United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) recently announced that commencing November 29, 2021, all Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) applicants may file Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online. In the past, online filing of Form I-821 was limited to TPS applicants from certain specific countries. Under the new policy, nationals of all countries currently designated for TPS, namely Burma (Myanmar), El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, may file Forms I-821 and I-765 through USCIS’ online account system.

The online registration for TPS is open to both first time applicants and previous beneficiaries who are re-registering. Applicants have the option to request an Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”) by filing Form I-765 concurrently with Form I-821, or if they wish they may submit Form I-765 separately at a later time. However, the Service points out that filing both forms together may aid applicants in receiving their EAD card “more promptly.”

In order to file the related forms online, TPS applicants should begin by creating a USCIS online account. The account is free of charge and allows applicants to file and track the progress of their applications. USCIS will continue to accept paper filings, and those who opt to file the old-fashioned way can still use a USCIS online account to track the status of their applications online. Individuals filing by paper will receive an Account Access Notice from USCIS by mail, which will provide information regarding linking cases to online accounts. Additionally, USCIS provides helpful information on the USCIS online account and filing system on its website.