Secretary Mayorkas announces extension and redesignation of Yemen for Temporary Protected Status
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced today the extension and redesignation of Yemen for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, from September 4, 2024, to March 3, 2026. This decision follows consultations with interagency partners and is based on ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions in Yemen that prevent safe return.
"Yemen has been in a state of protracted conflict for the past decade, severely limiting civilians’ access to water, food, and medical care, pushing the country to the brink of economic collapse, and preventing Yemeni nationals living abroad from safely returning home," said Secretary Mayorkas. "The steps the Department of Homeland Security has taken today will allow certain Yemenis currently residing in the United States to remain and work here until conditions in their home country improve."
The redesignation allows an estimated 1,700 Yemeni nationals who have been continuously residing in the United States since July 2, 2024, to file initial applications for TPS if they are otherwise eligible. The extension permits approximately 2,300 current beneficiaries to retain TPS through March 3, 2026.
The Federal Register notice provides information about registering for TPS as a new or current beneficiary under Yemen’s extension and redesignation. It details eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for re-registering and renewing Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), as well as submitting initial applications.
A Special Student Relief notice accompanies this announcement for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Yemen. Eligible students may request employment authorization, work increased hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while maintaining F-1 status through the TPS designation period.
Current TPS beneficiaries must re-register during the 60-day period from July 10, 2024 through September 9, 2024 to maintain their status. DHS acknowledges that not all re-registrants may receive new EADs before their current ones expire; thus, it is automatically extending previously issued EADs' validity through September 3, 2025.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue processing pending applications filed under previous TPS designations for Yemen. Individuals with pending Form I-821 or related Form I-765 applications as of July 10 do not need to refile. If approved by USCIS under the previous designation's terms, these individuals will be granted TPS through March 3, 2026.
Eligible individuals without current TPS may submit initial Form I-821 applications during the registration period running from July 10 through March 3, along with requests for EADs or travel authorization using Form I-765.
Since early June's Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and Interim Final Rule issuance, over 24,000 noncitizens have been removed or returned to more than twenty countries. DHS continues enforcing U.S. laws regarding irregular migration journeys which are deemed extremely dangerous.
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