[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 146 (Monday, August 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46982-46991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-16508]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

[CIS No. 2681-21; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2013-0001]
RIN 1615-ZB72


Extension and Redesignation of Syria for Temporary Protected 
Status

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

ACTION: Notice of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extension and 
redesignation.

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SUMMARY: Through this notice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) is 
extending the designation of Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) 
for 18 months, effective October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2024. This 
extension allows existing TPS beneficiaries to retain TPS through March 
31, 2024, so long as they otherwise continue to meet the eligibility 
requirements for TPS. Existing TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend 
their status through March 31, 2024, must re-register during the 60-day 
re-registration period described in this notice. The Secretary is also 
redesignating Syria for TPS. The redesignation of Syria allows 
additional Syrian nationals (and individuals having no nationality who 
last habitually resided in Syria) who have been continuously residing 
in the United States since July 28, 2022 to apply for TPS for the first 
time during the initial registration period described under the 
redesignation information in this notice. In addition to demonstrating 
continuous residence in the United States since July 28, 2022 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 October 1, 2022, the 
effective date of this redesignation of Syria for TPS.

DATES: 
    Extension of Designation of Syria for TPS: The 18-month extension 
of Syria's designation for TPS is effective on October 1, 2022, and 
will remain in effect for 18 months, through March 31, 2024. The 
extension impacts existing beneficiaries of TPS.
    Re-registration: The 60-day re-registration period for existing 
beneficiaries runs from August 1, 2022through September 30, 2022. 
(Note: It is important for re-registrants to timely re-register during 
the registration period and not to wait until their Employment 
Authorization Documents (EADs) expire, as delaying reregistration could 
result in gaps in their employment authorization documentation.)
    Redesignation of Syria for TPS: The 18-month redesignation of Syria 
for TPS is effective on October 1, 2022, and will remain in effect for 
18 months, through March 31, 2024. The redesignation impacts potential 
first-time applicants and others who do not currently have TPS.
    First-time Registration: The initial registration period for new 
applicants under the Syria TPS redesignation begins on August 1, 2022 
and will remain in effect through March 31, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may 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 Syria's TPS designation by selecting ``Syria'' 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 Syria (or individuals having no nationality who last 
habitually resided in Syria) to (1) re-register for TPS and

[[Page 46983]]

to apply for renewal of their EADs with USCIS or (2) submit an initial 
registration application under the redesignation and apply for an EAD.
    Re-registration is limited to individuals who have previously 
registered for TPS under a prior designation of Syria and whose 
applications have been granted. Failure to re-register properly may 
result in the withdrawal of your TPS following appropriate procedures. 
See 8 CFR 244.14.
    For individuals who have already been granted TPS under Syria's 
designation, the 60-day re-registration period runs from August 1, 2022 
through September 30, 2022. USCIS will issue new EADs with a March 31, 
2024 expiration date to eligible Syrian TPS beneficiaries who timely 
re-register and apply for EADs. Given the time frames involved with 
processing TPS re-registration applications, DHS recognizes that not 
all re-registrants may receive new EADs before their current EADs 
expire. Accordingly, through this Federal Register notice, DHS 
automatically extends the validity of certain EADs previously issued 
under the TPS designation of Syria through September 30, 2023. 
Therefore, as proof of continued employment authorization through 
September 30, 2023, TPS beneficiaries can show their EADs that have the 
notation A-12 or C-19 under Category and a ``Card Expires'' date of 
September 30, 2022, March 31, 2021, September 30, 2019, or March 31, 
2018. This notice explains how TPS beneficiaries and their employers 
may determine which EADs are automatically extended and how this 
affects the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, E-Verify, 
and USCIS Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) 
processes.
    Individuals who have a Syria TPS application (Form I-821) and/or 
Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765) that was still 
pending as of August 1, 2022 do not need to file either application 
again. If USCIS approves an individual's Form I-821, USCIS will grant 
the individual TPS through March 31, 2024. Similarly, if USCIS approves 
a pending TPS-related Form I-765, USCIS will issue the individual a new 
EAD that will be valid through the same date. There are currently 
approximately 6,448 beneficiaries under Syria's TPS designation.
    Under the redesignation, individuals who currently do not have TPS 
may submit an initial application during the initial registration 
period that runs from August 1, 2022 and runs through the full length 
of the redesignation period ending March 31, 2024.\1\ In addition to 
demonstrating continuous residence in the United States since July 28, 
2022 and meeting other eligibility criteria, initial applicants for TPS 
under this redesignation must demonstrate that they have been 
continuously physically present in the United States since October 1, 
2022,\2\ the effective date of this redesignation of Syria, before 
USCIS may grant them TPS. DHS estimates that approximately 960 
individuals may become newly eligible for TPS under the redesignation 
of Syria.
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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., 
Designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status, 86 FR 41863 
(Aug. 3, 2021) (providing 18-mos. registration period under new TPS 
designation of Haiti); Extension of Initial Registration Periods for 
New Temporary Protected Status Applicants Under the Designations for 
Venezuela, Syria and Burma; Correction to the Notice on the 
Designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status and 
Implementation of Employment Authorization for Venezuelans Covered 
by Deferred Enforced Departure, 86 FR 41986 (Aug. 4, 2021) 
(extending initial registration periods from 180 days to 18 months 
for the three applicable countries)). For the same reasons, the 
Secretary is similarly exercising his discretion to provide 
applicants under this TPS designation of Syria 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 Sec.  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 work so long as they continue to meet the requirements of 
TPS. They may apply for and receive EADs as evidence of employment 
authorization.
     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.

