```

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 93641-93647]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27788]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

[CIS No. 2789-25; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2024-0015]
RIN 1615-ZC11

Designation of Lebanon 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 Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, 
beginning on November 27, 2024, and ending on May 27, 2026. This 
designation allows Lebanese nationals (and individuals having no 
nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon) who have 
continuously resided in the United States since October 16, 2024, and 
who have been continuously physically present in the United States 
since November 27, 2024, to apply for TPS.

DATES: Designation of Lebanon for TPS begins on November 27, 2024, and 
will remain in effect for 18 months. For registration instructions, see 
the Registration Information section below.

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 240-721-3000.
     For further information on TPS, including guidance on the 
registration process and additional information on eligibility, please 
visit the USCIS TPS web page at https://uscis.gov/tps. You can find 
specific information about Lebanon's TPS designation by selecting 
``Lebanon'' from the menu on the left side of the TPS web page.
     If you have additional questions about TPS, please visit 
https://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 cannot find your answers there, you may also call our 
USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

[[Page 93642]]

     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 https://uscis.gov/contactcenter.
     You can also find more information at local USCIS offices 
after this notice is published.

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-131--Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and 
Arrival/Departure Records
Form I-765--Application for Employment Authorization
Form I-797--Notice of Action (Approval Notice)
Form I-797C--Notice of Action (Receipt 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
PDF--Portable Document Format
SAVE--USCIS Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program
Secretary--Secretary of Homeland Security
TPS--Temporary Protected Status
TTY--Text Telephone
USCIS--U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S.C.--United States Code

Registration Information

    Registration: The registration period for individuals to apply for 
TPS begins on November 27, 2024, and will remain in effect through May 
27, 2026.

Purpose of This Action (TPS)

    Through this notice, DHS sets forth procedures necessary for 
nationals of Lebanon (or individuals having no nationality who last 
habitually resided in Lebanon) to submit an initial registration 
application under the designation of Lebanon for TPS and apply for an 
Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Under the designation, 
individuals must submit an initial Application for Temporary Protected 
Status (Form I-821) for Lebanon, and they may also submit an 
Application for Employment Authorization (Form I-765), during the 18-
month initial registration period that runs from November 27, 2024, 
through May 27, 2026. In addition to demonstrating continuous residence 
in the United States since October 16, 2024,\1\ 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 November 27, 2024, the effective date of this 
designation of Lebanon, before USCIS may grant them TPS. DHS estimates 
that approximately 11,000 individuals are eligible to apply for TPS 
under the designation of Lebanon.
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    \1\ The ``continuous residence date'' (CR) is any date 
established by the Secretary when a country is designated (or 
sometimes redesignated) for TPS. 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 a later date 
established by the Secretary. See INA sec. 244(b)(2)(A) (effective 
date of designation), (c)(1)(A)(i)-(ii) (discussing CR and CPP date 
requirements); 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(2)(A), (c)(1)(A)(i)-(ii).
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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, are 
authorized to work, and may obtain EADs if they continue to meet the 
requirements of TPS.
     TPS beneficiaries may also apply for and be granted travel 
authorization as a matter of DHS 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.

What authority does the Secretary have to designate Lebanon 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.\2\ The 
Secretary may designate a country (or part of a country) for TPS on the 
basis of an ``ongoing armed conflict'' in the country if, due to such 
conflict, requiring the return of that country's nationals ``would pose 
a serious threat to their personal safety.'' \3\ The Secretary also may 
designate a country (or part thereof) for TPS if the Secretary finds 
``that there exist extraordinary and temporary conditions'' in the 
country that prevent that country's nationals ``from returning to the 
[country] in safety,'' unless the Secretary finds that permitting such 
nationals ``to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to 
the national interest of the United States.'' \4\
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    \2\ Although INA section 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, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002); see 
also 8 U.S.C. 1103(a); 6 U.S.C. 557.
    \3\ INA sec. 244(b)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(A).
