I-821, Application For Temporary Protected Status - USCIS

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I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status Alert Type info

Alert: On Nov. 20, 2025, USCIS announced a Federal Register notice that will increase certain immigration-related H.R. 1 fees for fiscal year 2026. These fee adjustments reflect the amount of inflation from July 2024 through July 2025.

The new inflation-adjusted H.R. 1 fees are effective Jan. 1, 2026. If you submit a benefit request postmarked on or after Jan. 1, 2026, that requires one of these H.R. 1 fees, you must include the new fee for the specific benefit you are requesting. We will reject any affected immigration benefit request postmarked on or after Jan. 1, 2026, without the proper filing fee. See the web alert for more information.

If you believe you are an eligible national of a designated country or person without nationality who last habitually resided in the designated country, use this form to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). When filing an initial TPS application or re-registering for TPS, you can also request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by submitting a completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, when you file Form I-821.

You may also file your Form I-765 request separately at a later date.

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Form Details

Forms and Document DownloadsForm I-821 (PDF, 841.13 KB)Instructions for Form I-821 (PDF, 325.6 KB)Edition Date

01/20/25. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.

Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.

If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.

If you need help downloading and printing forms, read our instructions.

Where to File

All applicants eligible to file for TPS under one of the current designations may file Form I-821 online. For more information, please see our TPS page.

If you choose to mail a paper application, use the corresponding address listed on the TPS page.

When to File

All TPS applicants should wait to file their Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, until publication of the Federal Register notice for their respective TPS country.

If you are applying for TPS for the first time, you must register for TPS during the registration period set in the Federal Register notice announcing the initial designation or re-designation of your country for TPS. If you wish to maintain your existing TPS, you must re-register for TPS during the re-registration period set in the Federal Register notice announcing the extension of your country designation for TPS.

For information about when you must file your TPS application, please refer to the country-specific pages found on the left of the Temporary Protected Status page. The Temporary Protected Status page also provides details regarding when or how you may be eligible to file late.

Filing Fee

You can find the filing fee for Form I-821 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.

Effective Oct. 28, 2025, when filing by mail you can pay the fee by credit, debit, or prepaid card using  Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, or by using a U.S. bank account to make an ACH transaction using Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions. We will no longer accept payments made by personal or business check, money order, bank draft, or cashier’s check.

You may may qualify for an exemption from the requirement to use an electronic payment method. If you are eligible, this exemption will allow you to submit a paper-based payment. See Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment, to learn more.

For more information visit our Filing Fees webpage.

Checklist of Required Initial Evidence (for informational purposes only)

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-821. The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.

If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that the translator is competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

Did you provide the following?

• Evidence to prove your identity and nationality;
• Evidence to prove your date of entry into the United States;
• Evidence to prove your residence in the United States; and
• Court disposition records (if you were ever arrested, charged, or convicted for a criminal offense).

Form Filing Tips

Filing Tips for Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status

Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:

• Part 1 – Type of Application
• Part 2 – Information About You
  • Family Name
  • U.S. Mailing Address (Mailing Address must be a U.S. address)
  • