Temporary Protected Status Extended For El Salvadorans

USCIS announced that the temporary protected status extended to certain aliens from El Salvador who are residing in the United States has been extended for an additional 18-month period. TPS has been available to certain Salvardorans residing in the U.S. since a series of earthquakes hit the country more than 10 years ago. The 60-day registration period for the TPS benefit is open from January 9, 2012 to March 9, 2012. Persons eligible for TPS designation who would otherwise be deemed unlawfully present are allowed to remain in the U.S. and obtain temporary work authorization through September 9, 2013. TPS is not a substitute for permanent resident status in the United States.

Persons who are already registered are permitted to re-register and extend their employment authorization. If you are an El Salvador national who has never registered for the TPS benefit, you should inquire with an attorney to determine if you may be eligible to enroll for the benefit as a late registrant. Persons eligible for late registration include the following persons who would have been eligible originally, including:

• Nonimmigrants or persons who have been granted voluntary departure status or any relief from removal;
• A person who has an application for change of status, adjustment of status, asylum, voluntary departure, or any relief from removal which is pending or subject to further review or appeal;
• The Applicant is a parolee or has a pending request for reparole; or
• The applicant is a spouse or child of an alien currently eligible to be a TPS registrant.