When was Syria designated for TPS?

    Syria was initially designated on the basis of extraordinary and 
temporary conditions that prevented nationals of Syria from returning 
in safety. See Designation of Syrian Arab Republic for Temporary 
Protected Status, 77 FR 19026 (Mar. 29, 2012). Following the initial 
designation, TPS for Syria was extended and newly designated three 
times: (1) from October 1, 2013, to March 31, 2015, based on ongoing 
armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions; \3\ (2) from 
April 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016, based on ongoing armed conflict 
and extraordinary and temporary conditions; \4\ and (3) from October 1, 
2016, to March 31, 2018, based on ongoing armed conflict and 
extraordinary and temporary conditions.\5\ Thereafter, TPS for Syria 
was extended from April 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019, based on 
ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions \6\ 
and October 1, 2019, to March 31, 2021, based on ongoing armed conflict 
and extraordinary and temporary conditions.\7\ Most recently, TPS for 
Syria was extended and redesignated

[[Page 46984]]

from March 31, 2021, to September 30, 2022, based on ongoing armed 
conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions.\8\
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    \3\ See Extension and Redesignation of Syria for Temporary 
Protected Status, 78 FR 36223 (June 16, 2013).
    \4\ See Extension and Redesignation of the Syrian Arab Republic 
for Temporary Protected Status, 80 FR 245, (Jan. 4, 2015).
    \5\ See Extension and Redesignation of Syria for Temporary 
Protected Status, 81 FR 50533, (Jul. 31, 2016)
    \6\ See Extension of the Designation of Syria for Temporary 
Protected Status, 83 FR 9329, (Mar. 4, 2018).
    \7\ See Extension of the Designation of Syria for Temporary 
Protected Status, 84 FR 49751, (Sep. 22, 2019)
    \8\ See Extension and Redesignation of Syria for Temporary 
Protected Status, 86 FR 14946, (Mar. 18, 2021).
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What authority does the Secretary have to extend the designation of 
Syria for TPS?

    Section 244(b)(1) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1), authorizes the 
Secretary, 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.\9\ 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, termination, or 
extension of a designation. See INA section 244(b)(5)(A); 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(b)(5)(A).\10\ 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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    \9\ 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 such that returning would pose a serious 
threat to the personal safety of the country's nationals and 
habitual residents, 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).
    \10\ 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 continues to meet 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).

What is the Secretary's authority to redesignate Syria for TPS?

    In addition to extending an existing TPS designation, the 
Secretary, after consultation with appropriate Government agencies, may 
redesignate a country (or part thereof) for TPS. See section 244(b)(1) 
of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1); see also section 244(c)(1)(A)(i) of 
the Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)(1)(A)(i) (requiring that ``the alien has 
been continuously physically present since the effective date of the 
most recent designation of the state'').
    When the Secretary designates or redesignates a country for TPS, 
the Secretary also has the discretion to establish the date from which 
TPS applicants must demonstrate that they have been ``continuously 
resid[ing]'' in the United States. See section 244(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the 
Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)(1)(A)(ii). The Secretary has determined that the 
``continuous residence'' date for applicants for TPS under the 
redesignation of Syria will be July 28, 2022. Initial applicants for 
TPS under this redesignation must also show they have been 
``continuously physically present'' in the United States since October 
1, 2022, which is the effective date of the Secretary's redesignation, 
of Syria. See section 244(c)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(c)(1)(A)(i). For each initial TPS application filed under the 
redesignation, the final determination of whether the applicant has met 
the ``continuous physical presence'' requirement cannot be made until 
October 1, 2022, the effective date of this redesignation for Syria. 
USCIS, however, will issue employment authorization documentation, as 
appropriate, during the registration period in accordance with 8 CFR 
244.5(b).

Why is the Secretary extending the TPS designation for Syria and 
simultaneously redesignating Syria for TPS through March 31, 2024?

    DHS has reviewed country conditions in Syria. Based on the review, 
including input received from the Department of State (DOS) and other 
U.S. Government agencies, the Secretary has determined that an 18-month 
TPS extension is warranted because the ongoing armed conflict and 
extraordinary and temporary conditions supporting Syria's TPS 
designation remain. The Secretary has further determined that the 
conditions support redesignating Syria for TPS under section 
244(b)(3)(C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(C) of the Act and is changing the 
``continuous residence'' and ``continuous physical presence'' dates 
that applicants must meet to be eligible for TPS.

