[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19496-19500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07355]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services


Continuation of Employment Authorization and Automatic Extension 
of Existing Employment Authorization Documents for Eligible Liberians 
During the Period of Extended Wind-Down of Deferred Enforced Departure

AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department 
of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On March 30, 2020, President Trump issued a memorandum to the 
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) directing him to 
extend the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) wind-down period for 
eligible Liberians, and to provide for continued work authorization 
through January 10, 2021, after which date the DED wind-down period 
will end. Furthermore, Liberians who apply for adjustment of status 
under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) provision of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 on or before 
December 20, 2020 may immediately apply for

[[Page 19497]]

employment authorization consistent with that provision. During this 
extended DED wind down period and the LRIF application period, 
Liberians covered under DED may remain in the United States. Liberians 
covered under DED who also qualify to apply for permanent resident 
status under LRIF may experience a gap in employment authorization 
after the March 30, 2020 expiration of their current DED-based 
employment authorization documents (EADs). Therefore, the President 
directed that aliens who remain covered under DED be authorized 
employment for the duration of the extended DED wind-down period. This 
notice extends through January 10, 2021 employment authorization for 
Liberians (and persons without nationality who last habitually resided 
in Liberia) covered under DED who would like to apply for an EAD and 
also automatically extends DED-related EADs for those who already have 
an EAD with a printed expiration date of March 30, 2020.

DATES: The DED wind-down period and employment authorization for aliens 
covered under DED for Liberians is extended through January 10, 2021. 
Automatically extended DED-related EADs, as specified in this notice, 
expire after January 10, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
     You may contact Maureen Dunn, Chief, Humanitarian Affairs 
Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, by mail at 20 
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20529-2060.
     For further information on DED, including additional 
information on eligibility, please visit the USCIS DED web page at 
www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/deferred-enforced-departure. You can find specific information about DED for 
Liberians by selecting ``DED Granted Country: Liberia'' from the menu 
on the left of the DED web page. For further information on Liberian 
Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF), including additional information 
on eligibility, please visit the USCIS LRIF web page www.uscis.gov/green-card/other-ways-get-green-card/liberian-refugee-immigration-fairness.
     If you have additional questions about DED or LRIF, please 
visit uscis.gov/tools. Our online virtual assistant, Emma, can answer 
many of your questions and point you to additional information on our 
website. If you are unable to find your answers there, you may also 
call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).
     Applicants seeking information about the status of their 
individual cases may check Case Status Online, available on the USCIS 
website at www.uscis.gov, or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-
5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).
     Further information will also be available at local USCIS 
offices upon publication of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Abbreviations

CFR--Code of Federal Regulations
DED--Deferred Enforced Departure
DHS--U.S. Department of Homeland Security
EAD--Employment Authorization Document
FNC--Final Nonconfirmation
Form I-485--Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust 
Status
Form I-765--Application for Employment Authorization
Form I-797--Notice of Action (Approval Notice)
Form I-9--Employment Eligibility Verification
Form I-912--Request for Fee Waiver
FR--Federal Register
Government--U.S. Government
IER--U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Immigrant and 
Employee Rights Section
LRIF--Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness
SAVE--USCIS Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program
Secretary--Secretary of Homeland Security
TNC--Tentative Nonconfirmation
TPS--Temporary Protected Status
TTY--Text Telephone
USCIS--U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S.C.--United States Code