    \4\ INA sec. 244(b)(1)(C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(C). In addition, 
the Secretary may designate a country (or part thereof) for TPS 
based on an environmental disaster if the country has officially 
requested such designation and certain other statutory requirements 
are met. INA sec. 244(b)(1)(B), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(B).
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    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 sec. 244(b)(5)(A), 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(b)(5)(A). The Secretary, at their 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 sec. 244(a)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(a)(1)(A).
    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 sec. 244(b)(3)(A), 
8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(A). If the Secretary determines that the 
conditions in the foreign state continue to meet the conditions for TPS 
designation, the designation will be extended for an additional period 
of six months or, in the Secretary's discretion, 12 or 18 months. See 
INA sec. 244(b)(3)(A), (C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(A), (C). If the 
Secretary determines that the foreign

[[Page 93643]]

state no longer meets the conditions for TPS designation, the Secretary 
must terminate the designation. See INA sec. 244(b)(3)(B), 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(b)(3)(B).

Why was Lebanon designated for TPS?

    DHS has reviewed conditions in Lebanon. Based on this 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 designation is warranted because of armed conflict and 
extraordinary and temporary conditions described below.\5\
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    \5\ This TPS designation for Lebanon is separate and apart from 
the President's July 26, 2024 memorandum providing for deferred 
enforced departure (DED) for certain Lebanese nationals in the 
United States. See Deferred Enforced Departure for Certain Lebanese 
Nationals, 89 FR 61341 (July 26, 2024); see also Implementation of 
Employment Authorization for Individuals Covered by Deferred 
Enforced Departure for Lebanon, 89 FR 83901 (Oct. 18, 2024).
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Overview

    Long-standing humanitarian needs in Lebanon have been exacerbated 
by an escalation of armed conflict in the country, resulting in 
civilian casualties and massive numbers of displaced individuals. 
Lebanon was already grappling with profound socioeconomic and political 
crises, and the destruction and casualties caused by the ongoing armed 
conflict further threaten the safety of people in Lebanon and have 
significantly intensified the impact of the crises on people in 
Lebanon.

Armed Conflict

    Since October 7, 2023, there has been an escalation of hostilities 
across the Lebanon-Israel border between Hezbollah \6\ and the Israel 
Defense Forces. By September 2024, the conflict between Israel and 
Hezbollah had significantly escalated, with Israel launching a ground 
invasion of southern Lebanon on September 30, 2024.\7\ Israeli 
airstrikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds, including in urban regions 
in and around Beirut, caused civilian casualties and displacement.\8\
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    \6\ Hezbollah (also spelled ``Hizballah'') was designated as a 
foreign terrorist organization in 1997. See U.S. Dep't of State, 
Country Reports on Terrorism 2022, 276, Nov. 30, 2023, available at 
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Country_Reports_on_Terrorism_2022-v3.pdf (accessed Oct. 15, 2024).
    \7\ Israel-Hezbollah conflict in maps: Where is fighting 
happening in Lebanon, BBC, Oct. 9, 2024, available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9vp7dg3ml1o (last visited Oct. 31, 2024); 
ReliefWeb, Statement By the Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, 
Imran Riza, on the One-Year Mark of Escalations in Lebanon, 9 
October 2024, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/statement-humanitarian-coordinator-lebanon-imran-riza-one-year-mark-escalations-lebanon-9-october-2024-enar (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \8\ Melanie Lidman, Bassam Hatoum, and Bassem Mroue, Israel 
expands its bombardment in Lebanon as thousands flee widening war, 
AP, October 5, 2024, available at: https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-lebanon-hezbollah-hamas-5-october-2024-a8b70daeccc57a86fc6d939c604f2caf (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
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    Since October 2023, more than 2,000 people in Lebanon have been 
killed and almost 10,000 injured, with approximately 1,100 people in 
Lebanon killed and 7,000 injured between September 17, 2024, and 
October 7, 2024 alone.\9\ Approximately one million people have been 
impacted by the conflict, with estimates of between 541,000 and one 
million people being displaced in Lebanon, and over 200,000 people have 
fled to Syria.\10\ The armed conflict has resulted in one of the 
deadliest periods in Lebanon's recent history.\11\
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    \9\ 9 Lebanon: Flash Update #33--Escalation of hostilities in 
Lebanon, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian 
Affairs (OCHA), Oct. 9, 2024, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-flash-update-33-escalation-hostilities-lebanon-7-october-2024 (last visited Oct. 31, 2024); Lebanon: At a 
Glance--Escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, as of 07 October 2024, 
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
(OCHA), Oct. 7, 2024, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-glance-escalation-hostilities-lebanon-07-october-2024-assistance-provided-27-september-2024 (last visited Oct. 31, 
2024).
