The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to redesignate Somalia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, beginning March 18, 2023, and continuing through September 17, 2024.
The registration process began on March 13 with publication of a notice in the Federal Register. All individuals who want to request TPS under Somalia’s designation must apply.
The extension of TPS for Somalia allows approximately 430 current beneficiaries to retain TPS through September 17, 2024, if they re-register and continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements. The redesignation of Somalia for TPS also allows an estimated 2,200 additional Somali nationals (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) who have been continuously residing in the United States since January 11, 2023, and continuously physically present in the United States since March 18, 2023, to file initial applications to obtain TPS if they are otherwise eligible.
Re-registration is limited to individuals who previously registered for and were granted TPS under Somalia’s prior designation. Current beneficiaries must re-register in a timely manner during the 60-day re-registration period from March 13, 2023, through May 9, 2023, to ensure they keep their TPS and work authorization. DHS recognizes that not all re-registrants may receive a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD) before their current EAD expires and is automatically extending the validity of certain EADs previously issued under Somalia’s TPS designation through March 17, 2024.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue to process pending applications filed under Somalia’s previous TPS designation. Individuals with a pending Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, or a related Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, as of March 13, 2023, do not have to file either application again. If USCIS approves a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 filed under the previous designation of TPS for Somalia, USCIS will grant the individual TPS through September 17, 2024, and issue an EAD that is valid through the same date.
Under the redesignation of Somalia, eligible individuals who do not have TPS may submit an initial Form I-821 during the initial registration period that runs from March 13, 2023, through September 17, 2024. Applicants may also apply for TPS-related EADs and for travel authorization. Applicants can request an EAD by submitting a completed Form I-765 with their Form I-821, or separately later.
For further information about TPS, including guidance on the registration process and additional information on eligibility, visit the USCIS TPS webpage at https://www.uscis.gov/tps. For specific information about Somalia’s TPS designation, select “Somalia” from the menu on the left side of the TPS webpage.
For additional questions about TPS, visit uscis.gov/tools or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).
Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases may check Case
Status Online at the USCIS website at uscis.gov or visit the USCIS Contact Center at
The writer is publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com – The Black Immigrant Daily News.