Purpose of This Action

    Pursuant to the President's constitutional authority to conduct the 
foreign relations of the United States, President Trump has concluded 
that foreign policy considerations warrant a further extension of the 
wind-down period of DED for Liberians through January 10, 2021.\1\ 
Through this notice, as directed by the President, DHS is extending the 
DED wind-down period and employment authorization for covered Liberians 
and automatically extending the validity of current DED-related EADs 
through January 10, 2021. The President authorized the extension of the 
DED wind-down period to allow for continued employment authorization 
for aliens covered under DED. Liberians who apply for adjustment of 
status under the LRIF provision of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2020 on or before December 20, 2020 may immediately 
apply for employment authorization consistent with that provision. See 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Public Law 
116-92 (Dec. 20, 2019), Section 7611, available at www.congress.gov/116/bills/s1790/BILLS-116s1790enr.pdf. But because LRIF did not 
specifically automatically extend existing DED-related employment 
authorization, Liberians covered under DED who apply for permanent 
resident status under LRIF may experience a gap in employment 
authorization upon the March 30, 2020 expiration of their current DED-
based EADs. Therefore, the President directed that aliens who remain 
covered under DED be authorized employment for the duration of the 
current DED wind-down period, through January 10, 2021. See 
Presidential Memorandum on Extending the Wind-Down Period for Deferred 
Enforced Departure for Liberians, March 30, 2020, available at 
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-extending-wind-period-deferred-enforced-departure-liberians/. This notice also 
explains how Liberians covered under DED and their employers may 
determine which EADs are automatically extended and how this impacts 
the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9), E-Verify, and USCIS 
Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program (SAVE) 
processes. Note that DED only applies to aliens who have continuously 
resided in the United States since October 1, 2002, and who held 
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) on September 30, 2007, under the TPS 
designation for Liberia, which terminated on that date. Id.; see also 
71 FR 55000 (Sept. 20, 2006) (termination of TPS Liberia notice).
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    \1\ See Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State and 
the Secretary of Homeland Security on Extending Deferred Enforced 
Departure for Liberians March 30, 2020, available at 
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-extending-wind-period-deferred-enforced-departure-liberians/. Note: Aliens covered 
by the presidential DED memorandum include certain Liberians as well 
as persons without nationality who last habitually resided in 
Liberia who held Temporary Protected Status on September 30, 2007 
and who meet all other criteria in the memorandum for DED. 
Hereinafter, ``DED for Liberians'' also includes such persons 
without nationality.
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Employment Authorization and Eligibility

How will I know if I am eligible for employment authorization under the 
Presidential Memorandum that extended the DED wind-down period for 
eligible Liberians?

    The procedures for employment authorization in this notice apply 
only to aliens who are Liberian nationals (and persons without 
nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia) who:

[[Page 19498]]

     Have continuously resided in the United States since 
October 1, 2002;
     Held TPS on September 30, 2007, the termination date of a 
former TPS designation for Liberia; and
     Currently remain covered under DED for Liberians.
    This DED extension does not include any alien:
     Who would be ineligible for TPS for the reasons set forth 
in section 244(c)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 
U.S.C. 1254a(c)(2)(B);
     Who sought or seek LPR status under the LRIF provision but 
whose applications have been or are denied by the Secretary;
     Whose removal the Secretary determines is in the interest 
of the United States, subject to the LRIF provision and other 
applicable law;
     Whose presence or activities in the United States the 
Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe would have 
potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United 
States;
     Who has voluntarily returned to Liberia or his or her 
country of last habitual residence outside the United States beyond the 
timeframe specified in subsection (c) of the LRIF provision;
     Who was deported, excluded, or removed prior to March 30, 
2020; or
     Who is subject to extradition.

Does this Federal Register notice automatically extend my current EAD 
through January 10, 2021?

    If you are a national of Liberia (or a person having no nationality 
who last habitually resided in Liberia), you are currently covered 
under DED for Liberians, and you are within the class of aliens 
approved for DED by the President, this notice automatically extends 
your DED-based EAD with a marked expiration date of March 30, 2020, 
bearing the notation A-11 on the face of the card under Category, 
though January 10, 2021. This means that your EAD is valid through 
January 10, 2021, even though its marked expiration date has passed.

When hired, what documentation may I show to my employer as evidence of 
identity and employment authorization when completing Form I-9?

    You can find the Lists of Acceptable Documents on the third page of 
Form I-9 as well as the Acceptable Documents web page at www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/acceptable-documents. Employers must complete Form I-9 to 
verify the identity and employment authorization of all new employees. 
Within 3 days of hire, employees must present acceptable documents to 
their employers as evidence of identity and employment authorization to 
satisfy Form I-9 requirements.
    You may present any document from List A (which provides evidence 
of both identity and employment authorization) or one document from 
List B (which provides evidence of your identity) together with one 
document from List C (which provides evidence of employment 
authorization), or you may present an acceptable receipt as described 
in the Form I-9 Instructions. Employers may not reject a document based 
on a future expiration date. You can find additional information about 
Form I-9 on the I-9 Central web page at www.uscis.gov/I-9Central.
    An EAD is an acceptable document under List A. See the section 
``How do my employer and I complete Form I-9 using my automatically 
extended EAD for a new job?'' of this Federal Register notice for 
further information. If your EAD has an expiration date of March 30, 
2020, and states A-11 under Category, it has been extended 
automatically consistent with the President's directive and the 
issuance of this Federal Registernotice, and you may choose to present 
this EAD to your employer as proof of identity and employment 
eligibility for Form I-9 through January 10, 2021. To minimize 
confusion over this extension at the time of hire, you may also show 
your employer a copy of this Federal Register notice confirming the 
extension of your employment authorization through January 10, 2021. 
See the section ``How do my employer and I complete Form I-9 using my 
automatically extended EAD for a new job?'' for further information. As 
an alternative to presenting your automatically extended EAD, you may 
choose to present any other acceptable document from List A, a 
combination of one selection from List B and one selection from List C, 
or an acceptable receipt.

