS designation seeking to extend their TPS must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from Jan. 4, 2017, through March 6, 2017. 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 Yemen TPS beneficiaries who re-register during the 60-day period and request a new EAD will receive one with an expiration date of Sept. 3, 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 the validity of current TPS Yemen EADs with an expiration date of March 3, 2017, for an additional six months. These existing EADs are now valid through Sept. 3, 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;
• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (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 Yemeni nationals (and persons having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen) 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 Jan. 4, 2017, and have been continuously physically present in the United States since March 4, 2017. 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 application 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 Yemen’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).