Home Immigration Blog Nonimmigrant Visas Special Programs USCIS Issues Reminder About May 21 Termination of TPS Designations For Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone

USCIS Issues Reminder About May 21 Termination of TPS Designations For Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone

On April 19, 2017, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a news alert titled “USCIS Reminds Beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone of May 21 Termination” [link].

Termination of Designations of TPS for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone on May 21, 2017

On May 21, 2017, designations of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will terminate.

On September 22, 2016, the USCIS provided a notice of the impending termination of the designations of TPS for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone [link]. At that time, the USCIS encouraged TPS beneficiaries from the affected countries who did not have any other legal status in the United States to either seek a different legal immigration status or to prepare for departure from the United States on May 21, 2017.

TPS benefits for individuals from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will no longer be in effect starting on May 21, 2017. TPS-beneficiaries from these three countries who hold another lawful immigration status, which they have maintained or acquired while on TPS, may continue to hold such status upon the termination of TPS. However, TPS beneficiaries from the three countries who hold no other lawful immigration status will no longer be protected from removal or eligible for employment authorization based on TPS beginning on May 21, 2017.

TPS-related Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under the Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone designations will expire on May 20, 2017. They will not be eligible for renewal or extension.

Why the Countries Will No Longer be Designated for TPS

The TPS designations for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone were based in large part on the widespread transmission of the Ebola virus. The then-Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, determined that the conditions in these three countries would no longer supported their designations for TPS.

Conclusion

TPS beneficiaries from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be able to maintain any currently held other lawful immigration statuses when their TPS expires. However, current TPS-beneficiaries from these countries with no other lawful status will not be able to remain legally in the United States, and should already be making plans to depart.

A TPS beneficiary from Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone with questions about his or her immigration situation or who is in the process of seeking a different immigration status should consult with an experienced immigration attorney immediately.

Please see our full selection of TPS articles to learn about a variety of issues related to TPS [see category].

Also you can read

USCIS Premium Processing Fees for F1 Employment Authorization Requests

F1 applications for work authorization to engage in optional practical training are eligible for the premium processing service. The USCIS recently increased the Form I-907 fee for these premium processing requests.

The Premium Processing Service for Certain Form I-129 Petitions

This article explains how to file request the Premium Processing Service with a Form I-907, and the benefits of premium processing for Form I-129 petitions.

New Premium Processing Fees for Form I-129 Petitions

Effective February 26, 2024, the USCIS increased the filing fee for Form I-907 premium processing requests related to Form I-129 nonimmigrant worker petitions.

Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC, 26 I&N Dec. 542 (AAO 2015): Worksite Changes and New/Amended H1B Petitions

In Matter of Simeio Solutions, the AAO clarified rules for when an amended petition is required to maintain H1B classification in new Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Want to schedule a consultation?

You can schedule a consultation with us on Skype, over the phone, or in person by using our “Online Consultation” form. Our fee is only $260 per up to 45 minutes for all consultations regardless of the topic.

Contact Information

27 Whitehall Street, 5th Fl New York, NY. 10004

Phone: (212) 202-0342

Fax: (212) 964-0440

Attorney Advertising: prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

myattorneyusa.com is owned and operated by The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC (Grinberg & Segal). The content of myattorneyusa.com is copyrighted. Grinberg & Segal is a NYC immigration law firm that consists of highly experienced immigration lawyers licensed to practice state law in New York and New Jersey and U.S. federal law worldwide. Grinberg & Segal’s  New York-based immigration, deportation and removal lawyers represent immigrant clients in all fifty states and before U.S. Consulates anywhere in the world. Grinberg and Segal’s immigration lawyers are highly skilled and experienced in all areas of immigration law and related federal litigation including Writs of Mandamus and Habeas Corpus as well as APA Action in Federal District Courts, Petitions For Review in U.S. Circuit Courts and all administrative appeals Before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) of the Executive Office for Immigration Review; Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as well as before Immigration Courts nationwide.