Overview

    DHS has conducted a thorough review of country conditions in Syria. 
The ongoing civil war has resulted in large-scale destruction of 
infrastructure, mass displacement of civilians, high levels of food 
insecurity, limited access to water and medical care, and widespread 
civilian casualties. These impacts have been compounded by the COVID-19 
pandemic which has contributed to the further breakdown of the economy 
and strained an already overburdened healthcare system.
    The United Nations (UN) has verified that at least 350,209 
identified civilians and combatants were killed between March 2011 and 
March 2021, including 26,727 women and 27,126 children, but it has 
warned that this figure ``indicates a minimum verifiable number'' and 
is an ``undercount of the actual number.'' \11\ The Syrian Observatory 
for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group with a network of 
sources on the ground, had documented the deaths of 494,438 people as 
of June 2021 and said that at least 159,774 civilians had been 
killed.\12\ The group estimated that the actual toll from the war was 
more than 606,000, saying 47,000 civilians were believed to have died 
of torture in government-run prisons.\13\ Another monitoring group, the 
Violations Documentation Center, which relies on information from

[[Page 46985]]

activists across the country, had documented 239,251 battle-related 
deaths, including 145,240 civilians, as of June 2022.\14\ Additionally, 
the ongoing military operations have injured more than 2.1 million 
Syrian civilians with varying injuries, wounds, and permanent 
disabilities.\15\
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    \11\ This count includes ``only those people identifiable by 
full name, with an established date of death, and who died in an 
identified governorate'' and was sourced from OHCHR's own data, 
records maintained by civil society organizations, and information 
from the Syrian government. UNOHCR, ``Oral update on the extent of 
conflict-related deaths in the Syrian Arab Republic [verbar] OHCHR'' 
(September 24, 2021), https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2021/09/oral-update-extent-conflict-related-deaths-syrian-arab-republic?LangID=E&NewsID=27531.
    \12\ SOHR, ``Total death toll [verbar] Over 606,000 people 
killed across Syria since the beginning of the ``Syrian 
Revolution'', including 495,000 documented by SOHR (June 1, 2021), 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/217360/.
    \13\ SOHR, ``Total death toll [verbar] Over 606,000 people 
killed across Syria since the beginning of the ``Syrian 
Revolution'', including 495,000 documented by SOHR (June 1, 2021), 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/217360/.
    \14\ Violation Documentation Center, ``Monthly statistical on 
casualties in Syria, June 2022'' (June 2022), https://scm.bz/en/violations-watch/monthly-statistical-on-casualities-in-syria-june-2022.
    \15\ SOHR, ``Total death toll [verbar] Over 606,000 people 
killed across Syria since the beginning of the ``Syrian 
Revolution'', including 495,000 documented by SOHR (June 1, 2021), 
https://www.syriahr.com/en/217360/.
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    Eleven years of war have inflicted immense suffering on the Syrian 
people. More than half of Syria's pre-war population of 22 million have 
either fled the country or are displaced within its borders.\16\ Syria 
remains the world's largest displacement crisis.\17\ The number of 
Syrian IDPs to date is approximately 7 million people.\18\
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    \16\ UNHCR, ``Eleven years on, mounting challenges push many 
displaced Syrians to the brink'' (March 15, 2022), https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/briefing/2022/3/623055174/eleven-years-mounting-challenges-push-displaced-syrians-brink.html.
    \17\ UNHCR, ``Eleven years on, mounting challenges push many 
displaced Syrians to the brink'' (Mar 15, 2022), https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/briefing/2022/3/623055174/eleven-years-mounting-challenges-push-displaced-syrians-brink.html.
    \18\ USAID, ``Syria--Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #4, Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2022'' (Mar 4, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/syria-complex-emergency-fact-sheet-4-fiscal-year-fy-2022.
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    Harm to civilians has been widespread, but the magnitude of 
violence has varied greatly by location. Parties to the Syrian conflict 
killed 1,271 civilians in 2021, including 299 children and 134 
women.\19\ Both government and opposition forces reportedly engage in 
indiscriminate attacks through the use of airstrikes, explosives, 
snipers, and rocket and mortar attacks, killing thousands and leaving 
many without the means or ability to escape the violence.\20\ Since 
2021, cities as far north as Idlib, and as far south as Daraa have seen 
heavy civilian casualties as well as damage to civilian objects.\21\
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    \19\ Syrian Network for Human Rights, ``Eleventh Annual Report: 
The Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2021'' (Jan 21, 
2022), https://snhr.org/wp-content/pdf/english/Eleventh_Annual_Report_The_Most_Notable_Human_Rights_Violations_in_Syria_in_2021_en.pdf.
    \20\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syria: Events of 2021'' (Jan. 2022), 
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/syria.
    \21\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syria: Events of 2021'' (Jan. 2022), 
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/syria.
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    Multiple actors in the conflict have been accused of targeting 
civilians and civilian facilities. In January 2022, Russia conducted 
airstrikes on the Al Arshani Water Pump Station located west of Idlib 
city, injuring at least one station worker, causing substantial damage 
to the station's buildings and equipment, and forcing the station's 
