On August 3, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the extensions of the registration periods from 180 days to 18 months for initial (new) applicants under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Venezuela, Syria, and Burma.

The 18-month registration period for initial applications under the TPS designation for Venezuela now runs through Sept. 9, 2022.

For additional information, please see the Federal Register notice.

TPS Designated Through: Sept. 9, 2022

Registration Period March 9, 2021 – Sept. 9, 2022

Continuous Residence in U.S. Since: March 8, 2021

Continuous Physical Presence in U.S. Since: March 9, 2021

TPS Designation Date: March 9, 2021 

On May 22, 2021, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced a new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti for 18 months. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) includes specific duration dates for the designation and instructions for applying for TPS.

For additional information, please see the news release.

On Sept. 10, 2021, DHS published a Federal Register notice (FRN) announcing that beneficiaries under the TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan will retain their TPS while the preliminary injunction in Ramos remains in effect, provided their TPS is not withdrawn because of individual ineligibility. In compliance with the injunction, DHS has automatically extended the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and other TPS-related documentation for TPS beneficiaries affected by the injunction through Dec. 31, 2022. If necessary, DHS will continue to issue appropriate future notices to continue its compliance with court orders. 

TPS Continues Through:

February 3, 2023, for those who were granted TPS under the new designation for Haiti announced in the Aug. 3, 2021, FRN (86 FR 41863).

Registration Period :Aug. 3, 2021, through Feb. 3, 2023, for those applying for TPS under the designation announced in the Aug. 3, 2021, FRN (86 FR 41863).

Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Auto-Extended Through: Dec. 31, 2022, for current beneficiaries under the 2011 TPS designation for Haiti whose documents have been automatically extended by the Sept. 10, 2021, FRN. 

Beneficiaries who are granted TPS under the May 22, 2021, designation and request a new EAD will receive an EAD valid through Feb. 3, 2023.

Continuous Residence Date in U.S. Since: July 29, 2021

Continuous Physical Presence in U.S. Since: Aug. 3, 2021

TPS Designation Date: Aug. 3, 2021 

COVID-19 Vaccine Series Required for Immigration Medical Examinations
Effective Oct. 1, 2021, applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the civil surgeon can complete an immigration medical examination and sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. This guidance applies prospectively to Form I-693 signed by civil surgeons on or after Oct. 1, 2021.
USCIS is updating its policy guidance in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Aug. 17 update to the Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons. We are working on updating Form I-693 and the form instructions to incorporate this new requirement. Applicants must complete the COVID-19 vaccine series (one or two doses, depending on the vaccine) and provide documentation of vaccination to a USCIS-designated civil surgeon before completion of the immigration medical examination. 

Background
In general, individuals applying to become a lawful permanent resident, and other applicants as deemed necessary, must undergo an immigration medical exam to show they are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible under the health-related grounds. USCIS designates eligible physicians as civil surgeons to perform this immigration medical examination for applicants within the United States and to document the results of the immigration medical examination on Form I-693.
USCIS may grant a blanket waiver if a vaccine is:
- Not age appropriate;
- Contraindicated due to a medical condition;
- Not routinely available in the state where the civil surgeon practices; or
- Limited in supply and would cause significant delay for the applicant to receive the vaccination. Individuals may also apply for waivers based on religious beliefs or moral convictions by submitting Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility.

More Information
Updated policy guidance is available in the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8: Admissibility, Part B: Health-Related Grounds of Inadmissibility, Chapter 9: Vaccination Requirement [8 USCIS-PM B.9] and Volume 9: Waivers and Other Forms of Relief, Part D, Health-Related Grounds of Inadmissibility, Chapter 3, Waiver of Immigrant Vaccination Requirement [9 USCIS-PM D.3]. For more information on adjustment of status, visit our Green Card webpage.