    \10\ OCHA, Today's top news: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian 
Territory, Cameroon, Oct. 18, 2024, available at: https://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-lebanon-occupied-palestinian-territory-cameroon (accessed Oct. 31, 2024); Displacement Tracking 
Matrix: Lebanon, Mobility Snapshot: Round 51, International 
Organization for Migration (IOM), Oct. 7, 2024, available at: 
https://dtm.iom.int/reports/lebanon-mobility-snapshot-round-51-07-10-2024 (last visited Oct. 31, 2024). See also European Commission, 
Lebanon, available at: https://civil-protection-humanitarian-
aid.ec.europa.eu/where/middle-east-and-northern-africa/
lebanon_en#:~:text=People%20in%20Lebanon%2C%20including%20refugees,ar
e%20dramatically%20exacerbating%20these%20vulnerabilities (accessed 
Oct. 31, 2024); United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 
Displaced families in Lebanon yearn for peace and a return home, 
Oct. 6, 2024, available at: https://www.unhcr.org/us/news/stories/displaced-families-lebanon-yearn-peace-and-return-home (accessed 
Nov. 4, 2024).
    \11\ ReliefWeb, Statement By the Humanitarian Coordinator for 
Lebanon, Imran Riza, on the One-Year Mark of Escalations in Lebanon, 
9 October 2024, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/statement-humanitarian-coordinator-lebanon-imran-riza-one-year-mark-escalations-lebanon-9-october-2024-enar (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
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Economic Crisis

    Lebanon has been experiencing an economic crisis since 2019.\12\ In 
October 2019, the Lebanese pound collapsed due to the nation's 
``unstable fixed exchange rate, large external and fiscal deficits, and 
mounting losses in the banking sector, which led to an abrupt reduction 
of capital inflows.'' \13\ In March 2020, Lebanon defaulted on its 
government debt for the first time in its history.\14\ Since the onset 
of the financial crisis in 2019, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 
98% of its value.\15\ In 2021, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 
estimated that Lebanon's economic collapse may be the third worst 
economic crisis in the world since the mid-nineteenth century.\16\ 
Almost four years after the collapse, in December 2023, the IMF warned 
that ``the small nation is still facing `enormous economic challenges,' 
with a collapsed banking sector, eroding public services, deteriorating 
infrastructure and worsening poverty.'' \17\
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    \12\ Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, The End Game 
to Lebanon's Woes: IMF Reform and Political Willingness, Nov. 10, 
2023, available at: https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2023/11/10/the-end-game-to-lebanons-woes-imf-reform-and-political-willingness/ 
(accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \13\ Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, The End Game 
to Lebanon's Woes: IMF Reform and Political Willingness, Nov. 10, 
2023, available at: https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2023/11/10/the-end-game-to-lebanons-woes-imf-reform-and-political-willingness/ 
(accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \14\ The Guardian, Lebanon to default on debt for first time 
amid financial crisis, Mar. 7, 2020, available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/07/lebanon-to-default-on-debt-for-first-time-amid-financial-crisis (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \15\ World Bank, Lebanon: New World Bank Project to Restore 
Basic Fiscal Management Functions in Support of Public Service 
Delivery, Feb. 15, 2024, available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/
news/press-release/2024/02/15/lebanon-new-world-bank-project-to-
restore-basic-fiscal-management-functions-in-support-of-public-
service-
delivery#:~:text=Beirut%2C%20February%2015%2C%202024%20%E2%80%93,and%
20use%20of%20public%20resources (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \16\ The World Bank, Lebanon Economic Monitor, Spring 2021: 
Lebanon Sinking (to the Top 3), available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lebanon/publication/lebanon-economic-monitor-spring-2021-lebanon-sinking-to-the-top-3 (accessed Oct. 31, 
2024).
