[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34706-34713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12229]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

[CIS No. 2707-21; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2022-0005]
RIN 1615-ZB95


Designation of Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status

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

ACTION: Notice of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation.

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SUMMARY: Through this notice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) is 
designating Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 
months, effective June 7, 2022, through December 7, 2023. This 
designation allows Cameroonian nationals (and individuals having no 
nationality who last habitually resided in Cameroon) who have 
continuously resided in the United States since April 14, 2022, and who 
have been continuously physically

[[Page 34707]]

present in the United States since June 7, 2022, to apply for TPS.

DATES: 
    Designation of Cameroon for TPS: The 18-month designation of 
Cameroon for TPS is effective on June 7, 2022, and will remain in 
effect for 18 months, through December 7, 2023.
    Registration: The registration period for individuals to submit TPS 
applications begins June 7, 2022, and will remain in effect through 
December 7, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ren[aacute] Cutlip-Mason, Chief, 
Humanitarian Affairs Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 
by mail at 5900 Capital Gateway Drive, Camp Springs, MD 20746, or by 
phone at 800-375-5283.
    For further information on TPS, including guidance on the 
registration process and additional information on eligibility, please 
visit the USCIS TPS web page at uscis.gov/tps. You can find specific 
information about Cameroon's TPS designation by selecting ``Cameroon'' 
from the menu on the left side of the TPS web page.
    If you have additional questions about TPS, 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 our 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 
uscis.gov, or visit the USCIS Contact Center at uscis.gov/contactcenter.
    Further information will also be available at local USCIS offices 
upon publication of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Abbreviations

BIA--Board of Immigration Appeals
CFR--Code of Federal Regulations
DHS--U.S. Department of Homeland Security
DOS--U.S. Department of State
EAD--Employment Authorization Document
FNC--Final Nonconfirmation
Form I-765--Application for Employment Authorization
Form I-797--Notice of Action (Approval Notice)
Form I-821--Application for Temporary Protected Status
Form I-9--Employment Eligibility Verification
Form I-912--Request for Fee Waiver
Form I-94--Arrival/Departure Record
FR--Federal Register
Government--U.S. Government
IER--U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Immigrant 
and Employee Rights Section
IJ--Immigration Judge
INA--Immigration and Nationality Act
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 (TPS)

    Through this notice, DHS sets forth procedures necessary for 
nationals of Cameroon (or individuals having no nationality who last 
habitually resided in Cameroon) to submit an initial registration 
application under the designation of Cameroon for TPS and apply for an 
Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Under the designation, 
individuals must submit an initial Cameroon TPS application (Form I-
821) and they may also submit an Application for Employment 
Authorization (Form I-765), during the 18-month initial registration 
period that runs from June 7, 2022, through December 7, 2023.\1\ In 
addition to demonstrating continuous residence in the United States 
since April 14, 2022,\2\ and meeting other eligibility criteria, 
initial applicants for TPS under this designation must demonstrate that 
they have been continuously physically present in the United States 
since June 7, 2022, the effective date of this designation of Cameroon, 
before USCIS may grant them TPS. DHS estimates that approximately 
11,700 individuals are eligible to file applications for TPS under the 
designation of Cameroon.
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    \1\ In general, individuals must be given an initial 
registration period of no less than 180 days to register for TPS, 
but the Secretary has discretion to provide for a longer 
registration period. See 8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)(1)(A)(iv). In keeping 
with the humanitarian purpose of TPS and advancing the goal of 
ensuring ``the Federal Government eliminates . . . barriers that 
prevent immigrants from accessing government services available to 
them'' under Executive Order 14012, Restoring Faith in Our Legal 
Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion 
Efforts for New Americans, 86 FR 8277 (Feb. 5, 2021), the Secretary 
has recently exercised his discretion to provide for TPS initial 
registration periods that coincide with the full period of a TPS 
country's initial designation or redesignation. See, e.g., 86 FR 
41863 (Aug. 3, 2021) (providing 18-mos. registration period under 
new TPS designation of Haiti); 86 FR 41986 (Aug. 4, 2021) 
(``Extension of Initial Registration Periods for New Temporary 
Protected Status Applicants Under the Designations for Venezuela, 
Syria and Burma). For the same reasons, the Secretary is similarly 
exercising his discretion to provide applicants under this TPS 
designation of Cameroon with an 18-month initial registration 
period.
    \2\ The ``continuous physical presence date'' (CPP) is the 
effective date of the most recent TPS designation of the country, 
which is either the publication date of the designation announcement 
in the Federal Register or such later date as the Secretary may 
establish. The ``continuous residence date'' (CR) is any date 
established by the Secretary when a country is designated (or 
sometimes redesignated) for TPS. See INA section 244(b)(2)(A) 
(effective date of designation); 244(c)(1)(A)(i)-(ii) (discussing CR 
and CPP date requirements).
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What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?

