US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced this week that current beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under Syria’s designation who want to maintain their status through September 30, 2019, must re-register between March 5, and May 4, 2018. The procedures for re-registration, including how to renew employment authorization documentation, have been published in the Federal Register and on the USCIS website. To re-register, all applicants must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status; additionally, applicants may also request (at the same time or later) an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by submitting a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Both of these forms are free on USCIS’ website at uscis.gov/tps.

Eligible Syrian TPS beneficiaries who timely re-register and apply for EADs will receive new work cards with September 30, 2019, expiration dates; however, because of the time frames involved with processing TPS re-registration applications, USCIS will automatically extend the validity of EADs with an expiration date of March 31 for 180 days, through September 27. Individuals must have continuously resided in the United States since August 1, 2016, and have been continuously physically present in the United States since October 1, 2016, along with other requirements, to be eligible for TPS under Syria’s designation. Before the eighteen-month extension ends, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen will review conditions in Syria and consult with government agencies to determine whether its TPS designation should be extended again or terminated.