main water pumping pipe temporarily out of service.\22\ In February 
2022, there were at least six incidents of attacks impacting vital 
civilian facilities, among them, a school, two markets, a park, and a 
livestock farm.\23\ In April 2022, ISIS claimed responsibility for an 
attack on civilians gathering for an iftar meal during Ramadan, killing 
seven people and wounding four.\24\ Also in April 2022, Syrian 
government forces shelled a village in north Idlib countryside, killing 
at least three students on their way to school.\25\ According to the 
Syrian Civil Defense, Russian and Syrian forces and allied militias 
have launched 130 air and artillery attacks on northwestern Syria 
during the first quarter of 2022.\26\ These attacks struck civilian 
homes, public buildings, and service facilities, killing\47\ people and 
wounding more than 100 others.\27\
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    \22\ Syrian Archive, ``Airstrikes on the Al Arshani Water Pump 
Station in Idlib'' (February 14, 2022), https://syrianarchive.org/en/investigations/arshani.
    \23\ Syrian Network for Human Rights, ``The Most Notable Human 
Rights Violations in Syria in February 2022,'' (Mar. 4, 2022), 
https://snhr.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/M220303E.pdf.
    \24\ Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ``SOHR: Daesh kills 7 
Syrians at Ramadan iftar meal'' (Apr 29, 2022), https://www.syriahr.com/en/249367/.
    \25\ Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ``Regime offensive 
[verbar] Three students killed in regime rocket attack on area in 
Idlib countryside'' (Apr 4, 2022), https://www.syriahr.com/en/245693/.
    \26\ Euro-Med Monitor, ``Killing 4 children in Syrian regime 
bombardment may amount to war crime'' (Apr 5, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/killing-4-children-syrian-regime-bombardment-may-amount-war-crime-enar.
    \27\ Euro-Med Monitor, ``Killing 4 children in Syrian regime 
bombardment may amount to war crime,'' (April 6, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/killing-4-children-syrian-regime-bombardment-may-amount-war-crime-enar.
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    Mandatory military service has been the law in Syria since 
2007.\28\ Men from the ages of 18 to 42 are required to serve, and 
women may enlist voluntarily.\29\ Conscripts are required to serve for 
18 to 21 months, depending on their level of education.\30\ Syria has 
intermittently declared amnesties for military service evaders to 
encourage returns, however, ``returnees have found themselves back on 
conscription lists in as little as seven days, after the government 
exploited a loophole in the decree,'' thereby rendering the amnesty 
provisions meaningless.\31\ In February 2021, the Syrian regime 
announced an amendment to the military conscription laws. Under the 
amended law, those who did not do military service before the age of 43 
must pay $8,000, or lose their property without notice or any right to 
appeal.\32\
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    \28\ The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, ``TIMEP Brief: 
Conscription Law'' (Aug 22, 2019), https://timep.org/reports-briefings/timep-brief-conscription-law/.
    \29\ The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, ``TIMEP Brief: 
Conscription Law'' (Aug 22, 2019), https://timep.org/reports-briefings/timep-brief-conscription-law/.
    \30\ The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, ``TIMEP Brief: 
Conscription Law'' (Aug 22, 2019), https://timep.org/reports-briefings/timep-brief-conscription-law/.
    \31\ Human Rights Watch, ``Our Lives are Like Death'' (Oct. 
2021), https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2021/10/syria1021_web.pdf.
    \32\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syrian `Military Evaders' Face 
Unlawful Seizure of Property, Assets'' (Feb 9, 2021), https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/02/09/syrian-military-evaders-face-unlawful-seizure-property-assets.
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    The Syrian Democratic Forces and other entities in Syria have also 
been accused of forced conscription: ``[The Syrian Network for Human 
Rights (SNHR)] . . . recorded Syrian Democratic Forces kidnapping two 
children [in January 2022] with the aim of taking them to its training 
and recruitment camps and forcibly conscripting them . . .'' \33\ 
Further, compulsory recruitment under the ``Law on Mandatory Self-
Defense Duty'' was first introduced in 2014 and is confined to the 
areas of northern and eastern Syria under the control of the Kurdish-
led Autonomous Administration.\34\ Under this law, conscription is 
mandatory for all male residents, both Syrian nationals and stateless 
Kurds, after reaching 18 years old. Syrians from other parts of the 
country who have resided in the area longer than five years are 
obligated to join as well.\35\
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    \33\ Syrian Network for Human Rights, ``143 Arbitrary Arrests/
Detentions Documented in Syria in January 2022,'' including 2 
children, (Feb. 2, 2022), https://snhr.org/wp-content/pdf/english/143_Arbitrary_Arrests_Detentions_Documented_in_Syria_in_January_2022_Including_Two_Children_en.pdf.
    \34\ European Union Agency for Asylum, ``Persons fearing forced 
or child recruitment by Kurdish forces,'' (last updated Sept. 2020), 
https://euaa.europa.eu/country-guidance-syria/26-persons-fearing-forced-or-child-recruitment-kurdish-forces.
    \35\ European Union Agency for Asylum, ``Persons fearing forced 
or child recruitment by Kurdish forces,'' (last updated Sept. 2020), 
https://euaa.europa.eu/country-guidance-syria/26-persons-fearing-forced-or-child-recruitment-kurdish-forces.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Syrian children have suffered disproportionately since the start of 
the conflict. At least 29,661 children have been killed in Syria since 
March 2011, including 181 due to torture, in addition to 5,036 arrested 
or forcibly disappeared children.\36\ The SNHR estimates that