What documentation may I present to my employer for Form I-9 if I am 
already employed but my current DED-related EAD is set to expire?

    Even though your EAD has been automatically extended, your employer 
is required by law to ask you about your continued employment 
authorization, and you will need to present your employer with evidence 
that you are still authorized to work. Once presented, your employer 
should update the EAD expiration date in Section 2 of Form I-9. See the 
section ``What corrections should my current employer make to Form I-9 
if my employment authorization has been automatically extended?'' of 
this Federal Register notice for further information. You may show this 
Federal Register notice to your employer to explain what to do for Form 
I-9 and to show that your EAD has been automatically extended through 
January 10, 2021. Your employer may need to re-inspect your 
automatically extended EAD to check the Card Expires date and Category 
code if your employer did not keep a copy of your EAD when you 
initially presented it.
    The last day of the automatic extension for your EAD is January 10, 
2021. Before you start work on January 11, 2021, your employer is 
required by law to reverify your employment authorization in Section 3 
of Form I-9. At that time, you must present any document from List A or 
any document from List C on Form I-9, Lists of Acceptable Documents, or 
an acceptable List A or List C receipt described in the Form I-9 
Instructions, to reverify your employment authorization.
    If your original Form I-9 was a previous version, your employer 
must complete Section 3 of the current version of Form I-9, and attach 
it to your previously completed Form I-9. Your employer can check the 
I-9 Central web page at www.uscis.gov/I-9Central for the most current 
version of Form I-9.
    Your employer may not specify which List A or List C document you 
must present and cannot reject an acceptable receipt.

Can I obtain a new EAD?

    Yes, if you remain eligible for DED, you can obtain a new EAD; 
however, you do not need to apply for a new EAD to benefit from this 
automatic extension. If you are currently covered under DED and want to 
obtain a new DED-based EAD valid through January 10, 2021, then you 
must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and pay 
the associated fee. If you are currently covered under DED and are 
eligible for permanent resident status under LRIF, you may file Form I-
765 concurrently with or after you file Form I-485, Application to 
Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. You may be eligible for 
a fee waiver, if you meet the eligibility criteria. See Form I-912, 
Request for Fee Waiver.

Can my employer require that I provide any other documentation to prove 
my status, such as proof of my Liberian citizenship?

    No. When completing Form I-9, including reverifying employment 
authorization, employers must accept any documentation that appears on 
the

[[Page 19499]]

Form I-9 Lists of Acceptable Documents that reasonably appears to be 
genuine and that relates to you, or an acceptable List A, List B, or 
List C receipt. Employers do not need to reverify List B identity 
documents. Employers may not request documentation that does not appear 
on the Lists of Acceptable Documents. Therefore, employers may not 
request proof of Liberian citizenship when completing Form I-9 for new 
hires or reverifying the employment authorization of current employees. 
If presented with an EAD that has been automatically extended, 
employers should accept such document as a valid List A document, as 
long as the EAD reasonably appears to be genuine and relates to the 
employee. Refer to the ``Note to Employees'' section of this Federal 
Register notice for important information about your rights if your 
employer rejects lawful documentation, requires additional 
documentation, or otherwise discriminates against you based on your 
citizenship or immigration status, or your national origin.

What happens after January 10, 2021, for purposes of employment 
authorization?

    After January 10, 2021, employers may no longer accept EADs issued 
under the previous DED extension of Liberia that this Federal Register 
notice automatically extended.

What can I do to adjust status based on LRIF and continue working in 
the United States after January 10, 2021?

    Aliens who are eligible for permanent resident status under LRIF 
and who wish to prevent a gap in employment authorization should submit 
their completed Form I-485 and associated Form I-765 as early as 
possible. Liberian nationals applying to adjust status under LRIF must 
properly file Form I-485, and USCIS must receive Form I-485, by 
December 20, 2020.

How do my employer and I complete Form I-9 using an automatically 
extended EAD for a new job?

