Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 2015 / Notices 245 

Seafarers, 1978 and U.S. Coast Guard 

Certifications; 

(2) The working group will review 

and develop proposed 

recommendations for Task Statement 

30; and 

(3) Adjournment of meeting. 

The agenda for the January 29, 2015, 

working group meeting is as follows: 

(1) The working group will review 

and develop proposed 

recommendations concerning evaluating 

military education, training, and 

assessment for the International 

Convention on Standards of Training, 

Certification and Watchkeeping for 

Seafarers, 1978 and U.S. Coast Guard 

Certifications; 

(2) Public comment period; 

(3) The working group will discuss 

and finalize proposed recommendations 

for the full committee to consider with 

regards to Task Statement 30, 

concerning evaluating military 

education, training, and assessment for 

the International Convention on 

Standards of Training, Certification and 

Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 and 

U.S. Coast Guard Certifications; and 

(4) Adjournment of meeting. 

Dated: December 29, 2014. 

J.G. Lantz, 

Director of Commercial Regulations and 

Standards. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30850 Filed 1–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 

Services 

[CIS No. 2548–14; DHS Docket No. USCIS– 

2013–0001] 

RIN 1615–ZB35 

Extension and Redesignation of the 

Syrian Arab Republic for Temporary 

Protected Status 

AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services, Department of 

Homeland Security. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Through this Notice, the 

Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) announces that the Secretary of 

Homeland Security (Secretary) is 

extending the designation of the Syrian 

Arab Republic (Syria) for Temporary 

Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, 

from April 1, 2015 through September 

30, 2016, and redesignating Syria for 

TPS for 18 months, effective April 1, 

2015 through September 30, 2016. 

The extension allows currently 

eligible TPS beneficiaries to retain TPS 

through September 30, 2016, so long as 

they otherwise continue to meet the 

eligibility requirements for TPS. The 

redesignation of Syria allows additional 

individuals who have been 

continuously residing in the United 

States since January 5, 2015 to obtain 

TPS, if otherwise eligible. The Secretary 

has determined that an extension of the 

current designation and a redesignation 

of Syria for TPS are warranted because 

the ongoing armed conflict and other 

extraordinary and temporary conditions 

that prompted the 2013 TPS 

redesignation have not only persisted, 

but have deteriorated, and because the 

ongoing armed conflict in Syria and 

other extraordinary and temporary 

conditions would pose a serious threat 

to the personal safety of Syrian 

nationals if they were required to return 

to their country. 

Through this Notice, DHS also sets 

forth procedures necessary for nationals 

of Syria (or aliens having no nationality 

who last habitually resided in Syria) 

either to: (1) Re-register under the 

extension if they already have TPS and 

to apply for renewal of their 

Employment Authorization Documents 

(EADs) with U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services (USCIS); or, (2) 

submit an initial registration application 

under the redesignation and apply for 

an EAD. 

For individuals who have already 

been granted TPS under the 2012 

original Syria designation or under the 

2013 Syria redesignation, the 60-day reregistration period runs from January 5, 

2015 through March 6, 2015. USCIS will 

issue new EADs with a September 30, 

2016 expiration date to eligible Syria 

TPS beneficiaries who timely re-register 

and apply for EADs under this 

extension. Given the timeframes 

involved with processing TPS reregistration applications, DHS 

recognizes that not all re-registrants will 

receive new EADs before their current 

EADs expire on March 31, 2015. 

Accordingly, through this Notice, DHS 

automatically extends the validity of 

EADs issued under the TPS designation 

of Syria for 6 months, through 

September 30, 2015, and explains how 

TPS beneficiaries and their employers 

may determine which EADs are 

automatically extended and their impact 

on Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) and E-Verify processes. 

Under the redesignation, individuals 

who currently do not have TPS (or an 

initial TPS application pending) may 

submit an initial application during the 

180-day initial registration period that 

runs from January 5, 2015 through July 

6, 2015. In addition to demonstrating 

continuous residence in the United 

States since January 5, 2015 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 April 

1, 2015, the effective date of this 

redesignation of Syria, before USCIS 

may grant them TPS. 

TPS initial applications that were 

either filed during 2012 designation or 

during the 2013 Syria redesignation and 

remain pending on January 5, 2015 will 

be treated as initial applications under 

this 2015 redesignation. Individuals 

who have a pending initial Syria TPS 

application will not need to file a new 

Application for Temporary Protected 

Status (Form I–821). DHS provides 

additional instructions in this Notice for 

individuals whose TPS applications 

remain pending and who would like to 

obtain an EAD valid through September 

30, 2016. 

DATES: Extension of Designation of Syria 

for TPS: The 18-month extension of the 

TPS designation of Syria is effective 

April 1, 2015, and will remain in effect 

through September 30, 2016. The 60-day 

re-registration period runs from January 

5, 2015 through March 6, 2015. 

Redesignation of Syria for TPS: The 

redesignation of Syria for TPS is 

effective April 1, 2015, and will remain 

in effect through September 30, 2016, a 

period of 18 months. The 180-day initial 

registration period for new applicants 

under the Syria TPS redesignation runs 

from January 5, 2015 through July 6, 

2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

• For further information on TPS, 

including guidance on the application 

process and additional information on 

eligibility, please visit the USCIS TPS 

Web page at http://www.uscis.gov/tps. 

You can find specific information about 

this extension and redesignation of 

Syria for TPS by selecting ‘‘TPS 

Designated Country: Syria’’ from the 

menu on the left side of the TPS Web 

page. 

• You can also contact the TPS 

Operations Program Manager at the 

Family and Status Branch, Service 

Center Operations Directorate, U.S. 

Citizenship and Immigration Services, 

Department of Homeland Security, 20 

Massachusetts Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20529–2060; or by 

phone at (202) 272–1533 (this is not a 

toll-free number). Note: The phone 

number provided here is solely for 

questions regarding this TPS Notice. It 

is not for individual case status 

inquiries. 