     TPS is a temporary immigration status granted to eligible 
nationals of a foreign state designated for TPS under the INA, or to 
eligible individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in 
the designated foreign state, regardless of their country of birth.
     During the TPS designation period, TPS beneficiaries are 
eligible to remain in the United States, may not be removed, and are 
authorized to obtain EADs so long as they continue to meet the 
requirements of TPS.
     TPS beneficiaries may also apply for and be granted travel 
authorization as a matter of discretion.
     To qualify for TPS, beneficiaries must meet the 
eligibility standards at INA section 244(c)(1)-(2), 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(c)(1)-(2).
     When the Secretary terminates a foreign state's TPS 
designation, beneficiaries return to one of the following:
    [cir] The same immigration status or category that they maintained 
before TPS, if any (unless that status or category has since expired or 
terminated); or
    [cir] Any other lawfully obtained immigration status or category 
they received while registered for TPS, as long as it is still valid 
beyond the date TPS terminates.

Why was Cameroon designated for TPS?

    Based on DHS's review of country conditions in Cameroon, and in 
consultation with the Department of State (DOS), the Secretary has 
determined that an 18-month TPS designation is warranted because of 
ongoing armed conflict and the extraordinary and temporary conditions 
described below.

Overview

    The extreme violence between government forces and armed 
separatists in the English-speaking regions (Northwest and Southwest) 
of Cameroon, as well as deadly attacks by the terrorist organization 
Boko Haram (including its breakaway faction, ISIS-West Africa (ISWAP) 
and vigilante self-defense groups in the Far North Region) continue to 
negatively impact the

[[Page 34708]]

populations in the affected regions and beyond.\3\ Thousands of people 
have been killed in the English-speaking regions, and hundreds of 
thousands more remain in internally displaced person camps, while tens 
of thousands have sought refuge in the neighboring country of Nigeria. 
Moreover, the government has increased restrictions on political 
opposition groups and civil society and there are reports that the 
government of Cameroon has committed human rights violations and 
abuses. As detailed below, the crisis in the English-speaking regions, 
instability in the Far North Region, and restrictions on political 
space and reports of human rights violations and abuses have led to 
various challenges, including violence against civilians, a 
humanitarian crisis, and economic decline.\4\
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    \3\ CAMEROON 2021, Amnesty International, 2022, available at: 
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/west-and-central-africa/cameroon/report-cameroon/ (last visited May 13, 2022); Cameroon: 
Boko Haram Attacks Escalate in Far North, Human Rights Watch, Apr. 
5, 2021, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/05/cameroon-boko-haram-attacks-escalate-far-north (last visited May 13, 2022; 
Human Rights in Africa: Review of 2019--Cameroon [AFR 01/1352/2020], 
Amnesty International, 2020, Apr. 8, 2020, available at: https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/2028266.html (last visited May 13, 2022).
    \4\ See generally CAMEROON 2021, Amnesty International, 2022, 
available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/west-and-central-africa/cameroon/report-cameroon/ (last visited May 13, 
2022); Cameroon: Boko Haram Attacks Escalate in Far North, Human 
Rights Watch, Apr. 5, 2021, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/05/cameroon-boko-haram-attacks-escalate-far-north (last 
visited May 13, 2022; Human Rights in Africa: Review of 2019--
Cameroon [AFR 01/1352/2020], Amnesty International, 2020, Apr. 8, 
2020, available at: https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/2028266.html 
(last visited May 13, 2022).
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Security Situation