    \17\ Bassem Mroue, IMF warns Lebanon that the country is still 
facing enormous challenges, years after a meltdown began, Reuters, 
Sept. 15, 2023, available at: https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-imf-central-bank-sayrafa-banks-meltdown-0d56ddea8dc9510d110959f794a06ed9 (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
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    Poverty in Lebanon has more than tripled over the past decade 
reaching 44% of the total population.\18\ Families in Lebanon are 
described as multidimensionally poor, with ``rising deprivation in the 
areas of health care, medicines, services, education employment, 
housing and assets.'' \19\

[[Page 93644]]

Protective food subsidies have ended and living costs have risen 
dramatically, preventing families from accessing enough food and other 
basic needs each day.\20\
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    \18\ World Bank, Lebanon Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024: 
Weathering a Protracted Crisis (English). Washington, DC: World Bank 
Group, May 23, 2024, available at: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099052224104516741/pdf/P1766511325da10a71ab6b1ae97816dd20c.pdf (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \19\ United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western 
Asia (ESCWA), Multidimensional poverty in Lebanon (2019-2021), 
available at: https://www.unescwa.org/sites/default/files/news/docs/21-00634-_multidimentional_poverty_in_lebanon_-policy_brief_-_en.pdf 
(accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \20\ IPC--Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, 
Lebanon: Acute Food Insecurity Projection Update for April-September 
2023, May 30, 2024, available at: https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1157035/?iso3=LBN (accessed Nov. 
5, 2024).
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Political Crisis

    Since 2022, reports have implicated current and former Lebanese 
prime ministers in corruption cases.\21\ More crucially, Lebanon has 
not had a President since 2022, when Michel Aoun stepped down a day 
before his presidential term expired.\22\ The country's affairs are run 
by an unelected caretaker government; with no elected president, 
passage of new legislation and much needed economic reform is not 
occurring.\23\ Moreover, since the hostilities increased between Israel 
and Hezbollah, tensions have also increased between Hezbollah and Sunni 
and Maronite factions, making political agreements unlikely in the 
near-term.\24\
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    \21\ The Washington Post, Pandora Papers: Leaks prompt 
investigations in some countries--and denial in others, Oct. 9, 
2021, available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/10/09/
russia-ukraine-jordan-lebanon-pandora-papers/ (accessed Oct. 31, 
2024).
    \22\ Lebanon's president leaves with no replacement amid 
political, economic crisis, PBS News Hour, Oct. 30, 2022, available 
at: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/lebanons-president-leaves-with-no-replacement-amid-political-economic-crisis (accessed Oct. 
31, 2024); Matt Bradley, Analysis: As war rages, some in Lebanon see 
opportunity in a weakened Hezbollah, NBC News, Oct. 4, 2024, 
available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-hezbollah-war-nasrallah-airstrikes-hamas-gaza-assassinations-rcna173851 
(accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \23\ Matt Bradley, Analysis: As war rages, some in Lebanon see 
opportunity in a weakened Hezbollah, NBC News, Oct. 4, 2024, 
available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-hezbollah-war-nasrallah-airstrikes-hamas-gaza-assassinations-rcna173851 
(accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \24\ Instability in Lebanon, Global Conflict Tracker, Center for 
Preventive Action, Council on Foreign Relations, Feb. 13, 2024, 
available at: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/political-instability-lebanon (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
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    The inability to effectively govern in Lebanon has resulted in 
financial insolvency, crumbling infrastructure, and the inability to 
provide basic services including access to electricity and fuel.\25\ 
Problems with the electric utility are particularly severe, leading to 
shortages, including in August of this year when ``Lebanon's only 
operational power plant shut down after the state-run electricity 
company . . . ran out of fuel, resulting in a complete nationwide power 
outage.'' \26\ The blackout ``left residents and key state 
institutions, such as the airport, water pump stations, sewage systems, 
and prisons, without state-provided electricity for more than 24 hours, 
and reliant on costly and highly polluting private diesel generators.'' 