• Applicants seeking information 

about the status of their individual cases 

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246 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 2015 / Notices 

1As of March 1, 2003, in accordance with section 

1517 of title XV of the Homeland Security Act of 

2002, Public Law 107–296, 116 Stat. 2135, any 

reference to the Attorney General in a provision of 

the INA describing functions transferred from the 

Department of Justice to DHS ‘‘shall be deemed to 

refer to the Secretary’’ of Homeland Security. See 

6 U.S.C. 557 (codifying the Homeland Security Act 

of 2002, tit. XV, section 1517). 

can check Case Status Online, available 

at the USCIS Web site at http://

www.uscis.gov, or call the USCIS 

National Customer Service Center at 

800–375–5283 (TTY 800–767–1833). 

• Further information will also be 

available at local USCIS offices upon 

publication of this Notice. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Abbreviations 

BIA—Board of Immigration Appeals 

DHS—Department of Homeland Security 

DOS—Department of State 

EAD—Employment Authorization Document 

FNC—Final Nonconfirmation 

Government—U.S. Government 

IJ—Immigration Judge 

INA—Immigration and Nationality Act 

ISIL—Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 

(also sometimes referred to as the Islamic 

State, ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and alSham, or the Islamic State of Iraq and 

Syria) 

OSC—U.S. Department of Justice, Office of 

Special Counsel for Immigration-Related 

Unfair Employment Practices 

SARG—Syrian Arab Republic Government 

SAVE—USCIS Systematic Alien Verification 

for Entitlements Program 

Secretary—Secretary of Homeland Security 

TNC—Tentative Nonconfirmation 

TPS—Temporary Protected Status 

TTY—Text Telephone 

UN—United Nations 

UNHCR—United Nations High 

Commissioner for Refugees 

USAID—U.S. Agency for International 

Development 

USCIS—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 

Services 

What is Temporary Protected Status 

(TPS)? 

• TPS is a temporary immigration 

status granted to eligible nationals of a 

country designated for TPS under the 

Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 

or to eligible persons without 

nationality who last habitually resided 

in the designated country. 

• During the TPS designation period, 

TPS beneficiaries are eligible to remain 

in the United States and may obtain 

work authorization, so long as they 

continue to meet the requirements of 

TPS. 

• TPS beneficiaries may also be 

granted travel authorization as a matter 

of discretion. 

• The granting of TPS does not result 

in or lead to permanent resident status. 

• When the Secretary terminates a 

country’s TPS designation, beneficiaries 

return to the same immigration status 

they maintained before TPS, if any 

(unless that status has since expired or 

been terminated), or to any other 

lawfully obtained immigration status 

they received while registered for TPS. 

When was Syria designated for TPS? 

On March 29, 2012, the Secretary 

designated Syria for TPS based on 

extraordinary and temporary conditions 

within that country that prevented 

Syrian nationals and those with no 

nationality who last resided in Syria 

from returning to Syria in safety. See 

Designation of Syrian Arab Republic for 

Temporary Protected Status, 77 FR 

19026 (Mar. 29, 2012), and correction at 

77 FR 20046 (Apr. 3, 2012); see also INA 

section 244(b)(1)(C), 8 U.S.C. 

1254a(b)(1)(C). In 2013, the Secretary 

both extended Syria’s designation and 

redesignated Syria for TPS for 18 

months through March 31, 2015. See 

Extension and Redesignation of Syria 

for Temporary Protected Status, 78 FR 

36223 (Jun. 17, 2013). The 2013 

redesignation of Syria for TPS added the 

ongoing armed conflict in Syria as an 

additional basis for TPS. This 

announcement is the third designation 

of TPS for Syria and the first extension 

since the 2013 redesignation. 

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 U.S. 

Government (Government) agencies, to 

designate a foreign state (or part thereof) 

for TPS if the Secretary finds that 

certain country conditions exist.1 The 

Secretary may then grant TPS to eligible 

nationals of that foreign state (or aliens 

having no nationality who last 

habitually resided in that state). See INA 

section 244(a)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 

1254a(a)(1)(A). 

At least 60 days before the expiration 

of a country’s TPS designation or 

extension, the Secretary, after 

consultation with appropriate 

Government agencies, must review the 

conditions in a foreign state designated 

for TPS to determine whether the 

conditions for the TPS designation 

continue to be met. See INA section 

244(b)(3)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(A). If 

the Secretary determines that a foreign 

state continues to meet the conditions 

for TPS designation, the designation 

may be extended for an additional 

period of 6, 12 or 18 months. See INA 

section 244(b)(3)(C), 8 U.S.C. 

1254a(b)(3)(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 

INA section 244(b)(1), 8 U.S.C. 

1254a(b)(1); see also INA section 

244(c)(1)(A)(i), 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’’) (emphasis 

added). This is one of numerous 

instances in which the Secretary, and 

prior to the establishment of DHS, the 

Attorney General, has simultaneously 

extended a country’s TPS designation 

and redesignated the country for TPS. 

See, e.g., Extension and Redesignation 

of Syria for Temporary Protected Status, 

78 FR 36223 (Jun. 17, 2013); Extension 

and Redesignation of Sudan for 

Temporary Protected Status, 78 FR 1872 

(Jan. 9, 2013); Extension and 

Redesignation of Haiti for Temporary 

Protected Status, 76 FR 29000 (May 19, 

2011); Extension of Designation and 

Redesignation of Liberia Under 

Temporary Protected Status Program, 62 

FR 16608 (Apr. 7, 1997) (discussing 

legal authority for redesignation of a 

country for TPS). 

When the Secretary designates or 

redesignates a country for TPS, he 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 INA section 244(c)(1)(A)(ii), 

8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)(1)(A)(ii). This 

discretion permits the Secretary to tailor 

the ‘‘continuous residence’’ date to offer 

TPS to the group of eligible individuals 

that the Secretary deems appropriate. 

