Business Immigration Insights

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that because the conditions in Honduras no longer support its designation for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the designation set to expire on July 15, 2018, will terminate on January 5, 2020.  This conclusion is at odds with the State Department travel advisory, which says that travelers should reconsider travel to Honduras due to violent crime (murder, assault, rape, armed robbery, gang activity, etc.).  The travel advisory can be found here.

TPS allows qualifying persons inside the United States to remain and work lawfully until conditions in their home countries improve following civil war, natural disaster or similar extraordinary situations.  The final period of designation gives those unable to acquire another legal status time to prepare to depart the United States by the TPS termination date.

DHS has not yet provided details for nationals of Honduras holding TPS status to re-register to extend their status through the designation end date of January 5, 2020.   When those instructions are issued, the employment authorization documents held by qualifying individuals already set to expire on July 15, 2018, will likely be automatically extended for six months, providing applicants time to apply for new employment authorization documents valid through the termination date.