[[Page 46986]]

there are at least 1,374 children currently serving in the Syrian 
regime forces.\37\ Other actors in the conflict are also accused of 
engaging in forced conscription of children. These include: Hay'at 
Tahrir al Sham, Syrian Democratic Forces, factions of the Syrian 
National Army (SNA), Al-Nusra Front, ISIS, as well as Iranian militias 
or militias supported by Iran.\38\ According to the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently at least 2.5 
million displaced children in Syria.\39\ The United Nations Children's 
Fund (UNICEF) reported 6.5 million children in need of humanitarian 
assistance in a March 2022 report.\40\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \36\ Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR). ''On World 
Children's Day; Tenth Annual Report on Violations against Children 
in Syria'' (Nov. 20, 2021), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/world-children-s-day-tenth-annual-report-violations-against-children.
    \37\ Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR). ''On World 
Children's Day; Tenth Annual Report on Violations against Children 
in Syria'' (Nov. 20, 2021), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/world-children-s-day-tenth-annual-report-violations-against-children.
    \38\ Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR). ''On World 
Children's Day; Tenth Annual Report on Violations against Children 
in Syria'' (Nov. 20, 2021), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/world-children-s-day-tenth-annual-report-violations-against-children.
    \40\ UNICEF, ``Whole of Syria Humanitarian Situation Report: 
March 2022,'' (May 15, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/unicef-whole-syria-humanitarian-situation-report-march-2022.
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    Human rights abuses continue to be rampant in Syria. One report 
cites 2,218 cases of arbitrary arrest or detention, including 85 
children and 77 women, committed by parties to the conflict and 
controlling forces in 2021, almost half of which were attributed to the 
Assad regime.\41\ The same report notes that at least 104 individuals 
were documented as dying as a result of torture in 2021 at the hands of 
Syrian regime forces, Syrian Democratic Forces, Hay'at Tahrir al Sham, 
factions of the Syrian National Army as well as other parties to the 
conflict.\42\ Furthermore, individuals returning to Syria have reported 
that the Syrian government or its affiliated militias subjected them or 
their family members to arbitrary arrest or detention, torture and 
other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, kidnappings, and 
extrajudicial killings after their return to Syria.\43\ Human Rights 
Watch has reported ``21 cases of arrest and arbitrary detention . . .'' 
13 cases of torture, 3 kidnappings, 5 extrajudicial killings, and 17 
enforced disappearances between 2017 and 2021 among refugees who had 
returned to Syria from Jordan and Lebanon.'' \44\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \41\ Syrian Network for Human Rights, ``Eleventh Annual Report: 
The Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2021'' (Jan 21, 
2022), https://snhr.org/wp-content/pdf/english/Eleventh_Annual_Report_The_Most_Notable_Human_Rights_Violations_in_Syria_in_2021_en.pdf.
    \42\ Syrian Network for Human Rights, ``Eleventh Annual Report: 
The Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2021'' (Jan 21, 
2022), https://snhr.org/wp-content/pdf/english/Eleventh_Annual_Report_The_Most_Notable_Human_Rights_Violations_in_Syria_in_2021_en.pdf.
    \43\ Human Rights Watch. ''Our Lives are Like Death'' (Oct. 
2021), https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2021/10/syria1021_web.pdf.
    \44\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syria: Events of 2021'' (Jan. 2022), 
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/syria.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After 11 years of conflict, Syria's healthcare system has suffered 
gravely. As of March 2022, Physicians for Human Rights has documented 
and verified 601 attacks hitting at least 350 health facilities since 
the start of the conflict.\45\ A January 2022 report states that more 
than 50% of healthcare workers are estimated to have left the country 
in the last decade.\46\ Out of the almost 1,800 available public health 
centers, 45% were not fully functioning as of September 2021, at a time 
when the Syrian people needed them the most amidst the COVID-19 
pandemic.\47\ Seven medical personnel were killed in Syria in 2021 at 
the hands of parties to the conflict and controlling forces in 
Syria.\48\ The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated shortcomings 
in an already weakened healthcare system. The UN identifies Syria as 
one of the countries in the Middle East most severely affected by the 
COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as low vaccine availability, vaccine 
hesitancy, infections among frontline health workers, high transmission 
rates in IDP camps, oxygen supply shortages, inadequate testing 
materials, and limited cold chain and technical capacity hamper 
infection prevention, monitoring, and response efforts.\49\ As of March 
2022, 11.4% of the total population had received at least one dose of 
the COVID-19 vaccine, and only 6.6% were fully vaccinated.\50\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \45\ International Rescue Committee, ``11 years of violence 
against health care in Syria'' (Mar 31, 2022), https://www.rescue.org/resource/11-years-violence-against-health-care-syria.
    \46\ UNOCHA, ``Situation Report #35: Recent Developments in 
Northwest Syria and RAATA'' (Jan 2022), https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/stima/document/situation-report-35-recent-developments-northwest-syria-and-raata-january.
    \47\ International Rescue Committee, ``11 years of violence 
against health care in Syria'' (Mar 31, 2022), https://www.rescue.org/resource/11-years-violence-against-health-care-syria.
    \48\ Syrian Network for Human Rights, ``Eleventh Annual Report: 
The Most Notable Human Rights Violations in Syria in 2021'' (Jan 21, 
2022), https://snhr.org/wp-content/pdf/english/Eleventh_Annual_Report_The_Most_Notable_Human_Rights_Violations_in_Syria_in_2021_en.pdf.
    \49\ USAID, ``Syria--Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #4, Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2022'' (Mar 4, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/syria-complex-emergency-fact-sheet-4-fiscal-year-fy-2022.
    \50\ World Health Organization, ``Monthly COVID-19 Bulletin: 
March 2022,'' (Mar. 26, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/monthly_covid-19_bulletin-march_2022.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    According to the World Food Program (WFP), at least 12.4 million 
Syrians, out of an estimated population of 16 million, are food 
insecure.\51\ This 2021 estimate reflects an increase of 3.1 million 
food insecure people in one year.\52\ Moreover, according to the same 
report, more than 600,000 children are chronically malnourished.\53\ 
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
(UNOCHA) reports that routine shortages in basic goods, including bread 
and fuel, have become commonplace and the number of people in need of 
humanitarian assistance increased by 21% in 2021--reaching a total of 
13.4 million people, with 1.48 million in ``catastrophic'' need.\54\ 
The price of the national food basket \55\ increased by 24% from 
February to March 2022, the greatest monthly increase and the highest 
price recorded since tracking began in 2013.\56\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \51\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syria: Events of 2021'' (Jan. 2022), 
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/syria.
    \52\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syria: Events of 2021'' (Jan. 2022), 
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/syria.
    \53\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syria: Events of 2021'' (Jan. 2022), 
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/syria.
    \54\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syria: Events of 2021'' (Jan. 2022), 
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/syria.
    \55\ The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issues a 
monthly food price index, a measure of change in international 
prices of a basket of food commodities. See United Nations, ``Global 
Issues: Food'' (last visited 6/27/2022), https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/food. A national food basket is a group of essential 
food commodities. In Syria, the food basket is set at a group of dry 
goods providing 2,060 kcal a day for a family of five during a 
month. The basket includes 37 kg bread, 19 kg rice, 19 kg lentils, 5 
kg of sugar, and 7 liters of vegetable oil. See World Food Program, 
``Syria Country Office Market Price Watch Bulletin Issue 88, March 
2022, (Apr. 27, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/syria-country-office-market-price-watch-bulletin-issue-88-march-2022.
    \56\ UNICEF, ``Whole of Syria Humanitarian Situation Report: 
March 2022,'' (May 15, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/unicef-whole-syria-humanitarian-situation-report-march-2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In 2021, Syria was impacted by several climate and natural 
resource-related shocks. Erratic rainfall as well as historically low 
water levels in the Euphrates River have reduced access to water for 
drinking and domestic use for over five million people.\57\ In 
addition,