i. The Crisis in the English-Speaking Regions
    The English-speaking regions--the Southwest and Northwest--make up 
approximately 20% of the country's population.\5\ The two regions 
continue to suffer from extreme violence, a crisis more severe than any 
other in contemporary Cameroon.\6\ In 2016, the peaceful protests 
calling for federalism led to fighting and to a demand for full 
independence after the government clamped down on protest leaders.\7\ 
On October 1, 2017, separatist groups unilaterally declared an 
independent state called the Republic of Ambazonia.\8\ The declaration 
escalated confrontation and paved the way for more human rights abuses 
in the two English-speaking regions.
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    \5\ Cameroon: Witness testimony and satellite images reveal the 
scale of devastation in Anglophone regions, Amnesty International, 
Jul. 28, 2021, available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/07/cameroon-satellite-images-reveal-devastation-in-anglophone-regions/ (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \6\ Cameroon's Anglophone Crisis at the Crossroads, 
International Crisis Group, Aug. 2, 2017, available at: https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/250-cameroons-anglophone-crisis-crossroads/ (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \7\ ``These Killings Can Be Stopped'', Human Rights Watch, Jul. 
19, 2018, available at: https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/07/19/these-killings-can-be-stopped/abuses-government-and-separatist-groups-cameroons (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \8\ Ambazonia Defense Forces, Stanford University Center for 
International Security and Cooperation, May 2019, available at: 
https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/ambazonia-defense-forces (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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    Since 2017, confrontation between government forces and separatists 
has ``killed more than 3,000 people, forced over 900,000 people from 
their homes, and kept around 800,000 children out of school.'' \9\ In 
2020, the United Kingdom Home Office report assessed, ``[o]ne in 3 
people in the Anglophone regions are in need of humanitarian aid, 
including assistance with education, food, healthcare, shelter, water 
and sanitation. Many of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain 
in the English-speaking regions, hiding in remote bush areas. Sexual 
assault, exploitation and rape are frequently reported by female IDPs, 
and humanitarian assistance is hampered by the volatile security 
situation, especially in remote areas.'' \10\ According to Amnesty 
International, both the Cameroonian armed forces and the various 
separatist groups involved in the fighting in Cameroon's English-
speaking regions have engaged in human rights abuses, and civilians are 
caught in the middle.\11\
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    \9\ Ahead of peace talks, a who's who of Cameroon's separatist 
movements, The Humanitarian, Jul. 8, 2020, available at: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2020/07/08/Cameroon-Ambazonia-conflict-peace-whos-who (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \10\ Country Policy and Information Note: Cameroon: North-West/
South-West crisis, UK Home Office, Dec. 2020, available at: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1345186/download (last visited Apr. 
14, 2022).
    \11\ Cameroon: Witness testimony and satellite images reveal the 
scale of devastation in Anglophone regions, Amnesty International, 
Jul. 28, 2021, available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2021/07/cameroon-satellite-images-reveal-devastation-in-anglophone-regions/ (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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    Separatist groups kill security forces and commit serious abuses 
against civilians, including unlawful killings, often involving 
mutilations.\12\ They have targeted civil servants, relatives of 
members of defense and security forces, and ordinary people who fail to 
adhere to lockdowns (referred to as ``ghost towns'') and instructions 
to close schools.\13\ Ghost town operations require businesses to close 
and residents to largely stay home, limiting much economic activity. As 
of September 2021, ``deadly attacks by various separatist groups on 
military posts and vehicles of the Cameroonian army continue to be a 
daily occurrence.'' \14\
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    \12\ Human Rights in Africa: Review of 2019--Cameroon [AFR 01/
1352/2020], Amnesty International, 2020, Apr. 8, 2020, available at: 
https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/2028266.html (last visited May 13, 
2022).
    \13\ Cameroon 2019, Amnesty International, 2020, available at: 
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr01/1352/2020/en/ (last 
visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \14\ Separatism in Cameroon: 5 years of violent civil war, 
Deutsche Welle (DW), Oct. 1, 2021, available at: https://www.dw.com/en/separatism-in-cameroon-5-years-of-violent-civil-war/a-59369417 
(last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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    Regarding abuses by the Cameroonian government, its security forces 
have targeted civilians, leading analysts to note that ``killing 
civilians and looting their homes in the name of security are serious 
human rights crimes that fuel the escalating cycles of violence and 
abuse in Cameroon's Anglophone regions.'' \15\
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    \15\ Cameroon: Nine Killed in Army Attack, Human Rights Watch, 
Feb. 4, 2021, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/02/04/cameroon-nine-killed-army-attack (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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    In September 2019, amid increasing violence and following sustained 
international pressure, President Biya called for a national dialogue, 
a series of nationwide discussions aimed at addressing the crisis.\16\ 
The dialogue took place between September 30 and October 4, 2019, and 
resulted in a series of recommendations, including changing the 
country's name back to the ``United Republic of Cameroon'' and the 
adoption of a Special Status for the two English-speaking regions.\17\ 
However, separatist groups rejected the recommendations as 
illegitimate.\18\
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    \16\ Cameroon: Events of 2019, Human Rights Watch, 2020, 
available at: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/cameroon (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \17\ Country Policy and Information Note: Cameroon: North-West/
South-West crisis, UK Home Office, Dec. 2020, available at: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1345186/download (last visited Apr. 
14, 2022).
    \18\ Cameroon grants `special status' to its restive regions. 
They don't feel special, African Arguments, Jan. 2020, available at: 
https://africanarguments.org/2020/01/cameroon-grants-special-status-anglophone-conflict/ (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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    The English-speaking regions remain unsafe and marred by widespread 
human rights abuses. In 2020, Amnesty International reported that 
``fighting between various armed groups and the Cameroonian armed 
forces has continued unabated for the past three years, with civilians 
bearing the brunt of unlawful killings, kidnappings, and

[[Page 34709]]

widespread destruction of houses and villages.'' \19\
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    \19\ Cameroon: Witness testimony and satellite images reveal the 
scale of devastation in Anglophone regions, Amnesty International, 
Jul. 28, 2021, available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2021/07/cameroon-satellite-images-reveal-devastation-in-anglophone-regions/ (last visited Apr. 14, 2022); Separatist 
Fighting Continues in Cameroon a Year After Major National Dialogue, 
Voice of America, Oct. 4, 2020, available at: https://www.voanews.com/africa/separatist-fighting-continues-cameroon-year-after-major-national-dialogue (last visited Apr. 14, 2022); see also 
Ahead of peace talks, a who's who of Cameroon's separatist 
movements, The New Humanitarian, Jul. 8, 2020, available at: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2020/07/08/Cameroon-Ambazonia-conflict-peace-whos-who (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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ii. Attacks by Boko Haram in the Far North Region
    Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, ISWAP,\20\ continue to engage 
in violence in the Far North region.\21\ In that region, the ongoing 
armed conflict between government forces and Boko Haram has killed over 
3,000 Cameroonians, displaced about 250,000 and triggered the rise of 
vigilante self-defense groups.\22\
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    \20\ Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, 
Congressional Research Services, Feb. 24, 2022, available at: 
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/IF10173.pdf (last visited May 13, 2022).
    \21\ Cameroon 2019, Amnesty International, 2020, available at: 
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/west-and-central-africa/cameroon/report-cameroon/ (last visited Apr. 14, 2022); see also 
Country Report on Terrorism 2018--Chapter 1--Cameroon, U.S. 
Department of State, 2018, available at: https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/2019254.html (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \22\ Cameroon, International Crisis Group, available at: https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon (last visited 
Apr. 14, 2022); see also Cameroon: Events of 2019, Human Rights 
Watch, 2020, available at: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/cameroon (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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    In November 2020, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies described 
the situation in the Far North Region as follows: ``Northern Cameroon 
has experienced the sharpest spike of Boko Haram violence in the Lake 
Chad Basin over the past 12 months, namely in the form of attacks on 
civilians . . . The number of violent incidents linked to militant 
Islamist groups in Cameroon's Far North Region jumped 90 percent, to 
roughly 400 events, over the past 12 months . . . Most of the violence 
reported in Cameroon has been in the form of attacks against civilians 
(over 59 percent). The number of attacks against civilians in Cameroon 
over the last 12 months (234) is higher than in Nigeria (100), Niger 
(92), and Chad (12) combined. These attacks consist of Boko Haram 
raids, kidnapping for recruitment and ransom, and looting of villages 
and displaced persons camps.'' \23\ According to a Human Rights Watch 
report, Boko Haram has stepped up attacks on civilians in towns and 
villages in the Far North region since December 2020, killing at least 
80 civilians, and looting hundreds of homes in the region.\24\
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    \23\ Boko Haram Violence against Civilians Spiking in Northern 
Cameroon, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Nov. 13, 2020, 
available at: https://africacenter.org/spotlight/boko-haram-violence-against-civilians-spiking-in-northern-cameroon/ (last 
visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \24\ Cameroon: Boko Haram Attacks Escalate in Far North, Human 
Rights Watch, Apr. 15, 2021, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/05/cameroon-boko-haram-attacks-escalate-far-north (last 
visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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Humanitarian Crisis

    As of February 2022, the extreme violence in Cameroon had triggered 
a large and growing humanitarian crisis, creating 936,767 IDPs within 
Cameroon.\25\ Additionally, Cameroon hosts 478,066 refugees, 8,368 
asylum seekers, and 518,853 returnees (former IDPs).\26\ While people 
have been displaced in the English-speaking regions due to 
confrontation between government forces and separatist armed groups, 
IDPs in Cameroon's Far North Region were displaced by escalating Boko 
Haram attacks.\27\ With respect to refugees, UNHCR has reported that 
tens of thousands of Cameroonians have sought refuge in neighboring 
Nigeria, and many others have fled to nearby forests.\28\
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    \25\ POCs February 2022, UNHCR data portal, Feb. 2022, available 
at: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/91170 (last 
visited April 14, 2022); UNHCR Cameroon MCO Factsheet--January 2022, 
Mar. 9, 2022, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/cameroon/unhcr-cameroon-mco-factsheet-january-2022 (last visited Apr. 15, 
2022).
    \26\ UNHCR, Operational Date Portal, Refugee Situations 
Cameroon, available at: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/country/cmr (last 
visited May 13, 2022).
    \27\ Food Insecurity Crisis Mounting in Africa, Africa Center 
for Strategic Studies, Feb.16, 2021, available at: https://africacenter.org/spotlight/food-insecurity-crisis-mounting-africa/ 
(last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \28\ Thousands of Cameroonians seek refuge in Nigeria, UNHCR, 
Oct. 13, 2017, available at: https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/briefing/2017/10/59f83dfe4/thousands-cameroonians-seek-refuge-nigeria.html (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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    In addition, Cameroon is experiencing economic deterioration linked 
to the aforementioned violence, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 
oil prices.\29\ In the English-speaking regions, the crisis has 
``devastated the local economy and contributed to food insecurity in an 
already poor and remote region.'' \30\ The violence has significantly 
impacted the economy. In hard-to-reach areas where non-state armed 
groups have increased their presence, ``[t]he weekly `ghost town' [or 
lockdown] days, set up by nonstate armed groups, particularly affect 
displaced persons and host communities, limiting their movements and, 
therefore, their economic and agricultural activities.'' \31\
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    \29\ Cameroon Economic Outlook, African Development Bank (ADB), 
available at: https://www.afdb.org/en/countries/central-africa/cameroon (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \30\ Cameroon in Focus, Congressional Research Service, Mar. 12, 
2019, available at: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10279 (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \31\ Country Policy and Information Note: Cameroon: North-West/
South-West crisis, UK Home Office, Dec. 2020, available at: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1345186/download (last visited Apr. 
14, 2022); see also Easing Cameroon's Ethno-political Tensions, On 
and Offline, International Crisis Group, Dec. 3, 2020, available at: 
https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/295-easing-cameroons-ethno-political-tensions-and-offline (last visited 
Apr. 14, 2022).
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    According to the World Bank, the extreme violence in the English-
speaking regions has resulted in the significant destruction of 
critical assets; schools, health facilities, and infrastructure have 
been deliberately targeted and destroyed. Moreover, the arrival of IDPs 
in the West and Littoral regions has overstrained a health sector that 
was already lacking in adequate workforce, supplies, and services in 
those regions.\32\
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    \32\ The Socio-Political Crisis in the Northwest and Southwest 
Regions of Cameroon: Assessing the Economic and Social Impacts, 
World Bank Group, Jan. 2021, available at: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/795921624338364910/pdf/The-Socio-Political-Crisis-in-the-Northwest-and-Southwest-Regions-of-Cameroon-Assessing-the-Economic-and-Social-Impacts.pdf (last visited 
Apr. 14, 2022).
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    Food insecurity in Cameroon is a serious concern. According to the 
World Bank, the food situation in the Northwest and Southwest regions 
is alarming and continues to worsen.\33\ Additionally, ``[a]griculture 
has been greatly disrupted in Cameroon's Far North region, where the 
army is fighting against a Boko Haram insurgency, and the West, where 
English speaking separatist [sic] are trying to create a breakaway 
state.'' \34\ According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 4.9

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million Cameroonians faced acute food insecurity.\35\
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    \33\ The Socio-Political Crisis in the Northwest and Southwest 
Regions of Cameroon: Assessing the Economic and Social Impacts, 
World Bank Group, Jan. 2021, available at: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/795921624338364910/pdf/The-Socio-Political-Crisis-in-the-Northwest-and-Southwest-Regions-of-Cameroon-Assessing-the-Economic-and-Social-Impacts.pdf (last visited 
Apr. 14, 2022).
    \34\ Conflicts in Cameroon exacerbate existing food insecurity, 
Deutsche Welle, May 28, 2021, available at: https://www.dw.com/en/conflicts-in-cameroon-exacerbate-existing-food-insecurity/av-57709937 (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \35\ Food Insecurity Crisis Mounting in Africa, Africa Center 
for Strategic Studies, Feb. 16, 2021, available at: https://africacenter.org/spotlight/food-insecurity-crisis-mounting-africa/ 
(last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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Government Restrictions on Political Space and Human Rights Violations 
and Abuses

    In its 2021 annual report, DOS indicated that human rights 
violations and abuses in Cameroon include reports of ``unlawful or 
arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings by the government 
and nonstate armed groups; forced disappearances by the government; 
torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or 
punishment by the government and nonstate armed groups; . . . serious 
abuses in a conflict, including abductions and unlawful recruitment and 
use of child soldiers by nonstate armed groups; serious restrictions on 
freedom of expression and media, including violence, threats of 
violence, or unjustified arrests or prosecutions against journalists, 
censorship, and criminal libel laws; substantial interference with the 
right of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, including overly 
restrictive laws on the organization, funding, or operation of 
nongovernmental organizations and civil society organizations; . . .'' 
\36\
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    \36\ 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Cameroon, 
U.S. Department of State, 2021, available at: https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/cameroon/ 
(last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
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    Observers assert that the government has increased restrictions on 
political opposition groups and civil society since President Biya won 
a seventh term in 2018.\37\ Politically, the situation has remained 
tense, due in part to disputes over the 2018 presidential 
elections.\38\ Before that election, ``Cameroonian authorities cracked 
down on the political opposition, violently broke up peaceful protests, 
and arrested hundreds of opposition party leaders, members, and 
supporters.'' \39\ Additionally, political tensions continue between 
the government and the main opposition--Cameroon Renaissance Movement--
led by Maurice Kamto.\40\
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    \37\ Cameroon: Key Issues and U.S. Policy, Congressional 
Research Service, Sept. 22, 2021, available at: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46919/2 (last visited: Apr. 
14, 2022).
    \38\ Cameroon: Opposition Leaders Arrested, Human Rights Watch, 
Feb. 1, 2019, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/01/30/cameroon-opposition-leaders-arrested (last visited Apr. 14, 2022).
    \39\ HRW World Report for Events of 2019, Human Rights Watch, 
2020, available at: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/cameroon; the main opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, who 
declared himself the winner of the 2018 presidential election, was 
arrested in February 2019 but released in October 2019. Kamto's 
political party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (Le Mouvement 
pour la Renaissance du Cameroun-MRC), boycotted the February 2020 
municipal and parliamentary elections, arguing that electoral laws 
must be reviewed before any polls. The boycott paved the way for the 
ruling party to secure an overwhelming majority in parliament.
    \40\ Easing Cameroon's Ethno-political Tensions, On and Offline, 
International Crisis Group, Dec. 3, 2020, available at: https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/295-easing-cameroons-ethno-political-tensions-and-offline (last visited Apr. 
14, 2022).
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    The ongoing violence in Cameroon has had significant civilian 
costs.\41\ The two most disruptive crises are those between government 
forces and armed separatists in the English-speaking Northwest and 
Southwest regions of Cameroon and attacks by armed groups, such as Boko 
Haram jihadists, ISWAP combatants, and vigilante self-defense groups, 
in the Far North Region.\42\ These two crises continue to have severe 
consequences for the population throughout the country and more 
specifically in the affected regions.\43\ Thousands of people have been 
killed in the English-speaking regions, while hundreds of thousands 
more remain in IDP camps and tens of thousands have sought refuge in 
the neighboring country of Nigeria. Deadly attacks in the Far North 
region by Boko Haram and ISWAP continue unabated. Additionally, reports 
of human rights violations and abuses may create a precarious situation 
for some civilians. These three issues--crisis in the English-speaking 
regions, instability in the Far North region, and reports of human 
rights violations and abuses--have been creating various insurmountable 
challenges for people across Cameroon, including violence against 
civilians, economic decline and resulting humanitarian crises.
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    \41\ Cameroon: Boko Haram Attacks Escalate in Far North, Human 
Rights Watch, Apr. 5, 2021, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/05/cameroon-boko-haram-attacks-escalate-far-north (last 
visited May 13, 2022).
    \42\ Cameroon: Boko Haram Attacks Escalate in Far North, Human 
Rights Watch, Apr. 5, 2021, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/05/cameroon-boko-haram-attacks-escalate-far-north (last 
visited May 13, 2022).
    \43\ Cameroon--Global Humanitarian Overview 2022, United 
Nations, 2022, available at: https://gho.unocha.org/cameroon (last 
visited May 13, 2022).
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What authority does the Secretary have to designate Cameroon for TPS?

