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  4. Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: El Salvador

Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: El Salvador

ALERT: On Nov. 10, 2022, DHS posted a Federal Register Notice announcing that beneficiaries under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and the 2011 Haiti designation and the 2013 Sudan designation will retain their TPS while the preliminary injunction in Ramos v. Wolf and the stay of proceedings order in Bhattarai v. Nielsen remains in effect, provided they remain individually eligible for TPS.

On Nov. 10, 2022, DHS posted a Federal Register Notice announcing that beneficiaries under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and the 2011 Haiti designation and the 2013 Sudan designation will retain their TPS while the preliminary injunction in Ramos v. Wolf and the stay of proceedings order in Bhattarai v. Nielsen remains in effect, provided they remain individually eligible for TPS. DHS also has automatically extended through June 30, 2024, the validity of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and other TPS-related documentation for TPS beneficiaries affected by the injunction. Eligible TPS beneficiaries who would like an EAD with the extended validity date of June 30, 2024, must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with the appropriate filing fee (or obtain a fee waiver). You may request a fee waiver by completing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, and submitting it with Form I-765.

On October 3, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California enjoined DHS from implementing and enforcing the decisions to terminate TPS for El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan pending further resolution of the case.  A panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit vacated this injunction, but the plaintiffs have requested rehearing en banc, therefore the directive (mandate) from the appeals court has not issued, and the preliminary injunction remains in effect. Ramos, et al., v. Wolf (PDF, 374.01 KB), et al., 975 F.3d 872 (9th Cir., Sept. 14, 2020), rehearing en banc requested.

If necessary, DHS will continue to issue appropriate future notices to comply with court orders.

For additional information, please see the Nov. 2022 notice and the Update on Ramos v. Nielsen webpage, and the Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension section below.

TPS Continued Through: As long as preliminary injunction ordered by district court in Ramos et al. v. Nielsen et al., 336 F.Supp.3d 1075 (N.D. Cal. Oct. 3, 2018 ) remains in effect.
Re-registration period for People Who Already Have TPS:

Current beneficiaries under the TPS designation for El Salvador do not need to re-register to maintain TPS if provided that they properly re-registered for TPS during 1 of the following registration periods for El Salvador:

  • Jan. 18 through March 19, 2018
  • July 8 through Sept. 6, 2016
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Auto-Extended Through: June 30, 2024
Continuous Residence in U.S. Since: Feb. 13, 2001
Continuous Physical Presence in U.S. Since: March 9, 2001
TPS Designation Date: March 9, 2001
Federal Register Notice Citation:
  • 83 FR 2654
  • 83 FR 54764
  • 84 FR 7103
  • 84 FRN 59403
  • 85 FR 79208
  • 86 FRN 50725
  • Nov. 2022 Federal Register Notice

When to File for TPS

To maintain TPS, you must have either filed to re-register during at least one of the 60-day re-registration periods that ran from Jan. 18 through Mar. 19, 2018, or July 8 through Sept. 6, 2016, and been approved, or have an application that remains pending. If you did not re-register during either of these time frames, you may submit a late re-registration application, including a letter that explains your reason(s) for filing late with your application. We will determine whether your reasons are “good cause” for being late, as required under the TPS law.

Where to File

If you are applying for TPS El Salvador, you may file Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, online. When filing an initial TPS application or re-registering for TPS, you can also request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by submitting a completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online with your Form I-821.

File Online

If you are filing a paper application for a replacement EAD for already granted TPS, send your TPS package to the appropriate address in the table below:

If you: Then, mail your application to:

Are a beneficiary under the TPS designation for El Salvador and you live in 1 of the following states/territories:

  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia

U.S. Postal Service (USPS):

USCIS
Attn: TPS El Salvador
P.O. Box 660864
Dallas, TX 75266-0864

FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:

USCIS
Attn: TPS El Salvador (Box 660864)
2501 S. State Highway, 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067-8003

Are a beneficiary under the TPS designation for El Salvador and you live in 1 of the following states/territories:

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • American Samoa
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Guam
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Dakota
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Puerto Rico
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Virgin Islands
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

U.S. Postal Service (USPS):

USCIS
Attn: TPS El Salvador
P.O. Box 8635
Chicago, IL 60680-8635

FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:

USCIS
Attn: TPS El Salvador (Box 8635)
131 S. Dearborn – 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension

EAD Extension

We are automatically extending the validity of EADs with the category codes “A-12” or “C-19” and the following expiration dates shown below that we issued to beneficiaries under the TPS designation of El Salvador, as long as these individuals continue to be eligible for TPS:

EAD Expiration Date Now Valid Until
March 9, 2018 June 30, 2024
Sept. 9, 2019 June 30, 2024
Jan. 2, 2020 June 30, 2024
Jan. 4, 2021 June 30, 2024
Oct. 4, 2021 June 30, 2024
Dec. 31, 2022 June 30, 2024

If you are a TPS El Salvador beneficiary who applied for a new EAD but have not yet received it, you are also covered by this automatic extension as long as the EAD that you have contains 1 of the expiration dates noted in the chart above. You may show your EAD and the Federal Register Notice to employers to demonstrate that we have extended your EAD and employment authorization through June 30, 2024.