The Secretary has determined that the 

‘‘continuous residence’’ date for 

applicants for TPS under the 

redesignation of Syria shall be January 

5, 2015. Initial applicants for TPS under 

this redesignation must also show they 

have been ‘‘continuously physically 

present’’ in the United States since 

April 1, 2015, which is the effective date 

of the Secretary’s redesignation of Syria. 

See INA section 244(c)(1)(A)(i), 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’’ 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 2015 / Notices 247 

requirement cannot be made until April 

1, 2015. USCIS, however, will issue 

EADs, 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 September 30, 2016? 

Over the past year, DHS and the 

Department of State (DOS) have 

continued to review conditions in Syria. 

Based on this review and after 

consulting with DOS, the Secretary has 

determined that an 18-month extension 

and redesignation is warranted because 

the ongoing armed conflict and other 

extraordinary and temporary conditions 

that prompted the June 17, 2013 

redesignation continue to be met. 

Furthermore, the Secretary has decided 

the conditions warrant changing the 

‘‘continuous residence’’ date so as to 

provide TPS protection to eligible 

Syrian nationals who arrived between 

June 17, 2013 and January 5, 2015. The 

‘‘continuous physical presence’’ date 

must be the effective date of the 

redesignation, which the Secretary has 

established as April 1, 2015 so that 

individuals granted TPS under the 

redesignation will have TPS for the 

same 18-month period through 

September 30, 2016 as TPS beneficiaries 

re-registering under the extension. See 

INA section 244(c)(1)(A)(i); 8 U.S.C. 

1254a(c)(1)(A)(i). 

Violence in Syria is widespread and 

indiscriminate. The Syrian Observatory 

for Human Rights estimates that more 

than 191,000 people have been killed 

since the start of the civil unrest in Syria 

in March 2011. The situation is 

extremely dangerous for civilians 

throughout the country with the 

deterioration of public security, 

continued arbitrary and unlawful 

killings, and the near collapse of public 

institutions, including health, 

education, and sanitation. The Syrian 

Arab Republic Government (SARG) 

continues to target humanitarian 

outposts, hospitals, medical staff, 

schools, breadlines, and other civilian 

sites. The SARG also regularly disrupts 

the delivery of humanitarian assistance 

to those in need. In addition to the 

ongoing, high-level atrocities committed 

by the SARG, rebel factions, violent 

extremists, foreign fighters, and 

unidentified assailants have abducted 

and killed civilians, journalists, 

humanitarian workers, and United 

Nations (UN) personnel. 

The UN reported in late September 

2014 that approximately 6.4 million 

Syrians are internally displaced. Acts of 

violence and human rights abuses 

continue in most major urban centers, 

and have significantly worsened in 

Aleppo, rural Damascus, Dar’a, Raqqa, 

northern Hasakah province, Deir alZour, and Latakia. Violent extremists 

openly surfaced among the armed 

opposition in the fight against the 

SARG, increasingly employing irregular 

tactics, including suicide bombings of 

security force targets, resulting in 

civilian casualties. The military 

continued to fight the opposition, 

responding with air strikes and heavy 

artillery, and harming civilians in the 

process. 

A number of violent extremists have 

factored prominently in the conflict and 

pose a danger to civilians. In early 2014, 

the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 

(ISIL) emerged as one of the most 

significant radical Islamist fighting 

forces. The al-Nusra Front (also known 

as the Jabhat al Nusra) represents the 

interests of al-Qaeda in Syria. These 

violent extremist groups have engaged 

in indiscriminate attacks including 

bombings and suicide attacks 

throughout Syria. Various other violent 

extremists have been actively engaged 

in armed resistance in Syria. Reports 

indicate that there may be as many as 

5,000 foreign fighters in Syria. 

Since 2011, the Syrian military has 

engaged in warfare against opposition 

forces, with fighting taking place 

throughout Syria. In June 2014, 

Amnesty International reported that 

SARG forces continue to carry out 

indiscriminate attacks, bombarding 

populated civilian areas, and that 

opposition fighters have also carried out 

indiscriminate attacks. The UN 

indicated that increasingly the attacks 

by SARG forces and the armed 

opposition have targeted civilians. 

There has been an increase in the 

reported use of barrel bombs (oil drums 

packed with crude explosives and 

shrapnel) by the SARG and mortars by 

opposition forces against residential 

neighborhoods, particularly in Aleppo, 

Dar’a, rural Damascus, and Deir al-Zour. 

Chemical weapons have been used 

against civilian populations and 

soldiers. In December 2013, the UN 

stated that chemical weapons were used 

in Ghouta, Khan al-Assal, Jobar, 

Saraqueb and Ashrafieh Sahnaya. The 

U.S. Government concluded the SARG 

used chemical weapons in the eastern 

suburbs outside Damascus in an August 

2013 attack, killing more than 1,400 

individuals. The regime has also 

employed the use of incendiary 

weapons and landmines in civilian 

areas, as well as ballistic missiles. 

The Internal Displacement Monitoring 

Centre noted that by the end of 2013, 

Syria’s internal displacement crisis had 

become the largest in the world. As of 

October 2014, the United Nations High 

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 

reported that more than 3.2 million 

refugees from Syria have sought refuge 

in neighboring countries. Although the 

pace of refugee outflow has decreased 

since mid-year 2013, UNHCR projects 

an estimated 3.6 million Syrian refugees 

in the region by the end of 2014. The 

UN Office for the Coordination of 

Humanitarian affairs reported that 

approximately 10.8 million Syrians 

remaining inside Syria were in need of 

humanitarian assistance as of June 2014. 

Access for delivery of humanitarian 

assistance to vulnerable people 

continues to be a serious challenge, with 

4.7 million persons living in hard-toreach areas with little or no access to 

assistance as of October 2014. The 

situation is extremely dangerous and 

precarious for civilians, including those 

who are internally displaced throughout 

the country. 

Interethnic and sectarian violence is a 

severe problem and has resulted in 

civilian deaths and displacement. 

Armed groups are active in Syria, and 

several continue to threaten the longterm security of the region. Ongoing 

interethnic violence and the increasing 

role of violent extremist groups, 

including the ISIL and al-Nusra Front, 

are likely to perpetuate fighting for the 

foreseeable future. 

In July 2014, the UN reported that 

siege tactics left many civilians trapped 

without food and subject to shelling and 

sniper attacks. Local NGOs and 

international humanitarian 

organizations such as UNHCR, the 

World Food Program, and the 

International Committee of the Red 

Cross face significant SARG-imposed 

obstacles to gaining access to areas 

under opposition control, particularly 

near Aleppo and the eastern suburbs of 

Damascus. Residents in Syria’s 

northeastern provinces of Deir al-Zour, 

Hasakah, and Raqqa also are difficult to 

reach by humanitarian workers due to 

the presence of ISIL. Water and 

electricity supplies have been cut as a 

part of the conflict strategy. Due to lack 

of clean water, there has also been a rise 

in infectious and water-borne diseases. 

Illnesses such as measles and typhoid 

fever have grown exponentially since 

pre-war times and polio reemerged in 

Syria in 2013 for the first time since 

1999, with 36 laboratory-confirmed 

cases. 

Serious, persistent conflict continues 

to pose substantial risk throughout 

Syria. Tens of thousands have been 

killed by SARG forces and non-state 

armed groups. Concerns for safety have 

led to massive displacement within 

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248 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 2015 / Notices 

Syria. The refusal of the SARG and 

certain armed groups to allow 

unfettered humanitarian access to 

vulnerable populations throughout the 

country, coupled with continued 

fighting, has caused a grave 

humanitarian crisis that continues to 

deteriorate. All of these factors together 

present an exceedingly dangerous 

security environment throughout most 

of the country. The high number of 

Syrian refugees and the continued 

escalation of the conflict within the 

country indicate that there is no 

immediate prospect for safe return. 

Based upon this review and after 

consultation with appropriate 

Government agencies, the Secretary 

finds that: 

• The conditions that prompted the 

June 17, 2013 redesignation of Syria 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 ongoing 

armed conflict in Syria and, due to such 

conflict, requiring the return of Syrian 

nationals to 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 from returning 

to Syria in safety. See INA section 

244(b)(1)(C), 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(C). 

• It is not contrary to the national 

interest of the United States to permit 

Syrian nationals (and persons who have 

no nationality who last habitually 

resided in Syria) who meet the 

eligibility requirements of TPS 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 additional 18- 

month period from April 1, 2015 

through September 30, 2016. See INA 

section 244(b)(3)(C), 8 U.S.C. 

1254a(b)(3)(C). 

• Based on current country 

conditions, Syria should be 

simultaneously redesignated for TPS 

effective April 1, 2015 through 

September 30, 2016. See INA sections 

244(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(C), and (b)(2); 8 

U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(C), and 

(b)(2). 

• TPS applicants must demonstrate 

that they have continuously resided in 

the United States since January 5, 2015. 

• The date by which TPS applicants 

must demonstrate that they have been 

continuously physically present in the 

United States is April 1, 2015, the 

effective date of the redesignation of 

Syria for TPS. 

• There are approximately 5,000 

current Syrian TPS beneficiaries who 

are expected to apply for re-registration 

and may be eligible to retain their TPS 

under the extension. 

• It is estimated that an additional 

5,000 individuals may file initial 

applications for TPS under the 

redesignation of Syria. 

Notice of Extension of the TPS 

Designation of Syria and Redesignation 

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 

Government agencies, that the 

conditions that prompted the 

redesignation of Syria for TPS in 2013 

not only continue to be met, but have 

significantly deteriorated. See INA 

section 244(b)(3)(A), 8 U.S.C. 

1254a(b)(3)(A). On the basis of these 

determinations, I am simultaneously 

extending the existing TPS designation 

of Syria for 18 months from April 1, 

2015 through September 30, 2016, and 

redesignating Syria for TPS for the same 

18-month period. See INA sections 

244(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(C), and (b)(2); 8 

U.S.C. 1254a(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(C), and 

(b)(2). I have also determined that 

eligible individuals must demonstrate 

that they have continuously resided in 

the United States since January 5, 2015. 

See INA section 244(c)(1)(A)(ii), 8 

U.S.C. 1254a(c)(1)(A)(ii). 

Jeh Charles Johnson, 

Secretary. 

I am currently a Syria TPS beneficiary. 

What should I do? 

If you filed a TPS application during 

the Syria TPS registration period that 

ran from June 17, 2013 through 

December 16, 2013, and that application 

was approved prior to January 5, 2015, 

then you need to file a re-registration 

application under the extension if you 

wish to maintain TPS benefits through 

September 30, 2016. You must use the 

Application for Temporary Protected 

Status (Form I–821) to re-register for 

TPS. The 60-day open re-registration 

period will run from January 5, 2015 

through March 6, 2015. 

I have a pending initial TPS application 

filed during the Syria TPS registration 

period that ran from June 17, 2013 

through December 16, 2013. What 

should I do? 

If your TPS application is still 

pending on January 5, 2015, then you do 

not need to file a new Application for 

Temporary Protected Status (Form I– 

821). Pending TPS applications will be 

treated as initial applications under this 

re-designation. Therefore, if your TPS 

application is approved, you will be 

granted TPS through September 30, 

2016. If you have a pending TPS 

application and you wish to have an 

EAD valid through September 30, 2016, 

please refer to Table 1 to determine 

whether you should file a new 

Application for Employment 

Authorization (Form I–765). 

TABLE 1—FORM AND EAD INFORMATION FOR PENDING TPS APPLICATIONS

If . . . And . . . Then . . . 

You requested an EAD during the previous initial registration period for Syria 

TPS.

You received an EAD with Category C19 or A12 .......... You must file a new Application for Employment Authorization (Form I–765) with fee (or fee waiver request) if you wish to have a new EAD valid through 

September 30, 2016. 

You did not receive an EAD with Category C19 or A12 You do not need to file a new Application for Employment Authorization (Form I–765). If your TPS application is approved, your Application for Employment 

Authorization (Form I–765) will be approved through 

September 30, 2016. 

You did not request an EAD 

during the previous initial 

registration period for 

Syria TPS.

You wish to have an EAD valid through September 30, 

2016..

You do not wish to have an EAD valid through September 30, 2016.

You must file a new Application for Employment Authorization (Form I–765) with fee (or fee waiver request). 

You do not need to file a new Application for Employment Authorization (Form I–765). 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 2015 / Notices 249 

I am not a TPS beneficiary, and I do not 

have a TPS application pending. What 

are the procedures for initial 

registration for TPS under the Syria 

redesignation? 

If you are not a Syria TPS beneficiary 

or do not have a pending TPS 

application with USCIS, you may 

submit your TPS application during the 

180-day initial registration period that 

will run from January 5, 2015 through 

July 6, 2015. 

Required Application Forms and 

Application Fees To Register or ReRegister for TPS 

To register or re-register for TPS for 

Syria, an applicant must submit each of 

the following two applications: 

1. Application for Temporary 

Protected Status (Form I–821). 

• If you are filing an initial 

application, you must pay the fee for the 

Application for Temporary Protected 

Status (Form I–821). See 8 CFR 

244.2(f)(2) and 244.6 and information on 

initial filing on the USCIS TPS Web 

page at http://www.uscis.gov/tps. 

• If you are filing an application for 

re-registration, you do not need to pay 

the fee for the Application for 

Temporary Protected Status (Form I– 

821). See 8 CFR 244.17. 

and 

2. Application for Employment 

Authorization (Form I–765). 

• If you are applying for initial 

registration and want an EAD, you must 

pay the fee for the Application for 

Employment Authorization (Form I– 

765) only if you are age 14 through 65. 

No fee for the Application for 

Employment Authorization (Form I– 

765) is required if you are under the age 

of 14 or are 66 and older and applying 

for initial registration. 

• If you are applying for reregistration, you must pay the fee for the 

Application for Employment 

Authorization (Form I–765) only if you 

want an EAD, regardless of age. 

• You do not pay the fee for the 

Application for Employment 

Authorization (Form I–765) if you are 

not requesting an EAD, regardless of 

whether you are applying for initial 

registration or re-registration. 

You must submit both completed 

application forms together. If you are 

unable to pay for the application and/ 

or biometric services fee, you may apply 

for a fee waiver by completing a Request 

for Fee Waiver (Form I–912) or 

submitting a personal letter requesting a 

fee waiver, and by providing satisfactory 

supporting documentation. For more 

information on the application forms 

and fees for TPS, please visit the USCIS 

TPS Web page at http://www.uscis.gov/ 

tps. Fees for the Application for 

Temporary Protected Status (Form I– 

821), the Application for Employment 

Authorization (Form I–765), and 

biometric services are also described in 

8 CFR 103.7(b)(1)(i). 

Biometric Services Fee 

Biometrics (such as fingerprints) are 

required for all applicants 14 years of 

age or older. Those applicants must 

submit a biometric services fee. As 

previously stated, if you are unable to 

pay for the biometric services fee, you 

may apply for a fee waiver by 

completing a Request for Fee Waiver 

(Form I–912) or by submitting a 

personal letter requesting a fee waiver, 

and providing satisfactory supporting 

documentation. For more information 

on the biometric services fee, please 

visit the USCIS Web site at http://

www.uscis.gov. If necessary, you may be 

required to visit an Application Support 

Center to have your biometrics 

captured. 

Refiling an Initial TPS Application 

After Receiving a Denial of a Fee 

Waiver Request 

If you request a fee waiver when filing 

your initial TPS application package 

and your request is denied, you may refile your application packet before the 

initial filing deadline of July 6, 2015. If 

you submit your application with a fee 

waiver request before that deadline, but 

you receive a fee waiver denial and 

there are fewer than 45 days before the 

filing deadline (or the deadline has 

passed), you may still re-file your 

application within the 45-day period 

after the date on the USCIS fee waiver 

denial notice. Your application will not 

be rejected even if the filing deadline 

has passed, provided it is mailed within 

those 45 days and all other required 

information for the application is 

included. Note: If you wish, you may 

also wait to request an EAD and pay the 

Application for Employment 

Authorization (Form I–765) fee after 

USCIS grants you TPS, if you are found 

eligible. If you choose to do this, you 

would file the Application for 

Temporary Protected Status (Form I– 

821) with the fee and the Application 

for Employment Authorization (Form I– 

765) without fee and without requesting 

an EAD. 

Re-Filing a TPS Re-Registration 

Application After Receiving a Denial of 

a Fee Waiver Request 

USCIS urges all re-registering 

applicants to file as soon as possible 

within the 60-day re-registration period 

so that USCIS can process the 

applications and issue EADs promptly. 

Filing early will also allow those 

applicants who may receive denials of 

their fee waiver requests to have time to 

re-file their applications before the reregistration deadline. If, however, an 

applicant receives a denial of his or her 

fee waiver request and is unable to refile by the re-registration deadline, the 

applicant may still re-file his or her 

application. This situation will be 

reviewed to determine whether the 

applicant has established good cause for 

late re-registration. However, applicants 

are urged to re-file within 45 days of the 

date on their USCIS fee waiver denial 

notice, if at all possible. See INA section 

244(c)(3)(C); 8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)(3)(C); 8 

CFR 244.17(c). For more information on 

good cause for late re-registration, visit 

the USCIS TPS Web page at http://

www.uscis.gov/tps. Note: As previously 

stated, although a re-registering TPS 

beneficiary age 14 and older must pay 

the biometric services fee (but not the 

initial TPS application fee) when filing 

a TPS re-registration application, the 

applicant may decide to wait to request 

an EAD, and therefore not pay the 

Application for Employment 

Authorization (Form I–765) fee, until 

after USCIS has approved the 

individual’s TPS re-registration, if he or 

she is eligible. 

Mailing Information 

Mail your application for TPS to the 

proper address in Table 2. 

TABLE 2—MAILING ADDRESSES

If . . . Mail to . . . 

You are applying through the U.S. Postal Service .................................. USCIS, Attn: TPS Syria, P.O. Box 6943, Chicago, IL 60680–6943. 

You are using a non-U.S. Postal Service delivery service ...................... USCIS, Attn: TPS Syria, 131 S. Dearborn 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 

60603–5517. 

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250 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 2015 / Notices 

If you were granted TPS by an 

Immigration Judge (IJ) or the Board of 

Immigration Appeals (BIA), and you 

wish to request an EAD, or are reregistering for the first time following a 

grant of TPS by an IJ or the BIA, please 

mail your application to the appropriate 

address in Table 2. Upon receiving a 

Notice of Action (Form I–797) from 

USCIS, please send an email to 

TPSijgrant.vsc@uscis.dhs.gov with the 

receipt number and state that you 

submitted a re-registration and/or 

request for an EAD based on an IJ/BIA 

grant of TPS. You can find detailed 

information on what further information 

you need to email and the appropriate 

email address on the USCIS TPS Web 

page at http://www.uscis.gov/tps. 

E-Filing 

You cannot electronically file your 

application when re-registering or 

submitting an initial registration for 

Syria TPS. Please mail your application 

to the mailing address listed in Table 2. 

Employment Authorization Document 

(EAD) 

May I request an interim EAD at my 

local USCIS office? 

No. USCIS will not issue interim 

EADs to TPS applicants or re-registrants 

at local offices. 

Am I eligible to receive an automatic 6- 

month extension of my current EAD 

through September 30, 2015? 

Provided that you currently have TPS 

under the Syria designation, this Notice 

automatically extends your EAD by 6 

months if you: 

• Are a national of Syria (or an alien 

having no nationality who last 

habitually resided in Syria); 

• Received an EAD under the last 

extension or redesignation of TPS for 

Syria; and 

• Have an EAD with a marked 

expiration date of March 31, 2015, 

bearing the notation ‘‘A–12’’ or ‘‘C–19’’ 

on the face of the card under 

‘‘Category.’’ 

Although this Notice automatically 

extends your EAD through September 

30, 2015, you must re-register timely for 

TPS in accordance with the procedures 

described in this Notice if you would 

like to maintain your TPS. 

When hired, what documentation may I 

show to my employer as proof of 

employment authorization and identity 

when completing Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9)? 

You can find a list of acceptable 

document choices on the ‘‘Lists of 

Acceptable Documents’’ for 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9). You can find additional 

detailed information on the USCIS I–9 

Central Web page at http://

www.uscis.gov/I-9Central. Employers 

are required to verify the identity and 

employment authorization of all new 

employees by using Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9). 

Within 3 days of hire, an employee must 

present proof of identity and 

employment authorization to his or her 

employer. 

You may present any document from 

List A (reflecting both your identity and 

employment authorization), or one 

document from List B (reflecting 

identity) together with one document 

from List C (reflecting employment 

authorization). You may present an 

acceptable receipt for List A, List B, or 

List C documents as described in the 

Form I–9 Instructions. An EAD is an 

acceptable document under ‘‘List A.’’ 

Employers may not reject a document 

based on a future expiration date. 

If your EAD has an expiration date of 

March 31, 2015, and states ‘‘A–12’’ or 

‘‘C–19’’ under ‘‘Category,’’ it has been 

extended automatically for 6 months by 

virtue of this Federal Register Notice, 

and you may choose to present your 

EAD to your employer as proof of 

identity and employment authorization 

for Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) through September 30, 2015 

(see the subsection titled ‘‘How do my 

employer and I complete the 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) using an automatically 

extended EAD for a new job?’’ for 

further information). To minimize 

confusion over this extension at the 

time of hire, you may also show your 

employer a copy of this Federal Register 

Notice confirming the automatic 

extension of employment authorization 

through September 30, 2015. As an 

alternative to presenting your 

automatically extended EAD, you may 

choose to present any other acceptable 

document from List A, or a combination 

of one selection from List B and one 

selection from List C. 

What documentation may I show my 

employer if I am already employed but 

my current TPS-related EAD is set to 

expire? 

Even though EADs with an expiration 

date of March 31, 2015, that state ‘‘A– 

12’’ or ‘‘C–19’’ under ‘‘Category’’ have 

been automatically extended for 6 

months by this Federal Register Notice, 

your employer will need to ask you 

about your continued employment 

authorization once March 31, 2015, is 

reached to meet its responsibilities for 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9). However, your employer 

does not need a new document to 

reverify your employment authorization 

until September 30, 2015, the expiration 

date of the automatic extension. Instead, 

you and your employer must make 

corrections to the employment 

authorization expiration dates in 

Section 1 and Section 2 of Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9) (see 

the subsection titled ‘‘What corrections 

should my current employer and I make 

to Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) if my EAD has been 

automatically extended?’’ for further 

information). In addition, you may also 

show this Federal Register Notice to 

your employer to explain what to do for 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9). 

By September 30, 2015, the expiration 

date of the automatic extension, your 

employer must reverify your 

employment authorization. At that time, 

you must present any document from 

List A or any document from List C on 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) to reverify employment 

authorization, or an acceptable List A or 

List C receipt described in the Form I– 

9 Instructions. Your employer should 

complete either Section 3 of the 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) originally completed for the 

employee or, if this Section has already 

been completed or if the version of 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) has expired (check the date 

in the upper right-hand corner of the 

form), complete Section 3 of a new 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) using the most current 

version. Note that your employer may 

not specify which List A or List C 

document employees must present, and 

cannot reject an acceptable receipt. 

Can my employer require that I provide 

any other documentation to prove my 

status, such as proof of my Syrian 

citizenship? 

No. When completing Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9), 

including re-verifying employment 

authorization, employers must accept 

any documentation that appears on the 

‘‘Lists of Acceptable Documents’’ for 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) 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 

documentation that does not appear on 

the ‘‘Lists of Acceptable Documents.’’ 

Therefore, employers may not request 

proof of Syrian citizenship when 

completing Employment Eligibility 

Verification (Form I–9) for new hires or 

reverifying the employment 

authorization of current employees. If 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 2015 / Notices 251 

presented with EADs that have been 

automatically extended, employers 

should accept such EADs as valid List 

A documents so long as the EADs 

reasonably appear to be genuine and to 

relate to the employee. Refer to the Note 

to Employees section of this Notice for 

important information about your rights 

if your employer rejects lawful 

documentation, requires additional 

documentation, or otherwise 

discriminates against you based on your 

citizenship or immigration status, or 

your national origin. 

What happens after September 30, 2015, 

for purposes of employment 

authorization? 

After September 30, 2015, employers 

may no longer accept the EADs that this 

Federal Register Notice automatically 

extended. Before that time, however, 

USCIS will issue new EADs to eligible 

TPS re-registrants who request them. 

These new EADs will have an 

expiration date of September 30, 2016, 

and can be presented to your employer 

for completion of Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9). 

Alternatively, you may choose to 

present any other legally acceptable 

document or combination of documents 

listed on the Employment Eligibility 

Verification (Form I–9). 

How do my employer and I complete 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) using an automatically 

extended EAD for a new job? 

When using an automatically 

extended EAD to complete Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9) for a 

new job prior to September 30, 2015, 

you and your employer should do the 

following: 

1. For Section 1, you should: 

a. Check ‘‘An alien authorized to 

work’’; 

b. Write your alien number (USCIS 

number or A-number) in the first space 

(your EAD or other document from DHS 

will have your USCIS number or Anumber printed on it; the USCIS 

number is the same as your A-number 

without the A prefix); and 

c. Write the automatically extended 

EAD expiration date (September 30, 

2015) in the second space. 

2. For Section 2, employers should 

record the: 

a. Document title; 

b. Document number; and 

c. Automatically extended EAD 

expiration date (September 30, 2015). 

By September 30, 2015, employers 

must reverify the employee’s 

employment authorization in Section 3 

of the Employment Eligibility 

Verification (Form I–9). 

What corrections should my current 

employer and I make to Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9) if my 

EAD has been automatically extended? 

If you are an existing employee who 

presented a TPS-related EAD that was 

valid when you first started your job, 

but that EAD has now been 

automatically extended, you and your 

employer should correct your 

previously completed Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9) as 

follows: 

1. For Section 1, you should: 

a. Draw a line through the expiration 

date in the second space; 

b. Write ‘‘September 30, 2015’’ above 

the previous date; 

c. Write ‘‘TPS Ext.’’ in the margin of 

Section 1; and 

d. Initial and date the correction in 

the margin of Section 1. 

2. For Section 2, employers should: 

a. Draw a line through the expiration 

date written in Section 2; 

b. Write ‘‘September 30, 2015’’ above 

the previous date; 

c. Write ‘‘TPS Ext.’’ in the margin of 

Section 2; and 

d. Initial and date the correction in 

the margin of Section 2. 

By September 30, 2015, when the 

automatic extension of EADs expires, 

employers must reverify the employee’s 

employment authorization in Section 3. 

If I am an employer enrolled in E-Verify, 

what do I do when I receive a ‘‘Work 

Authorization Documents Expiration’’ 

alert for an automatically extended 

EAD? 

If you are an employer who 

participates in E-Verify and you have an 

employee who is a TPS beneficiary who 

provide a TPS-related EAD when he or 

she first started working for you, you 

will receive a ‘‘Work Authorization 

Documents Expiring’’ case alert when 

this EAD is about to expire. Usually, 

this message is an alert to complete 

Section 3 of the Employment Eligibility 

Verification (Form I–9) to reverify an 

employee’s employment authorization. 

For existing employees with TPS-related 

EADs that have been automatically 

extended, employers should dismiss 

this alert by clicking the red ‘‘X’’ in the 

‘‘dismiss alert’’ column and follow the 

instructions above explaining how to 

correct the Employment Eligibility 

Verification (Form I–9). By September 

30, 2015, employment authorization 

must be reverified in Section 3. 

Employers should never 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 

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 for the hearing impaired is 

at 877–875–6028) or email USCIS at I9Central@dhs.gov. Calls and emails are 

accepted in English and many other 

languages. For questions about avoiding 

discrimination during the employment 

eligibility verification process (I–9 and 

E-Verify), employers may also call the 

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of 

Special Counsel for Immigration-Related 

Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) 

Employer Hotline at 800–255–8155 

(TTY 800–237–2515), which offers 

language interpretation in numerous 

languages, or email OSC at osccrt@

usdoj.gov. 

Note to Employees 

For general questions about the 

employment eligibility verification 

process, employees may call USCIS at 

888–897–7781 (TTY for the hearing 

impaired is at 877–875–6028) or email 

at I-9Central@dhs.gov. Calls are 

accepted in English, Spanish and many 

other languages. Employees or 

applicants may also call the OSC 

Worker Information Hotline at 800–255– 

7688 (TTY 800–237–2515) for 

information regarding employment 

discrimination based upon citizenship 

status, immigration status, or national 

origin related to Employment Eligibility 

Verification (Form I–9) and E-Verify. 