\27\ The Lebanese state is unable to provide the vast majority of 
citizens with more than one to three hours of electricity per day.\28\ 
This lack of access to electricity has adversely impacted access to 
education, health, water, sanitation, and a healthy environment.\29\
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    \25\ International Organization for Migration, Lebanon Crisis 
Response Plan 2024, available at: https://crisisresponse.iom.int/response/lebanon-crisis-response-plan-2024 (accessed Oct. 31, 2024); 
Human Rights Watch, Cut Off From Life Itself: Lebanon's Failure on 
the Right to Electricity, Mar. 9, 2023, available at: https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/03/09/cut-life-itself/lebanons-failure-right-electricity (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \26\ Human Rights Watch, Lebanon: Nationwide Electricity 
Blackout, Aug. 29, 2024, available at https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/29/lebanon-nationwide-electricity-blackout (accessed Oct. 31, 
2024).
    \27\ Human Rights Watch, Lebanon: Nationwide Electricity 
Blackout, Aug. 29, 2024, available at https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/29/lebanon-nationwide-electricity-blackout (accessed Oct. 31, 
2024).
    \28\ Human Rights Watch, ``Cut Off From Life Itself'' Lebanon's 
Failure on the Right to Electricity, Mar. 9, 2023, available at: 
https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/03/09/cut-life-itself/lebanons-failure-right-electricity (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \29\ Id.
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Humanitarian Crisis

    The economic crisis, government failings, and recent escalating 
conflict have worsened an already fragile humanitarian situation in 
Lebanon.\30\ According to the United Nations Office for the 
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, ``one year on from the escalation 
of hostilities across the country's southern border, Lebanon's 
humanitarian crisis is deteriorating at an alarming rate,'' with 
Israeli airstrikes expanding beyond the border into civilian areas and 
greatly impacting vulnerable populations in Lebanon.\31\ Access to 
sufficient food, water, and healthcare has decreased.\32\ Humanitarian 
needs continue to increase amid the escalating hostilities in Lebanon, 
exacerbated by the damage to vital infrastructure.\33\
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    \30\ OCHA, Today's top news: Israel and Occupied Palestinian 
Territory, Lebanon, Sudan, Oct. 7, 2024, available at: https://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territory-lebanon-sudan (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \31\ Lebanon: Flash Update #33--Escalation of hostilities in 
Lebanon, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian 
Affairs (OCHA), Oct. 9, 2024, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-flash-update-33-escalation-hostilities-lebanon-7-october-2024 (last visited Oct. 31, 2024).
    \32\ OCHA, Today's top news: Israel and Occupied Palestinian 
Territory, Lebanon, Sudan, Oct. 7, 2024, available at: https://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territory-lebanon-sudan (accessed Oct. 31, 2024); World Food 
Programme, Lebanon, available at: https://www.wfp.org/countries/lebanon (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \33\ OCHA, Today's top news: Israel and Occupied Palestinian 
Territory, Lebanon, Sudan, Oct. 7, 2024, available at: https://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territory-lebanon-sudan (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
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    Financial barriers and lack of medicine have significantly reduced 
access to health care in Lebanon.\34 \ The ongoing hostilities have 
aggravated these issues, with services struggling to respond to the 
needs of the displaced and conflict-affected,\35\ and health care 
facilities have been either destroyed or closed due to the 
conflict.\36\ Access to food and potable water continue to be limited, 
as ``[w]ater infrastructure is also affected with to date, at least 25 
water facilities damaged affecting more than 300,000 people.'' \37\ 
According to the World Food Programme, 2.5 million people of the 5.3 
million population need food assistance and 47.5 percent of people in 
Lebanon (including Lebanese nationals and refugees) are food 
insecure.\38\
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    \34\ European Commission, Lebanon, available at: https://civil-
protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/where/middle-east-and-
northern-africa/
lebanon_en#:~:text=People%20in%20Lebanon%2C%20including%20refugees,ar
e%20dramatically%20exacerbating%20these%20vulnerabilities (accessed 
Oct. 31, 2024).