    Section 244(b)(1) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1), authorizes the 
Secretary,\44\ after consultation with appropriate agencies of the U.S. 
Government, to designate a foreign state (or part thereof) for TPS if 
the Secretary determines that certain country conditions exist.\45\ The 
decision to designate any foreign state (or part thereof) is a 
discretionary decision, and there is no judicial review of any 
determination with respect to the designation, or termination of or 
extension of a designation. See INA section 244(b)(5)(A); 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(b)(5)(A).\46\ The Secretary, in his or her discretion, may then 
grant TPS to eligible nationals of that foreign state (or individuals 
having no nationality who last habitually resided in the designated 
foreign state). See INA section 244(a)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(a)(1)(A).
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    \44\ INA Sec.  244(b)(1) prescribes this power to the Attorney 
General. Congress transferred this authority from the Attorney 
General to the Secretary of Homeland Security. See Homeland Security 
Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135.
    \45\ INA Sec.  244(b)(1) ascribes this power to the Attorney 
General. Congress transferred this authority from the Attorney 
General to the Secretary of Homeland Security. See Homeland Security 
Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135. The Secretary may 
designate a country (or part of a country) for TPS on the basis of 
ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster (including an 
epidemic), or extraordinary and temporary conditions in the country 
that prevent the safe return of the country's nationals. For 
environmental disaster-based designations, certain other statutory 
requirements must be met, including that the foreign government must 
request TPS. A designation based on extraordinary and temporary 
conditions cannot be made if the Secretary finds that allowing the 
country's nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is 
contrary to the U.S. national interest. Id., at Sec.  244(b)(1).
    \46\ This issue of judicial review is the subject of litigation. 
See, e.g., Ramos v. Wolf, 975 F.3d 872 (9th Cir. 2020), petition for 
en banc rehearing filed Nov. 30, 2020 (No. 18-16981); Saget v. 
Trump, 375 F. Supp. 3d 280 (E.D.N.Y. 2019).
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    At least 60 days before the expiration of a foreign state's TPS 
designation or extension, the Secretary, after consultation with 
appropriate U.S. Government agencies, must review the conditions in the 
foreign state designated for TPS to determine whether they continue to 
meet the conditions for the TPS designation. See INA section 
244(b)(3)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(A). If the Secretary determines that 
the foreign state meets the conditions for TPS designation, the 
designation will be extended for an additional period of 6 months or, 
in the Secretary's discretion, 12 or 18 months. See INA section 
244(b)(3)(A), (C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(A), (C). If the Secretary 
determines that the foreign state no longer meets the conditions for 
TPS designation, the Secretary must terminate the designation. See INA 
section 244(b)(3)(B), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(B).

