Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a status that allows you to live and work legally in the U.S. It is valid for 18 months at a time, allows you to apply for a work permit and a Social Security Number, and may be renewed for as long as Nicaragua is designated a TPS country.

The TPS re-registration period is open from Nov. 6, 2023, through July 5, 2025.

The new period of TPS for Nicaragua starts on January 6, 2024, and ends on June 5, 2025. The U.S. government could choose to extend TPS for Nicaragua.

For current beneficiaries of Honduran TPS, USCIS has automatically extended the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (also known as “work permits”) until June 30, 2024, as long as the person continues to be eligible for TPS and re-registers by the January 5, 2024 deadline.

No. Even if you are from Nicaragua, you would be ineligible for TPS re-registration if:

• you have not continuously resided in the U.S. since December 30, 1998;
• you have been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors committed in the United States.
  • If you have ever been arrested, cited or convicted of an offense, you should obtain a Certificate of Disposition for each matter, and you should speak to an immigration law expert before applying for TPS.

To apply for TPS re-registration, you will need to file at least Form I-821. If you would like an employment authorization document (work permit), you will need to also file Form I-765. If you would like to request a fee waiver, you will need to file Form I-912 (or ask for a fee waiver in writing). You might need to file Form I-601, if certain “inadmissibility grounds” apply in your case.

The forms can all be downloaded for free from the USCIS website, but there are filing fees that must be paid, unless the fees are waived.

For more information, please call the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Helpline from 9:00am-5:00pm Monday through Friday at 844-955-3425.

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.