    \35\ Id.
    \36\ OCHA, Today's top news: Israel and Occupied Palestinian 
Territory, Lebanon, Sudan, Oct. 7, 2024, available at: https://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territory-lebanon-sudan (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \37\ Id.
    \38\ World Food Programme, Lebanon, available at: https://www.wfp.org/countries/lebanon (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
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    Moreover, increasing levels of internal displacement are 
exacerbating the challenges facing Lebanon, including those related to 
hosting the substantial Syrian refugee population.\39\ Children have 
also been impacted by the conflict. The start of the new school year 
has been postponed until November 4th as 75 percent of the country's 
public schools have been converted into shelters.\40\ ``More than 10% 
of the 1.2

[[Page 93645]]

million school-aged Lebanese children are out of school, mainly due to 
economic vulnerabilities. Additionally, 54% of the 715,000 Syrian 
refugee children are out of formal education, with only 47,000 of them 
accessing some form of non-formal education.'' \41\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \39\ OCHA, Today's top news: Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian 
Territory, Cameroon, Oct. 18, 2024, available at: https://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-lebanon-occupied-palestinian-territory-cameroon (accessed Oct. 31, 2024); Human Rights Watch, 
Lebanon Events of 2022, available at: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/lebanon (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \40\ ReliefWeb, Statement by the Humanitarian Coordinator for 
Lebanon, Imran Riza, on the One-Year Mark of Escalations in Lebanon, 
9 October 2024, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/statement-humanitarian-coordinator-lebanon-imran-riza-one-year-mark-escalations-lebanon-9-october-2024-enar (accessed Oct. 31, 2024).
    \41\ European Commission, Lebanon, available at: https://civil-
protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/where/middle-east-and-
northern-africa/
lebanon_en#:~:text=People%20in%20Lebanon%2C%20including%20refugees,ar
e%20dramatically%20exacerbating%20these%20vulnerabilities (accessed 
Oct. 31, 2024).
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    In summary, based on the escalation of armed conflict and its 
resulting impacts on critical infrastructure, pre-existing economic and 
political crises, and further deteriorating humanitarian conditions, 
Lebanese nationals are unable to return safely to their homes.

Notice of the Designation of Lebanon 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 Lebanon's designation for TPS on the basis of armed conflict 
and extraordinary and temporary conditions are met, and it is not 
contrary to the national interest of the United States to permit TPS 
Lebanon beneficiaries to remain in the United States temporarily. See 
INA sec. 244(b)(1)(A) and (C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(A) and (C). I 
estimate approximately 11,000 individuals may be eligible for TPS under 
the designation of Lebanon. On the basis of this determination, I am 
designating Lebanon for TPS for 18 months, beginning on November 27, 
2024, and ending on May 27, 2026. See INA sec. 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 Lebanon, you must 
submit a Form I-821 and pay the filing fee (or request a fee waiver, 
which you may submit on Form I-912). You also need to pay a biometric 
services fee. If you cannot pay the biometric services fee, you may ask 
USCIS to waive the fee. Please see additional information under the 
``Biometric Services Fee'' section of this notice.
    TPS beneficiaries are eligible for an EAD, which proves they are 
authorized to work in the United States. You do not need to submit Form 
I-765 or have an EAD to be granted TPS, but if you want an EAD to use 
as proof that you can work in the United States, see below for more 
information.
    For more information on the application forms and fees for TPS, 
please visit the USCIS TPS web page at https://www.uscis.gov/tps. Fees 
for the Form I-821, the Form I-765, and biometric services are also 
described in 8 CFR 106.2 and the fee waiver-related regulations in 8 
CFR 106.3. In addition, USCIS Form G-1055, Fee Schedule, provides the 
current fees required for the Form I-821 and Form I-765 for TPS 
applicants.

