TPS Extended by 18 Months for Sudan and South Sudan

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano redesignated Sudan and South Sudan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and extended the existing TPS designations for the two countries from May 3, 2013 through Nov. 2, 2014. This allows eligible nationals of the two countries to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with notices for Sudan and South Sudan published in the Federal Register.

The extensions and redesignations of Sudan and South Sudan for TPS are based on ongoing armed conflict in that region and the continuation of extraordinary and temporary conditions that led to the TPS designations of Sudan in 2004 and South Sudan in 2011.

Individuals applying for TPS for the first time must submit:

• Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status;
• The Form I-821 application fee;
• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, regardless of whether they want an Employment Authorization Document (EAD);
• The Form I-765 application fee, but only if they want an EAD and are 14 to 65 years old. Those under age 14 or age 66 and older do not need to pay the I-765 fee with their initial TPS application; and
• The biometrics services fee if they are age 14 or older.

Individuals re-registering for TPS must submit:

• Form I-821;
• Form I-765, regardless of whether they want an EAD;
• The Form I-765 application fee, but only if they want an EAD. All individuals re-registering for TPS who want an EAD must pay the I-765 fee, regardless of their age; and
• The biometric services fee if they are age 14 or older.

Individuals who still have a pending initial TPS application under Sudan or South Sudan do not need to submit a new Form I-821. However, if such individuals currently have a TPS-related EAD and want a new EAD, they should submit:

• Form I-765;
• The Form I-765 application fee, regardless of their age; and
• A copy of the receipt notice for the initial Form I-821 that is still pending.

Applicants can download these forms from the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/forms or request them by calling USCIS toll-free at 1-800-870-3676.

More information on TPS for Sudan and South Sudan – including guidance on eligibility, the application process and where to file – is available online at www.uscis.gov/tps.