Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke, has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of South Sudan, but announced the end of TPS designation for citizens of Sudan.

Per the announcement, citizens of South Sudan may apply for an 18-month extension of TPS, until May 2, 2019, due to the ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions in the country.  Current beneficiaries of South Sudan’s TPS designation seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register (the deadline for re-registering was published in the Federal Register). Those who re-register and request a new employment authorization document (EAD) may receive an automatic extension of their expiring EAD for up to 180 days from the date their current EAD expires.  Once approved, the new EADs will have an expiration date of May 2, 2019.  Individuals should re-register and file their EAD applications as early as possible to avoid lapses in employment authorization, particularly as EAD applications are taking at least 90 days to process.

It was also announced that TPS will no longer be available for citizens of Sudan, after the current designation terminates on Nov. 2, 2018.  Current beneficiaries of Sudan’s TPS will have 12 months to prepare for their orderly transition before the deadline. Those who are seeking to extend their TPS for Sudan also must re-register. The deadline will be published in the Federal Register and on www.uscis.gov/tps later this week.  Those who re-register and request a new employment authorization document (EAD) may receive an automatic extension of their expiring EAD for up to 180 days from the date their current EAD expires. If a beneficiary’s EAD request is approved, they will receive a new EAD with an expiration date of Nov. 2, 2018. TPS beneficiaries are strongly encouraged to re-register and file their EAD applications as early as possible to avoid lapses in documentation of employment authorization. After Nov. 2, 2018, TPS beneficiaries for Sudan will continue to hold any other immigration status that they have maintained or acquired while registered for TPS.

Additional information about TPS is available at uscis.gov/tps. A Federal Register notice containing further details will be published soon. Please subscribe to our blog for updates as more information becomes available.

Click here for more information on Sudan and TPS.