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

    Everyone 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. If you want to obtain an EAD, you must file Form I-765 
and pay the Form I-765 fee (or request a fee waiver, which you may 
submit on Form I-912). TPS applicants may file this form along with 
their TPS application, or at a later date, if their TPS application is 
still pending or has been approved.

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

    If USCIS denies your fee waiver request, you can resubmit your TPS 
application. The fee waiver denial notice will contain specific 
instructions about resubmitting your application.

Filing Information

    USCIS offers the option to applicants for TPS under Lebanon's 
designation to file Form I-821 and related requests for EADs online or 
by mail. However, if you file Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver or a 
written fee waiver request for your Form I-821 or any applications 
filed together with your Form I-821, you must submit your applications 
by mail. When filing a TPS application, you can also request an EAD by 
submitting a completed Form I-765 with your Form I-821. Under certain 
circumstances, you may also upload a completed Form I-765 with a fee or 
fee waiver request, in Portable Document Format (PDF) through your 
USCIS online account. More information about filing your Form I-765 and 
fee waiver request through a PDF upload is available at https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/stakeholder-messages/uscis-launches-online-pdf-filing-option.
    Online filing: Form I-821 and Form I-765 are available for 
concurrent filing online.\42\ To file these forms online, you must 
first create a USCIS online account.\43\
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    \42\ Find information about online filing at ``Forms Available 
to File Online,'' https://www.uscis.gov/file-online/forms-available-to-file-online.
    \43\ https://myaccount.uscis.gov/users/sign_up.
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    PDF upload: Form I-765, if applicable, and Form I-912, if 
applicable, are available for PDF upload. To upload these documents, 
you must first create a USCIS online account.\44\
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    \44\ https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/stakeholder-messages/uscis-launches-online-pdf-filing-option. Sign up to create a new USCIS 
online account at https://myaccount.uscis.gov/users/sign_up.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Mail filing: Mail your completed Form I-821; Form I-765, if 
applicable; Form I-912, if applicable; and supporting documentation to 
the proper address in Table 1--Mailing Addresses.

                       Table 1--Mailing Addresses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Then, mail your application
  If you send your paper application via:                to:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Postal Service USPS:                   USCIS
                                            Attn: TPS Lebanon, P.O. Box
                                             6943, Chicago, IL 60680-
                                             6943.
FedEx, UPS, or DHL deliveries:              USCIS
                                            Attn: TPS Lebanon (Box
                                             6943), 131 S. Dearborn St.
                                             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 want to request an EAD, you may 
submit Form I-765 one of three ways: online, mail your Form I-765 to 
the appropriate address in table 1, or upload a completed PDF through 
your USCIS online account. If you file online, you must include the 
fee. If you file by mail, you must include the fee or fee waiver 
request. If you file by PDF upload, you must include the fee or a fee 
waiver request. When you request an EAD based on an IJ or BIA grant of 
TPS, include with your application a copy of the order from the IJ or 
BIA granting you TPS. This will help us verify your grant of TPS and 
process your application.

Supporting Documents

    The filing instructions for Form I-821 list all the documents you 
need to establish eligibility for TPS. You may

[[Page 93646]]

also find information on the acceptable documentation and other 
requirements for applying (also called registering) for TPS on the 
USCIS website at https://uscis.gov/tps under ``Lebanon.''

Travel

    TPS beneficiaries and TPS applicants with pending Form I-821 
applications may also apply for travel authorization, which USCIS may 
grant as a matter of discretion. You must file for travel authorization 
if you wish to travel outside of the United States. If USCIS grants 
travel authorization, it gives you permission to leave the United 
States and return during a specific period. To request travel 
authorization, you must file Form I-131, available at https://www.uscis.gov/i-131. You may file Form I-131 together with your Form I-
821 or separately.
