U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2019
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen Announcement on Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan
Nielsen Carefully Considered Conditions on the Ground
WASHINGTON — Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen has announced her determination that an extension of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for South Sudan is warranted pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act. After carefully reviewing conditions in South Sudan with interagency partners, Secretary Nielsen determined the ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions that support South Sudan’s current designation for TPS continue to exist. Therefore, pursuant to the statute, she has extended South Sudan’s TPS designation for 18 months.
Current beneficiaries under South Sudan’s TPS designation will be eligible to re-register for an extension of their status for 18 months, through November 2, 2020. Prior to the conclusion of the 18-month extension, the Secretary will review conditions in South Sudan to determine whether the TPS designation should be extended again or terminated.
The decision to extend TPS for South Sudan was made after a review of the conditions upon which the country’s designation is based. Following careful consideration of available information, including recommendations received as part of an interagency consultation process, the Secretary determined that the conditions supporting South Sudan’s designation for TPS continue to exist. Thus, under the applicable statute, the current TPS designation must be extended.
There are 84 South Sudan TPS beneficiaries. This 18-month extension of South Sudan’s designation for TPS permits current beneficiaries under South Sudan’s TPS designation to re-register for TPS and remain in the United States with work authorization through November 2, 2020. To be eligible for TPS under South Sudan’s current designation, along with meeting the other eligibility requirements, individuals must have continuously resided in the United States since January 25, 2016, and have been continuously physically present in the United States since May 3, 2016.
Further details about this extension for TPS, including information about the re-registration process and employment authorization documents, will appear in a Federal Register notice.
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