[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 148 (Friday, August 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41421-41422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20375]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Immigration and Naturalization Service
[INS No. 1863-97; AG Order No. 2102-97]
RIN 1115-AE26
Extension of Designation of Somalia Under Temporary Protected
Status Program
AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice extends, until September 17, 1998, the Attorney
General's designation of Somalia under the Temporary Protected Status
(TPS) program provided for in section 244 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act, as amended (Act). Accordingly, eligible aliens who are
nationals of Somalia (or who have no nationality and who last
habitually resided in Somalia) may re-register for TPS and extension of
employment authorization. This re-registration is limited to persons
who registered for the initial period of TPS, which ended on September
16, 1992.
DATES: This extension of designation is effective September 18, 1997,
and will remain in effect until September 17, 1998. The re-registration
procedures become effective August 19, 1997, and will remain in effect
until September 17, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ronald Chirlin, Adjudications Officer, Immigration and Naturalization
Service, Room 3214, 425 I Street, NW., Washington, DC 20536, telephone
(202) 514-5014.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Subsection 308(b)(7) of Pub. L. 104-208
(September 30, 1996) renumbered section 244A of the Act as section 244.
Under this section, the Attorney General continues to be authorized to
grant TPS to eligible aliens who are nationals of a foreign state
designated by the Attorney General (or who have no nationality and last
habitually resided in that state). The Attorney General may designate a
state upon finding that the state is experiencing ongoing armed
conflict, environmental disaster, or certain other extraordinary and
temporary conditions that prevent nationals or residents of the country
from returning in safety.
On September 16, 1991, the Attorney General designated Somalia for
Temporary Protected Status for a period of 12 months (56 FR 46804). The
Attorney General extended the designation of Somalia under the TPS
program for additional 12-month periods until September 17, 1997 (61 FR
39472).
This notice extends the designation of Somalia under the Temporary
Protected Status program for an additional 12 months, in accordance
with subsections 244(b)(3) (A) and (C) of the Act. This notice also
describes the procedures with which eligible aliens who are nationals
of Somalia (or who have no nationality and who last habitually resided
in Somalia) must comply in order to re-register for TPS.
In addition to timely re-registrations and late re-registrations
authorized by this notice's extension of Somalia's TPS designation,
late initial registrations are possible for some Somalis under 8 CFR
244.2(f)(2). Such late initial registrants must have been
``continuously physically present'' in the United States since
September 16, 1991, must have had a valid immigrant or non-immigrant
status during the original registration period, and must register no
later than 30 days from the expiration of such status.
An Application for Employment Authorization, Form I-765, must
always be filed along with the Application for Temporary Protected
Status, Form I-821, as part of either a re-registration or a late
initial registration. The appropriate filing fee must accompany Form I-
765 unless a properly documented fee waiver request is submitted to the
Immigration and Naturalization Service or unless the applicant does not
wish to obtain employment authorization. The Immigration and
Naturalization Service requires TPS registrants to submit Form I-765
for data-gathering purposes, whether or not work authorization is
desired.
Notice of Extension of Designation of Somalia Under the Temporary
Protected Status Program
By the authority vested in me as Attorney General under section 244
of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1254), and pursuant to subsections 244(b)(3) (A)
and (C) of the Act, I had consultations with the appropriate agencies
of the Government concerning (a) the conditions in Somalia; and (b)
whether permitting nationals of Somalia (and aliens having no
nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) to remain
temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest
of the United States. As a result, I determine that the conditions for
the original designation of Temporary Protected Status for Somalia
continue to be met. Accordingly, it is ordered as follows:
(1) The designation of Somalia under subsection 244(b) of the Act
is extended for an additional 12-month period from September 18, 1997,
to September 17, 1998.
(2) I estimate that there are approximately 350 nationals of
Somalia (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided
in Somalia) who have been granted Temporary Protected Status and who
are eligible for re-registration.
(3) In order to maintain current registration for Temporary
Protected Status, a national of Somalia (or an alien having no
nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) who received a
grant of TPS during the initial period of designation, from September
16, 1991, to September 16, 1992, must comply with the re-registration
requirements contained in 8 CFR 244.17, which are described in
pertinent part in paragraphs (4) and (5) of this notice.
(4) A national of Somalia (or an alien having no nationality who
last habitually resided in Somalia) who previously has been granted
TPS, must re-register by filing a new Application for Temporary
Protected Status, Form I-821, along with an Application for Employment
Authorization, Form I-765, within the 30-day period beginning on August
19, 1997, and ending on September 17, 1997, in order to be eligible for
Temporary Protected Status during the period from September 18, 1997,
until September 17, 1998. Late re-registration applications will be
allowed pursuant to 8 CFR 244.17(c).
(5) There is no fee for Form I-821 filed as part of the re-
registration application. A Form I-765 must be filed at the same time.
If the alien requests employment authorization for the extension
period, the fee prescribed in
[[Page 41422]]
8 CFR 103.7(b)(1), currently seventy dollars ($70), or a properly
documented fee waiver request pursuant to 8 CFR 244.20, must accompany
the Form I-765. An alien who does not request employment authorization
must nonetheless file Form I-765 along with Form I-821, but in such
cases no fee will be charged.
(6) Pursuant to subsection 244(b)(3)(A) of the Act, the Attorney
General will review, at least 60 days before September 17, 1998, the
designation of Somalia under the TPS program to determine whether the
conditions for designation continue to be met. Notice of that
determination, including the basis for the determination, will be
published in the Federal Register.
(7) Information concerning the TPS program for nationals of Somalia
(and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in
Somalia) will be available at local Immigration and Naturalization
Service offices upon publication of this notice.
Dated: July 26, 1997.
Janet Reno,
Attorney General.
[FR Doc. 97-20375 Filed 7-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-10-M