    When using an automatically extended EAD to complete Form I-9 for a 
new job on or before January 10, 2021, for Section 1, you should:
    a. Check ``An alien authorized to work until'' and enter January 
10, 2021 as the expiration date; and
    b. Enter your USCIS Number or A-Number where indicated (your EAD or 
other document from DHS will have your USCIS number or A-Number printed 
on it; the USCIS Number is the same as your A-Number without the A 
prefix).
    For Section 2, your employer should:
    a. Determine if the EAD is auto-extended by ensuring it is in 
Category A-11 and has a Card Expires date of March 30, 2020;
    b. Write in the document title;
    c. Enter the issuing authority;
    d. Enter either the employee's A-Number or USCIS number from the 
EAD in the Document Number field on Form I-9; and
    e. Write January 10, 2021 as the expiration date.
    Before the start of work on January 11, 2021, employers must 
reverify the employee's employment authorization in Section 3 of Form 
I-9.

What corrections should my current employer make to Form I-9 if my EAD 
has been automatically extended?

    If you presented a DED-related EAD that was valid when you first 
started your job and your EAD has now been automatically extended, your 
employer may need to reinspect your current EAD if your employer does 
not have a copy of the EAD on file. Your employer should determine if 
your EAD is automatically extended by ensuring that it contains 
Category A-11 and has a Card Expires date of March 30, 2020. If your 
employer determines that your EAD has been automatically extended, your 
employer should update Section 2 of your previously completed Form I-9 
as follows:
    a. Write EAD Ext. and January 10, 2021 as the expiration date in 
the Additional Information field; and
    b. Initial and date the correction.

    Note: This is not considered a reverification. Employers do not 
need to complete Section 3 until either this notice's automatic 
extension of EADs has ended or the employee presents a new document 
to show continued employment authorization, whichever is sooner. By 
January 11, 2021, when the employee's automatically extended EAD has 
expired, employers are required by law to reverify the employee's 
employment authorization in Section 3. If your original Form I-9 was 
a previous version, your employer must complete Section 3 of the 
current version of Form I-9 and attach it to your previously 
completed Form I-9. Your employer can check the I-9 Central web page 
at www.uscis.gov/I-9Central for the most current version of Form I-
9.

If I am an employer enrolled in E-Verify, how do I verify a new 
employee whose EAD has been automatically extended?

    Employers may create a case in E-Verify for a new employee by 
providing the employee's A-Number or USCIS number from Form I-9 in the 
Document Number field in E-Verify.

If I am an employer enrolled in E-Verify, what do I do when I receive a 
``Work Authorization Documents Expiration'' alert for an automatically 
extended EAD?

    E-Verify has automated the verification process for DED-related 
EADs that are automatically extended. If you have employees who 
provided a DED-related EAD when they first started working for you, you 
will receive a ``Work Authorization Documents Expiring'' case alert 
when the auto-extension period for this EAD is about the expire. Before 
this employee starts work on January 11, 2021, you must reverify his or 
her employment authorization in Section 3 of Form I-9. Employers should 
not use E-Verify for reverification.

Note to All Employers

    Employers are reminded that the laws requiring proper employment 
eligibility verification and prohibiting unfair immigration-related 
employment practices remain in full force. This Federal Register notice 
does not supersede or in any way limit applicable employment 
verification rules and policy guidance, including those rules setting 
forth reverification requirements. For general questions about the 
employment eligibility verification process, employers may call USCIS 
at 888-464-4218 (TTY 877-875-6028) or email USCIS at [email protected]. USCIS accepts calls and emails in English and many 
other languages. For questions about avoiding discrimination during the 
employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify), 
employers may call the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights 
Division, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) Employer Hotline 
at 800-255-8155 (TTY 800-237-2515). IER offers language interpretation 
in numerous languages. Employers may also email IER at [email protected].

Note to Employees

    For general questions about the employment eligibility verification 
process, employees may call USCIS at 888-897-7781 (TTY 877-875-6028) or 
email USCIS at [email protected]. USCIS accepts calls in English, 
Spanish and many other languages. Employees or applicants may also call 
the IER Worker Hotline at 800-255-7688 (TTY 800-237-2515) for 
information regarding employment discrimination based upon citizenship, 
immigration status, or national origin, including discrimination 
related to Form I-9 and E-Verify. The IER Worker Hotline