[[Page 46987]]

this has triggered substantial harvest and income losses, decreased 
hydroelectricity generation, and increased water-borne illnesses.\58\ 
Northern Syria is experiencing severe water shortages as a result of 
higher-than-average temperatures.\59\ Of 1,087 UNICEF beneficiaries 
surveyed across Syria in February and March 2022, 15% reported water 
availability once a week or less and 19% reported no water 
availability.\60\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \57\ UNOCHA, ``2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab 
Republic'' (Feb 22, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/2022-humanitarian-needs-overview-syrian-arab-republic-february-2022.
    \58\ UNOCHA, ``2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Syrian Arab 
Republic'' (Feb 22, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/2022-humanitarian-needs-overview-syrian-arab-republic-february-2022.
    \59\ International Rescue Committee, ''Crisis in Syria: Economic 
crisis compounds over a decade of war'' (Mar. 15, 2022), https://www.rescue.org/article/crisis-syria-economic-crisis-compounds-over-decade-war.
    \60\ UNICEF, ``Whole of Syria Humanitarian Situation Report: 
March 2022,'' (May 15, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/unicef-whole-syria-humanitarian-situation-report-march-2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In October 2021, the World Bank estimated that the Syrian economy 
had shrunk by more than 60% since 2010.\61\ Between October 2019 and 
October 2021, the Syrian pound lost 82% of its value against the 
dollar.\62\ UNOCHA estimated that, in 2021, 90% of the population lived 
below the poverty line.\63\ An April 2022 World Bank report indicates 
that ``the continued depreciation of the local currency has led to 
rampant inflation, worsening already high food insecurity and pushing 
more people into poverty.'' \64\ A UN report from April 2022 estimates 
that 14.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, which 
is a 9% increase from the previous year.\65\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \61\ Human Rights Watch, ''Our Lives Are Like Death'' (Oct. 
2021), https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2021/10/syria1021_web.pdf.
    \62\ International Rescue Committee, ''Crisis in Syria: Economic 
crisis compounds over a decade of war'' (Mar. 15, 2022), https://www.rescue.org/article/crisis-syria-economic-crisis-compounds-over-decade-war
    \63\ Human Rights Watch, ``Syria: Events of 2021'' (Jan. 2022), 
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/syria.
    \64\ World Bank. ``Macro Poverty Outlook for Syria: April 2022'' 
(April 2022), http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099039004242232398/IDU0107dbcc10f799044b70bc070ac75483e6628.
    \65\ UNHCR, ``Syria: UNHCR Operational Update, April 2022'' (May 
12, 2022), https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/syria-unhcr-operational-update-april-2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In summary, the ongoing conflict, compounded by economic downturn, 
food insecurity, water insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, a weakened 
healthcare system, weakened civilian infrastructure, human rights 
violations and abuses, violations of the law of armed conflict, forced 
conscription and mass displacement have an enormous human cost for the 
Syrian people.
    Based upon this review and after consultation with appropriate U.S. 
Government agencies, the Secretary has determined that:
     The conditions supporting Syria's designation for TPS 
continue to be met. See INA section 244(b)(3)(A) and (C), 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(b)(3)(A) and (C).
     There continues to be an ongoing armed conflict in Syria 
and, due to such conflict, requiring the return to Syria of Syrian 
nationals (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually 
resided in Syria) would pose a serious threat to their personal safety. 
See INA section 244(b)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(A).
     There continue to be extraordinary and temporary 
conditions in Syria that prevent Syrian nationals (or individuals 
having no nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) from 
returning to Syria in safety, and it is not contrary to the national 
interest of the United States to permit Syrian TPS beneficiaries to 
remain in the United States temporarily. See INA section 244(b)(1)(C), 
8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(C).
     The designation of Syria for TPS should be extended for an 
18-month period, from October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2024. See INA 
section 244(b)(3)(C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(C).
     Due to the conditions described above, Syria should be 
simultaneously extended and redesignated for TPS effective October 1, 
2022, through, 2024. See section 244(b)(1)(A) and (C) and (b)(2) of the 
Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(A) and (C) and (b)(2).
     The Secretary has determined that TPS applicants must 
demonstrate that they have continuously resided in the United States 
since July 28, 2022.
     Initial TPS applicants under the redesignation must 
demonstrate that they have been continuously physically present in the 
United States since October 1, 2022, the effective date of the 
redesignation of Syria for TPS.
     There are approximately 6,448 current Syria TPS 
beneficiaries who are expected to be eligible to re-register for TPS 
under the extension.
     It is estimated that approximately 960 additional 
individuals may be eligible for TPS under the redesignation of Syria. 
This population includes Syrian nationals in the United States in 
nonimmigrant status or without immigration status.

