March 12 , 2007

USCIS ANNOUNCES EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION UPDATE FOR TPS RECIPIENTS FROM HONDURAS, NICARAGUA AND EL SALVADOR

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that certain Hondurans, Nicaraguans and Salvadorans eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) re-registration, who have an application pending with USCIS and are awaiting an employment authorization document (EAD), will receive a letter giving them the opportunity to have an extension sticker affixed to their EAD while USCIS completes their TPS application.

There will NOT be a Federal Register notice automatically extending previously issued work cards further for this group. Applicants should NOT appear at USCIS district offices to seek an extension sticker or an interim EAD. Instead, USCIS will mail eligible TPS re-registrants a letter instructing them about how to proceed to a USCIS Application Support Center (ASC) to receive the short-duration extension sticker.

Individuals who receive the short-duration extension sticker while USCIS continues processing their applications will receive an extension valid through June 2007 to serve for "1-9 Employment Authorization" purposes. USCIS began mailing letters giving eligible re-registrants the opportunity to appear at an ASC to receive the extension sticker beginning on Monday, March 5, 2007. One can verify an applicant's continuing status and employment authorization by using the case receipt number and checking USCIS Case Status Online at www.uscis.gov, or by calling the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

USCIS recognizes that the auto-extension of existing EADs expired on Friday, January 5, 2007, for Honduras and Nicaragua and on March 9, 2007 for El Salvador. USCIS will produce and mail the letters giving eligible re-registrants the opportunity to appear at an ASC to receive the extension sticker in the coming days in order to minimize any lapse in documentation of employment authorization for those TPS beneficiaries who have not received a renewal EAD.

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