On January 18, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that Salvadorans who are current beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and want to maintain their status until the program’s termination date on September 9, 2019, must re-register during the 60-day registration period. The registration period runs from January 18, 2018, through March 19, 2018.

Re-register forms and procedures, including how to renew employment documents, have been posted in the Federal Register and on the USCIS website. Applicants must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status. Applicants may request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). An EAD may be submitted at the time of filing Form I-821 or separately at a later date. Both forms are available on the USCIS website.

As mentioned in a previous article, on January 8, the Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced that the statutory conditions supporting El Salvador’s TPS designation were no longer met. More than 200,000 Salvadorans that have been permitted to live and work legally in the U.S. for more than a decade are affected by this decision, according to the New York Times. Temporary protections were established following a pair of devastating earthquakes in 2001. Over the course of 15 years, the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations extended these protections several times.

The Trump administration is giving Salvadorans in the in the program up until the termination date to get their affairs in order. Following the program’s termination, they will no longer have permission to remain in the country.

We want to add that some individuals have deportation and removal orders and may want to consider if their cases can be reopened. Others may be eligible for cancellation of removal, provisional waivers, or adjustment of status. Salvadorans should not wait until the last minute to review their options.

If you are a Salvadoran in the TPS program and are concerned about the possibility of removal and are seeking advice, it is important to consult with an experienced New York immigration lawyer. The New York immigration attorneys at Bretz & Coven, LLP have a long history of zealous, knowledgeable, and honest advocacy on behalf of immigrants. To schedule your consultation, contact our qualified New York immigration lawyers today at (212) 267-2555 or fill out our contact form.