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12/30/98

**Temporary Protected Status(TPS) for Hondurans, Nicaraguans**

**TPS Designation Will Last 18 Months**

The designation of TPS for Honduras and Nicaragua,announced today by Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Commissioner DorisMeissner, was issued for the maximum 18 months and can be extended by the Attorney Generalif she determines that conditions warrant.

TPS is a temporary immigration status granted to eligiblenationals of designated countries. TPS beneficiaries are granted a stay of removal andwork authorization for the designated TPS period and for any extensions of the designation**.TPS does not lead to, and cannot be used to obtain, permanent resident status.**- Who is eligible? 
The designation covers Hondurans and Nicaraguans who havecontinuously resided in the United States as of December 30, 1998. The applicant must alsobe admissible as an immigrant, although some inadmissibilities may be waived, and mustapply for TPS within the time specified by the Attorney General- six months from the dateof publication in the *Federal Register*.
People who have been convicted of a felony or two or moremisdemeanors committed in the United States or people barred from asylum are not eligiblefor TPS.What is the procedure to apply for TPS? 

Applicants will need to file anApplication for Temporary Protected Status, Form I-821, along with the supporting evidencefor TPS, and an Application for Employment Authorization, Form I-765, for workauthorization. The completed forms must then be mailed to the INS Service Center withjurisdiction over where the applicant lives. The INS Service Center will notify applicantswhen to get their fingerprints taken at their nearest INS Applicantion Support Center(ASC). The costs associated with applying for TPS are $50 to file for TPS, $100 to filefor a work authorization card, and $25 to be fingerprinted, for a total cost of $175.Applicants who already have or do not wish to receive employment authorization still mustsubmit a completed Form I-765, but without the accompanying fee. Applicants may request awaiver of TPS-related application filing fees-but not the fingerprinting fee-by submittingproper documentation of inability to pay.

INS will establish a 1-800 hot line phonenumber for information and instructions on filing for TPS. In addition, the INS FormsLine, 1-800-870-3676, will have a listing for TPS forms that applicants can then order andhave mailed to their residence. The forms can also be obtained from the INS Website,***www.ins.usdoj.gov***.

Applicants will not have to visit theirlocal INS district office during the TPS process. What happens to Hondurans and Nicaraguans currently in    detention? 

In general, those in detention who are eligible for TPSwill be released. However, many aliens-including those who have been convicted of a felonyor two or more misdemeanors committed in the United States and those for whom an asylumbar would apply-are not eligible for TPS and will not be released from detention.Will Hondurans or Nicaraguans who arrive in the United    States after December 30, 1998, be eligible for TPS? 

No. TPS is an emergency relief measure intended to assistthose nationals of a given country who are already in the United States at the time of thedesignation. The cases of Hondurans and Nicaraguans who arrive after December 30, 1998,will be handled in accordance with U.S. immigration law. Will Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals protected by TPS    be permitted to travel to their home countries during the TPS period? 

INS will base its decision on an advance paroleapplication and decide on a case-by-case basis. 

- INS -
Last Modified 02/20/2003