Deadline for TPS Re-Registration : Hondurans and Nicaraguans
Posted Jun 27, 2003

We at MurthyDotCom and the MurthyBulletin wish to remind our Honduran and Nicaraguan readers that the deadline for re-registration for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is July 7, 2003. The BCIS Service Center must receive the appropriate application by close of business on July 7, 2003, in order for the individual to maintain TPS and employment authorization. For those who meet the deadline, the grant of TPS will be extended for 18 months, from July 5, 2003 to January 5, 2005.

The re-registration is necessary, despite the publication of a Federal Register notice automatically extending the validity of the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from July 5, 2003 to December 5, 2003. This automatic extension was granted to avoid gaps in employment eligibility, while the re-registrations are processed. It does NOT eliminate the need to file the re-registration by the deadline.

TPS is granted as temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. due to country conditions such as civil unrest and natural disasters. The TPS grant to Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals is a result of the damage to those countries caused by hurricane Mitch. The extension affects approximately 87,000 Hondurans and 6,000 Nicaraguans. Eligibility is limited to those persons who registered under the initial TPS registration period that ended on August 20, 1999 or who registered under a late initial registration program. Eligibility also requires that persons filed appropriate re-registrations to maintain TPS status. The late initial registration provisions provide relief and the possibility of registration currently to a limited group of individuals. More information about general TPS procedures and eligibility is available on the BCIS WebSite and through FAQs specifically for Hondurans and Nicaraguans.