Notice of the Designation of Syria for TPS

    By the authority vested in me as Secretary under INA section 244, 8 
U.S.C. 1254a, I have determined, after consultation with the 
appropriate U.S. Government agencies, the statutory conditions 
supporting Syria's designation for TPS on the basis of ongoing armed 
conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions are met. See INA 
section 244(b)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(A) and INA section 
244(b)(1)(C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(C). On the basis of this 
determination, I am simultaneously extending the existing designation 
of TPS for Syria for 18 months, from October 1, 2022, through March 31, 
2024, and redesignating Syria for TPS for the same 18-month period. See 
INA section 244(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(C) and (b)(2); 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(C), 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 Syria, 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 
biometric services fee, you may request to have the fee waived. Please 
see additional information under the ``Biometric Services Fee'' section 
of this notice.
    TPS beneficiaries are authorized to work in the United States. You 
are not required to submit Form I-765 or have an EAD, but see below for 
more information if you want to work in the United States.
    Individuals who have a Syria TPS application (Form I-821) that was 
still pending as of August 1, 2022 do not need to file the application 
again. If USCIS approves an individual's Form I-821, USCIS will grant 
the individual TPS through March 31, 2024.
    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).

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

    Every employee must provide their employer with documentation 
showing that they have the legal right to work in the United States. 
TPS beneficiaries are

[[Page 46988]]

eligible to obtain an EAD, which proves their legal right to work. 
Those 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. Beneficiaries with a Syrian TPS-related Form I-765 that 
was still pending as of August 1, 2022 do not need to file the 
application again. If USCIS approves a pending TPS-related Form I-765, 
USCIS will issue the individual a new EAD that will be valid through 
the same date.

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 March 31, 2024. You may also 
file for your Employment Authorization Document 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 Syria's 
designation to file Form I-821 and related requests for EADs online or 
by mail. When filing a 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.\66\ To file these forms online, you must first create a 
USCIS online account.\67\
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    \66\ Find information about online filing at ``Forms Available 
to File Online,'' https://www.uscis.gov/file-online/forms-available-to-file-online.
    \67\ https://myaccount.uscis.gov/users/sign_up.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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; Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; Form I-
912, Request for Fee Waiver (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 Syria, P.O.
 (USPS).                                  Box 6943, Chicago, IL 60680-
                                          6943.
You are using FedEx, UPS, or DHL.......  USCIS, Attn: TPS Syria (Box
                                          6943), 131 S Dearborn 3rd
                                          Floor, Chicago, IL 60603-5517.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 
(that is, registering) for TPS on the USCIS website at uscis.gov/tps 
under ``Syria.''

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 of 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
     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):          0867.
You 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:                      400, Lewisville, TX 75067.
You must include a copy of the receipt
 notice (Form I-797C) showing we
 accepted or approved your Form I-821.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 46989]]

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 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).

Am I eligible to receive an automatic extension of my current EAD 
through September 30, 2023, using this Federal Register notice?

    Yes. Regardless of your country of birth, provided that you 
currently have a Syria TPS-based EAD that has the notation A-12 or C-19 
under Category and a ``Card Expires'' date of September 30, 2022, March 
31, 2021, September 30, 2019, or March 31, 2018, this Federal Register 
notice automatically extends your EAD through September 30, 2023. 
Although this Federal Register notice automatically extends your EAD 
through September 30, 2023, you must re-register timely for TPS in 
accordance with the procedures described in this Federal Register 
notice to maintain your TPS and employment authorization.