    When you file Form I-131, a TPS beneficiary must:
     Select Item Number 4 in Part 1 on the Form I-131; and
     Submit the fee for Form I-131, or request a fee waiver, 
which you may submit on Form I-912.
    When you file Form I-131, a TPS applicant with a pending Form I-821 
must:
     Select Item Number 5C in Part 1 on the Form I-131; and
     Submit the fee for Form I-131, or request a fee waiver, 
which you may submit on Form I-912.
    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, Notice 
of Action, or Form I-797C, Notice of Action, indicating either approval 
or receipt of Form I-821. Form I-131 may not be filed by PDF upload.

                       Table 2--Mailing Addresses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            If you are . . .                      Mail to . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filing Form I-131 together with a Form   The address provided in table
 I-821.                                   1.
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 Notice of
 Action (Form I-797C or I-797) showing
 USCIS received 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 Notice
 of Action (Form I-797C or Form I-797)
 showing USCIS received or approved
 your Form I-821.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biometric Services Fee for TPS

    Biometrics (such as fingerprints) are required for all applicants, 
in addition to a biometric services fee. As previously stated, if you 
cannot pay the biometric services fee, you may request a fee waiver, 
which you may submit on Form I-912. For more information on the 
application forms and fees for TPS, please visit the USCIS TPS web page 
at https://uscis.gov/tps. USCIS may require you to visit an Application 
Support Center to have your biometrics collected. For additional 
information on the USCIS biometric screening process, please see the 
USCIS Customer Profile Management Service Privacy Impact Assessment, 
available at https://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhsuscispia-060-customer-profile-management-service-cpms.

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://uscis.gov/contactcenter. If you still need assistance, you may ask a 
question about your case online at https://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 my employer as evidence of 
identity and employment authorization to complete Form I-9?

    You can find the Lists of Acceptable Documents on Form I-9, 
Employment Eligibility Verification, as well as on the Acceptable 
Documents web page at https://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 business 
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 one selection from List A (which provides evidence 
of both identity and employment authorization) or one selection from 
List B (which provides evidence of your identity) together with one 
selection from List C (which provides evidence of employment 
authorization), or you may present an acceptable receipt as described 
in these lists. 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-9Central. 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, even if you already have an EAD or work authorization based on 
another immigration status. If you want to obtain a new TPS-based EAD 
valid through May 27, 2026, you must file Form I-765 and pay the 
associated fee (unless USCIS grants your fee waiver request).

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

    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 may not request proof of Lebanese 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

[[Page 93647]]

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, 
Spanish 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 many languages. Employers may also email IER 
at [email protected] or get more information online at https://www.justice.gov/ier.

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 and emails 
in English, Spanish and many other languages. Employees or job 
applicants may also call the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights 
Division, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (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 many 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 these lists. 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'' (mismatch) must promptly inform 
employees of the mismatch and give such employees an opportunity to 
take action to contest the mismatch. A mismatch 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 
mismatch while the case is still pending with E-Verify. A Final 
Nonconfirmation (FNC) case result occurs if 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 may show their EAD with category code of A12 or C19 to 
prove that they have TPS. 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 or applicant, 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, even 
if your country of birth noted on the EAD does not reflect the TPS-
designated country of Lebanon;
     Your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record;
     Your Form I-797, Notice of Action, reflecting approval of 
your Form I-765; or
     Your Form I-797 or Form I-797C, Notice of Action, 
reflecting approval or receipt of a current Form I-821, if you received 
one from USCIS.
    Check with the government agency requesting documentation about 
which documents the agency will accept.
    Some state and local government agencies use SAVE, https://www.uscis.gov/save, to confirm the current immigration status of 
applicants for public benefits. SAVE can verify when an individual has 
TPS or a pending TPS application 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.uscis.gov/save/save-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 (such as your 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 
allow you 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, https://www.uscis.gov/save/for-benefit-applicants, 
has detailed information on how to correct or update your immigration 
record, make an appointment, or submit a written request to correct 
records.

[FR Doc. 2024-27788 Filed 11-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-97-P
```