[[Page 19500]]

provides language interpretation in numerous languages.
    To comply with the law, employers must accept any document or 
combination of documents from the Lists of Acceptable Documents if the 
documentation reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to the 
employee, or an acceptable List A, List B, or List C receipt as 
described in the Form I-9 Instructions. Employers may not require extra 
or additional documentation beyond what is required for Form I-9 
completion. Further, employers participating in E-Verify who receive an 
E-Verify case result of ``Tentative Nonconfirmation'' (TNC) must 
promptly inform employees of the TNC and give such employees an 
opportunity to contest the TNC. A TNC case result means that the 
information entered into E-Verify from Form I-9 differs from records 
available to DHS.
    Employers may not terminate, suspend, delay training, withhold pay, 
lower pay, or take any adverse action against an employee because of 
the TNC while the case is still pending with E-Verify. A ``Final 
Nonconfirmation'' (FNC) case result is received when E-Verify cannot 
confirm an employee's employment eligibility. An employer may terminate 
employment based on a case result of FNC. Work-authorized employees who 
receive an FNC may call USCIS for assistance at 888-897-7781 (TTY 877-
875-6028). For more information about E-Verify-related discrimination 
or to report an employer for discrimination in the E-Verify process 
based on citizenship, immigration status, or national origin, contact 
IER's Worker Hotline at 800-255-7688 (TTY 800-237-2515). Additional 
information about proper nondiscriminatory Form I-9 and E-Verify 
procedures is available on the IER website at www.justice.gov/ier and 
the USCIS and E-verify websites at www.uscis.gov/i-9-central and www.e-verify.gov.

Note Regarding Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies (Such as 
Departments of Motor Vehicles)

    For Federal purposes, individuals covered under DED for Liberians 
presenting an EAD referenced in this Federal Register notice do not 
need to show any other document, such as an I-797, Notice of Action, to 
prove that they qualify for this extension. However, while Federal 
Government agencies must follow the guidelines laid out by the Federal 
Government, state and local government agencies establish their own 
rules and guidelines when granting certain benefits. Each state may 
have different laws, requirements, and determinations about what 
documents you need to provide to prove eligibility for certain 
benefits. Whether you are applying for a Federal, state, or local 
government benefit, you may need to provide the government agency with 
documents that show you are covered under DED and/or show you are 
authorized to work based on DED. Examples of such documents are:
     Your current EAD;
     Your automatically extended EAD with a copy of this 
Federal Register notice, providing an automatic extension of your EAD;
     A copy of the notice of approval of your past Application 
for Temporary Protected Status Form I-797, Notice of Action, if you 
received one from USCIS, coupled with a copy of the March 30, 2020, 
Presidential Memorandum extending DED for Liberians; and/or
     A print-out from the USCIS DED website that provides 
information on the automatic extension. Such a print-out could be 
coupled with your EAD or with the Presidential Memorandum and your 
USCIS notice of approval showing that you had TPS as of September 30, 
2007.
    Check with the government agency regarding which document(s) the 
agency will accept. Some benefit-granting agencies use the SAVE program 
to confirm the current immigration status of applicants for public 
benefits. While SAVE can verify when an individual has DED, each 
agency's procedures govern whether they will accept an automatically 
extended DED-related EAD. You should:
    a. Present the agency with a copy of this Federal Register notice 
showing the extension of DED and of your DED-related EAD with your 
alien number;
    b. Explain that SAVE will be able to verify the continuation of 
your DED using this information; and
    c. Ask the agency to initiate a SAVE query with your information 
and follow through with additional verification steps, if necessary, to 
get a final SAVE response confirming your DED.
    You can also ask the agency to look for SAVE notices or contact 
SAVE if they have any questions about your immigration status or 
automatic extension of your DED-related EAD. In most cases, SAVE 
provides an automated electronic response to benefit-granting agencies 
within seconds, but, occasionally, verification can be delayed. You can 
check the status of your SAVE verification by using CaseCheck at 
save.uscis.gov/casecheck/, then by clicking the ``Check Your Case'' 
button. CaseCheck is a free service that lets you follow the progress 
of your SAVE verification using your date of birth and one immigration 
identifier number. If an agency has denied your application based 
solely or in part on a SAVE response, the agency must offer you the 
opportunity to appeal the decision in accordance with the agency's 
procedures. If the agency has received and acted upon or will act upon 
a SAVE verification and you do not believe the response is correct, you 
may make an appointment for an in-person interview at a local USCIS 
office. Detailed information on how to make corrections or update your 
immigration record, make an appointment, or submit a written request to 
correct records under the Freedom of Information Act can be found on 
the SAVE website at www.uscis.gov/save.

Joseph Edlow,
Deputy Director for Policy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
[FR Doc. 2020-07355 Filed 4-3-20; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 9111-97-P