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 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 states A-12 or C-19 under Category and has a 
Card Expires date of September 30, 2022, March 31, 2021, September 30, 
2019, or March 31, 2018, it has been extended automatically by virtue 
of this Federal Register notice and you may choose to present your EAD 
to your employer as proof of identity and employment eligibility for 
Form I-9 through September 30, 2023, unless your TPS has been withdrawn 
or your request for TPS has been denied. Your country of birth notated 
on the EAD does not have to reflect the TPS designated country of Syria 
for you to be eligible for this extension.

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

    Even though we have automatically extended your EAD, your employer 
is required by law to ask you about your continued employment 
authorization. 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. Once your employer has reviewed the ``Card Expires'' date 
and Category code, your employer should update the EAD expiration date 
in Section 2 of Form I-9. See the section ``What updates should my 
current employer make to Form I-9 if my EAD 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 USCIS has automatically 
extended your EAD through September 30, 2023, but you are not required 
to do so. The last day of the automatic EAD extension is September 30, 
2023. Before you start work on October 1, 2023, your employer is 
required by law to reverify your employment authorization on Form I-9. 
By 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 employment authorization.
    Your employer may not specify which List A or List C document you 
must present and cannot reject an acceptable receipt.

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 March 31, 2024, 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 Syrian 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 Syrian citizenship or proof of registration for 
TPS when completing Form I-9 for new hires or reverifying the 
employment authorization of current employees. If

[[Page 46990]]

you present an EAD that USCIS has automatically extended, employers 
should accept it as a valid List A document so long as the EAD 
reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to you. 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.

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

    When using an automatically extended EAD to complete Form I-9 for a 
new job before October 1, 2023:
    1. For Section 1, you should:
    a. Check ``An alien authorized to work until'' and enter September 
30, 2023, 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.)
    2. For Section 2, employers should:
    a. Determine if the EAD is auto-extended by ensuring it is in 
category A-12 or C-19 and has a ``Card Expires'' date of September 30, 
2022, March 31, 2021, September 30, 2019, or March 31, 2018;
    b. Write in the document title;
    c. Enter the issuing authority;
    d. Provide the document number; and
    e. Write September 30, 2023, as the expiration date.
    Before the start of work on October 1, 2023, employers must 
reverify the employee's employment authorization on Form I-9.

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

    If you presented a TPS-related EAD that was valid when you first 
started your job and USCIS has now automatically extended your EAD, 
your employer may need to re-inspect your current EAD if they do 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-
12 or C-19 on the front of the card and has a ``Card Expires'' date of 
September 30, 2022, March 31, 2021, September 30, 2019, or March 31, 
2018. The employer may not rely on the country of birth listed on the 
card to determine whether you are eligible for this extension.
    If your employer determines that USCIS has automatically extended 
your EAD, your employer should update Section 2 of your previously 
completed Form I-9 as follows:
    1. Write EAD EXT and September 30, 2023, as the last day of the 
automatic extension in the Additional Information field; and
    2. Initial and date the correction.
    Note: This is not considered a reverification. Employers do not 
reverify the employee until either the one-year automatic extension has 
ended, or the employee presents a new document to show continued 
employment authorization, whichever is sooner. By October 1, 2023, when 
the employee's automatically extended EAD has expired, employers are 
required by law to reverify the employee's employment authorization on 
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 
entering the number from the Document Number field on Form I-9 into the 
document number field in E-Verify. Employers should enter September 30, 
2023, as the expiration date for an EAD that has been extended under 
this Federal Register notice

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

    E-Verify automated the verification process for TPS-related EADs 
that are automatically extended. If you have employees who provided a 
TPS-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 to expire. Before this 
employee starts work on October 1, 2023, you must reverify their 
employment authorization on Form I-9. Employers may 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, 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

[[Page 46991]]

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 justice.gov/ier and the 
USCIS and E-Verify websites at uscis.gov/i-9-central and e-verify.gov.

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

    For Federal purposes, TPS beneficiaries presenting an automatically 
extended EAD referenced in this Federal Register notice do not need to 
show any other document, such as an I-797C Notice of Action or this 
Federal Register notice, to prove that they qualify for this extension. 
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 may be used by DHS to determine if you have TPS or another 
immigration status. Examples of such documents are:
     Your current EAD with a TPS category code of A12 or C19, 
even if your country of birth noted on the EAD does not reflect the TPS 
designated country of Syria;
     Your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record;
     Your Form I-797, Notice of Action, reflecting approval of 
your Form I-765; or
     Form I-797, Notice of Action, reflecting approval or 
receipt of a past or 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.
    While SAVE can verify when an individual has TPS, each agency's 
procedures govern whether they will accept an unexpired EAD, Form I-
797, or Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record. If an agency accepts the 
type of TPS-related document you are presenting, such as an EAD, the 
agency should accept your automatically extended EAD, regardless of the 
country of birth listed on the EAD. It may assist the agency if you:
    a. Present the agency with a copy of the relevant Federal Register 
notice showing the extension of TPS-related documentation in addition 
to your recent TPS-related document with your A-Number, USCIS number, 
or Form I-94 number;
    b. Explain that SAVE will be able to verify the continuation of 
your TPS 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 verifying your TPS.
    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 TPS-related documentation. 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/. 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, 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. 2022-16508 Filed 7-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-97-P