The OSC Worker Information Hotline 

provides language interpretation in 

numerous languages. 

To comply with the law, employers 

must accept any document or 

combination of documents from the List 

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 

Employment Eligibility Verification 

(Form I–9) Instructions. Employers may 

not require extra or additional 

documentation beyond what is required 

for Employment Eligibility Verification 

(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 

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252 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 2015 / Notices 

entered into E-Verify from Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9) differs 

from federal or state government 

records. Employers may not terminate, 

suspend, delay training, withhold pay, 

lower pay or take any adverse action 

against an employee based on the 

employee’s decision to contest a TNC or 

because the case is still pending with EVerify. A Final Nonconfirmation (FNC) 

case result is received when E-Verify 

cannot verify 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 for the hearing impaired is at 877– 

875–6028). To report an employer that 

discriminates against an employee in 

the E-Verify process based on 

citizenship or immigration status, or 

based on national origin, contact OSC’s 

Worker Information Hotline at 800–255– 

7688 (TTY 800–237–2515). Additional 

information about proper 

nondiscriminatory Employment 

Eligibility Verification (Form I–9) and EVerify procedures is available on the 

OSC Web site at http://www.justice.gov/ 

crt/about/osc/ and the USCIS Web site 

at http://www.dhs.gov/E-verify. 

Note Regarding Federal, State, and 

Local Government Agencies (Such as 

Departments of Motor Vehicles) 

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 and/or show you are 

authorized to work based on TPS. 

Examples of such documents are: 

(1) Your unexpired EAD that has been 

automatically extended, or your EAD 

that has not expired; 

(2) A copy of this Federal Register 

Notice if your EAD is automatically 

extended under this Notice; 

(3) A copy of your Application for 

Temporary Protected Status Notice of 

Action (Form I–797) for this reregistration; 

(4) A copy of your past or current 

Application for Temporary Protected 

Status Notice of Action (Form I–797), if 

you received one from USCIS; and/or 

(5) If there is an automatic extension 

of work authorization, a copy of the fact 

sheet from the USCIS TPS Web site that 

provides information on the automatic 

extension. 

Check with the government agency 

regarding which document(s) the agency 

will accept. You may also provide the 

agency with a copy of this Federal 

Register Notice. 

Some benefit-granting agencies use 

the USCIS Systematic Alien Verification 

for Entitlements Program (SAVE) to 

verify the current immigration status of 

applicants for public benefits. If such an 

agency has denied your application 

based solely or in part on a SAVE 

response, the agency must offer you the 

opportunity to appeal the decision in 

accordance with the agency’s 

procedures. If the agency has received 

and acted upon or will act upon a SAVE 

verification and you do not believe the 

response is correct, you may make an 

InfoPass appointment for an in-person 

interview at a local USCIS office. 

Detailed information on how to make 

corrections, make an appointment, or 

submit a written request can be found 

at the SAVE Web site at http://

www.uscis.gov/save, then by choosing 

‘‘How to Correct Your Records’’ from 

the menu on the right. 

[FR Doc. 2014–30871 Filed 1–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9111–97–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R2–ES–2014–N245; 

FXES11130200000–156–FF02ENEH00] 

Endangered and Threatened Species 

Permit Applications 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications; 

request for public comment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, invite the public to 

comment on the following applications 

to conduct certain activities with 

endangered or threatened species. The 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (Act), prohibits activities with 

endangered and threatened species 

unless a Federal permit allows such 

activities. Both the Act and the National 

Environmental Policy Act require that 

we invite public comment before 

issuing these permits. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

comments must be received on or before 

February 4, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Susan Jacobsen, Chief, 

Division of Classification and 

Restoration, by U.S. mail at Division of 

Classification and Recovery, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 1306, 

Albuquerque, NM 87103; or by 

telephone at 505–248–6920. Please refer 

to the respective permit number for each 

application when submitting comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Division of 

Classification and Restoration, by U.S. 

mail at P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, 

NM 87103; or by telephone at 505–248– 

6665. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Availability of Comments 

The Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 

prohibits activities with endangered and 

threatened species unless a Federal 

permit allows such activities. Along 

with our implementing regulations in 

the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 

50 CFR part 17, the Act provides for 

permits, and requires that we invite 

public comment before issuing these 

permits. A permit granted by us under 

section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act authorizes 

applicants to conduct activities with 

U.S. endangered or threatened species 

for scientific purposes, enhancement of 

survival or propagation, or interstate 

commerce. Our regulations regarding 

implementation of section 10(a)(1)(A) 

permits are found at 50 CFR 17.22 for 

endangered wildlife species, 50 CFR 

17.32 for threatened wildlife species, 50 

CFR 17.62 for endangered plant species, 

and 50 CFR 17.72 for threatened plant 

species. 

Applications Available for Review and 

Comment 

We invite local, State, Tribal, and 

Federal agencies and the public to 

comment on the following applications. 

Please refer to the appropriate permit 

number (e.g., Permit No. TE–123456) 

when requesting application documents 

and when submitting comments. 

Documents and other information the 

applicants have submitted with these 

applications are available for review, 

subject to the requirements of the 

Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and 

Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 

552). 

Permit TE–022190 

Applicant: Arizona–Sonora Desert 

Museum, Tucson, Arizona. 

Applicant requests an amendment to 

a current permit for research and 

recovery purposes to collect from the 

wild and conduct pollination research 

on 24 Kearney’s bluestar (Amsonia 

kearneyana) from the wild in Arizona. 

Permit TE–123070 

Applicant: Susana Morales, Tucson, 

Arizona. 

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