Notice of the Designation of Cameroon for TPS

    By the authority vested in me as Secretary under INA section 244, 8

[[Page 34711]]

U.S.C. 1254a, I have determined, after consultation with the 
appropriate U.S. Government agencies, the statutory conditions 
supporting Cameroon's designation for TPS on the basis of ongoing armed 
conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions are met. See INA 
sections 244(b)(1)(A) and (C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(A) and (C). I 
estimate approximately 11,700 individuals may be eligible for TPS under 
the designation of Cameroon. On the basis of this determination, I am 
designating Cameroon for TPS for 18 months, from June 7, 2022, through 
December 7, 2023. See INA section 244(b)(1) and (b)(2); 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(b)(1), and (b)(2).

Alejandro N. Mayorkas,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Eligibility and Employment Authorization for TPS

Required Application Forms and Application Fees To Register for TPS

    To register for TPS based on the designation of Cameroon, you must 
submit a Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and 
pay the filing fee (or request a fee waiver, which you may submit on 
Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver). You may be required to pay the 
biometric services fee. If you can demonstrate an inability to pay the 
biometrics services fee, you may request to have the fee waived. Please 
see additional information under the ``Biometric Services Fee'' section 
of this notice.
    To work in the United States, you are not required to submit Form 
I-765 or have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) but see below 
for more information if you want to work in the United States.

How can TPS beneficiaries obtain an Employment Authorization Document 
(EAD)?

    All employees must provide their employer with documentation 
showing that they have the legal right to work in the United States. 
TPS beneficiaries are eligible to obtain an EAD, which proves their 
legal right to work. TPS applicants who want to obtain an EAD must file 
a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and pay the 
Form I-765 fee (or request a fee waiver, which you may submit on Form 
I-912, Request for Fee Waiver). TPS applicants may file this form along 
with their TPS application, or at a later date, provided their TPS 
application is still pending or has been approved.
    For more information on the application forms and fees for TPS, 
please visit the USCIS TPS web page at uscis.gov/tps. Fees for the Form 
I-821, the Form I-765, and biometric services are also described in 8 
CFR 103.7(b)(1)(i).

Refiling an Initial TPS Registration Application After Receiving a 
Denial of a Fee Waiver Request

    If you receive a denial of a fee waiver request, you must refile 
your Form I-821 for TPS along with the required fees during the 
registration period, which extends until December 7, 2023. You may also 
file for your EAD on Form I-765 with payment of the fee along with your 
TPS application or at any later date you decide you want to request an 
EAD during the registration period.

Filing Information

    USCIS offers the option to applicants for TPS under Cameroon's 
designation to file Form I-821 and related requests for EADs online or 
by mail. When filing an initial TPS application, applicants can also 
request an EAD by submitting a completed Form I-765, Request for 
Employment Authorization, with their Form I-821.
    Online filing: Form I-821 and I-765 are available for concurrent 
filing online.\47\ To file these forms online, you must first create a 
USCIS online account.\48\
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    \47\ Find information about online filing at Forms Available to 
File Online, https://www.uscis.gov/file-online/forms-available-to-file-online.
    \48\ https://myaccount.uscis.gov/users/sign_up.
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    Mail filing: Mail your application for TPS to the proper address in 
Table 1.

Table 1--Mailing Addresses

    Mail your completed Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected 
Status and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, 
Request for Fee Waiver (Form I-912), if applicable, and supporting 
documentation to the proper address in Table 1.

                       Table 1--Mailing Addresses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                If . . .                          Mail to . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
You are using the U.S. Postal Service    USCIS, Attn: TPS Cameroon, P.O.
 (USPS).                                  Box 4091, Carol Stream, IL
                                          60197-4091.
You are using FedEx, UPS, or DHL.......  USCIS, Attn: TPS Cameroon (Box
                                          4091), 2500 Westfield Drive,
                                          Elgin, IL 60124-7836.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If you were granted TPS by an immigration judge (IJ) or the Board 
of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and you wish to request an EAD, please 
mail your Form I-765 application to the appropriate mailing address in 
Table 1. When you are requesting an EAD based on an IJ/BIA grant of 
TPS, please include a copy of the IJ or BIA order granting you TPS with 
your application. This will help us verify your grant of TPS and 
process your application.

Supporting Documents

    The filing instructions on the Form I-821 list all the documents 
needed to establish eligibility for TPS. You may also find information 
on the acceptable documentation and other requirements for applying 
(i.e., registering) for TPS on the USCIS website at uscis.gov/tps under 
``Cameroon.''

Travel

    TPS beneficiaries may also apply for and be granted travel 
authorization as a matter of discretion. You must file for travel 
authorization if you wish to travel outside the United States. If 
granted, travel authorization gives you permission to leave the United 
States and return during a specific period. To request travel 
authorization, you must file Form I-131, Application for Travel 
Document, available at www.uscis.gov/i-131. You may file Form I-131 
together with your Form I-821 or separately. When filing the Form I-
131, you must:
     Select Item Number 1.d. in Part 2 on the Form I-131; and

[[Page 34712]]

     Submit the fee for the Form I-131, or request a fee 
waiver, which you may submit on Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver.
    If you are filing Form I-131 together with Form I-821, send your 
forms to the address listed in Table 1. If you are filing Form I-131 
separately based on a pending or approved Form I-821, send your form to 
the address listed in Table 2 and include a copy of Form I-797 for the 
approved or pending Form I-821.

                       Table 2--Mailing Addresses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            If you are . . .                      Mail to . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filing Form I-131 together with a Form   The address provided in Table
 I-821, Application for Temporary         1.
 Protected Status.
Filing Form I-131 based on a pending or  USCIS, Attn: I-131 TPS, P.O.
 approved Form I-821, and you are using   Box 660167, Dallas, TX 75266-
 the U.S. Postal Service (USPS): You      0867.
 must include a copy of the receipt
 notice (Form I-797C) showing we
 accepted or approved your Form I-821.
Filing Form I-131 based on a pending or  USCIS, Attn: I-131 TPS, 2501 S
 approved Form I-821, and you are using   State Hwy. 121 Business, Ste.
 FedEx, UPS, or DHL: You must include a   400, Lewisville, TX 75067.
 copy of the receipt notice (Form I-
 797C) showing we accepted or approved
 your Form I-821.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biometric Services Fee for TPS

    Biometrics (such as fingerprints) are required for all applicants 
14 years of age and older. Those applicants must submit a biometric 
services fee. As previously stated, if you are unable to pay the 
biometric services fee, you may request a fee waiver, which you may 
submit on Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver. For more information on 
the application forms and fees for TPS, please visit the USCIS TPS web 
page at uscis.gov/tps. If necessary, you may be required to visit an 
Application Support Center to have your biometrics captured. For 
additional information on the USCIS biometric screening process, please 
see the USCIS Customer Profile Management Service Privacy Impact 
Assessment, available at dhs.gov/privacy.

General Employment-Related Information for TPS Applicants and Their 
Employers

How can I obtain information on the status of my TPS application and 
EAD request?

    To get case status information about your TPS application, as well 
as the status of your TPS-based EAD request, you can check Case Status 
Online at uscis.gov, or visit the USCIS Contact Center at https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter. If your Form I-765 has been pending for 
more than 90 days, and you still need assistance, you may ask a 
question about your case online at egov.uscis.gov/e-request/Intro.do or 
call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

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 last page of 
Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, as well as the 
Acceptable Documents web page at 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 three 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 https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central. An EAD is an acceptable document under List A.

If I have an EAD based on another immigration status, can I obtain a 
new TPS-based EAD?

    Yes, if you are eligible for TPS, you can obtain a new TPS-based 
EAD, regardless of whether you have an EAD or work authorization based 
on another immigration status. If you want to obtain a new TPS-based 
EAD valid through December 7, 2023, then you must file Form I-765, 
Application for Employment Authorization, and pay the associated fee 
(unless USCIS grants your fee waiver request).

Can my employer require that I provide any other documentation such as 
evidence of my status or proof of my Cameroonian citizenship or a Form 
I-797C showing that I registered for TPS for Form I-9 completion?

    No. When completing Form I-9, employers must accept any 
documentation you choose to present from the 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 need not reverify List B identity documents. Employers may 
not request proof of Cameroonian citizenship or proof of registration 
for TPS when completing Form I-9 for new hires or reverifying the 
employment authorization of current employees. 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.

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

[[Page 34713]]

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, 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 job applicants 
may also call the IER Worker Hotline at 800-255-7688 (TTY 800-237-2515) 
for information regarding employment discrimination based on 
citizenship, immigration status, or national origin, including 
discrimination related to Form I-9 and E-Verify. The IER Worker Hotline 
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 or 
lower pay, or take any adverse action against an employee because of a 
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 https://www.justice.gov/ier and the USCIS and E-Verify websites at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central and https://www.e-verify.gov.

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

    For Federal purposes, individuals approved for TPS may show their 
Form I-797, Notice of Action, indicating approval of their Form I-821 
application, or their EAD with category code A12 or C19 to prove that 
they have TPS or a pending TPS application. 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 a TPS beneficiary, show you are authorized 
to work based on TPS or other status, or that may be used by DHS to 
determine if you have TPS or another immigration status. Examples of 
such documents are:
     Your new EAD with a TPS category code of A12 or C19, 
regardless of your country of birth;
     Your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record; or
     Your Form I-797, Notice of Action, reflecting approval of 
your Form I-765; or
     Your Form I-797, Notice of Action, reflecting approval or 
receipt of a current Form I-821, if you received one from USCIS.
    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. SAVE can verify when an individual has TPS based on the 
documents above. 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 https://www.save.uscis.gov/casecheck/.
    CaseCheck is a free service that lets you follow the progress of 
your SAVE verification case using your date of birth and one 
immigration identifier number (A-number, USCIS number or Form I-94 
number) or Verification Case 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 on or will 
act on a SAVE verification and you do not believe the SAVE response is 
correct, the SAVE website, www.uscis.gov/save/save-resources, has 
detailed information on how to make corrections or update your 
immigration record, make an appointment, or submit a written request to 
correct records.

[FR Doc. 2022-12229 Filed 6-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-97-P