Extensions of Other DHS Documentation

Additionally, we are automatically extending the validity periods of the following Forms I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, and Forms I-797, Notice of Action (Approval Notice) under the designation of El Salvador:

Beginning Date of Validity¹ End Date of Validity Now Valid Until
Sept. 10, 2016 March 9, 2018 June 30, 2024
March 10, 2018 Sept. 9, 2019 June 30, 2024
Sept. 10, 2019 Oct. 4, 2021 June 30, 2024
Oct. 5, 2021 Dec. 31, 2022 June 30, 2024

¹ Your Forms I-94 and I-797 may show a different beginning date of validity than those listed here if you were a late initial filer (LIF) at the time because the forms would have the date of approval of your LIF application for TPS. If they bear an end date of validity listed in this chart, then they are automatically extended by this notice.

However, the extension of the validity periods above applies only if you properly filed for TPS re-registration during either the most recent DHS-announced registration period for TPS El Salvador that ran from Jan. 18 through March 19, 2018, or the previous re-registration period from July 8 through Sept. 6, 2016, or have a re-registration application that remains pending. The extension does not apply if we have withdrawn or denied your TPS.

Information for TPS Beneficiaries Regarding Re-registration

Current beneficiaries of TPS El Salvador do not need to pay a fee or file any application, including Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to maintain their TPS benefits through June 30, 2024, if they properly re-registered for TPS during either the most recent DHS-announced registration period or the previous re-registration periods listed above.

If you failed to re-register properly for TPS during either of these re-registration periods, you should file Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and demonstrate “good cause” for failing to re-register on time, as required by law. For more information, see:

  • INA section 244(c)(3)(C) (TPS beneficiary’s failure to register without good cause in form and manner specified by DHS is ground for TPS withdrawal);
  • 8 CFR 244.17(b); and
  • The Form I-821 Instructions (PDF, 324.64 KB).

If you are filing a late re-registration application, please provide a letter explaining all of your reasons for filing outside of the re-registration period. If you filed after the re-registration period because DHS announced the termination of TPS for your country, please explain how that announcement affected you, including how the termination decisions affected your failure to re-register. However, if the announcement of the TPS termination did not cause you to file late, you should not include it as a reason. Please remember to be truthful in explaining your reasons.

If you are a TPS El Salvador beneficiary and your EAD was not automatically extended, or if you wish to apply for a new EAD, you may file Form I–765 with the appropriate fee or a fee waiver request. You may request a fee waiver by completing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver. If approved, we will issue an EAD with a June 30, 2024, expiration date. Similarly, we will issue an EAD with a June 30, 2024, expiration date for those with pending EAD applications that we ultimately approve.

Other Immigration Options

You might be eligible for other immigration options listed on the Explore My Options page.

To apply for a lawful permanent status (Green Card), you must be eligible under one of the categories listed on the Green Card Eligibility Categories page. Once you find the category that may fit your situation, click on the link provided to get information on eligibility requirements, how to apply, and whether your family members can also apply with you.

Note on Seeking Asylum: Being granted and maintaining TPS until a reasonable period before the filing of the asylum application is considered an extraordinary circumstance for the purposes of the one year filing deadline. In other words, having TPS “stops the clock” on the requirement to file for asylum within one year of arriving in the United States, if the one-year clock has not already expired. See 8 CFR 208.4(a)(5)(iv).

Avoid Scams

Please be aware that some unauthorized practitioners may try to take advantage of you by claiming they can file TPS forms. These same individuals may ask that you pay them to file such forms. We want to ensure that all potential TPS applicants know how to obtain legitimate, accurate legal advice and assistance. A list of accredited representatives and free or low-cost legal providers is available on the finding legal advice web page.

We do not want you to become a victim of an immigration scam. If you need legal advice on immigration matters, make sure the person helping you is authorized to give legal advice. Only an attorney or an accredited representative working for a Department of Justice (DOJ) recognized organization can give you legal advice. Visit the Avoid Scams page for information and resources.

Related Links

  • भट्टराइ बिरुद्द नेल्सन मुद्दाबारे पछिल्लो जानकारी (PDF, 1.44 MB)
  • Dènye Nouvèl sou Plent Ramos Kont Nielsen an (PDF, 379.44 KB)
  • تحديث بشأن راموس ضد نيلسين (PDF, 480.83 KB)
  • Peyi ki Kalifye pou Pwogram TPS lan (Zafè Pwoteksyon Pwovizwa): Ayiti
  • La période de réinscription est maintenant ouverte pour les Haïtiens bénéficiant du statut de protection temporaire
  • Peryòd Re-Enskripsyon Louvri Kounye pou Ayisyen ak Estati Pwoteksyon Tanporè

Forms

  • I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
  • I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
  • I-131, Application for Travel Document
  • I-912,Request for Fee Waiver
  • I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility
  • In-Country Refugee/Parole Processing for Central American Minors

Tools

  • My Case Status
  • Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver
  • TPS Avoid Scams Flyer (PDF, 34.69 KB)

Non-USCIS Links

  • Department of Justice, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
Last Reviewed/Updated:
11/14/2022
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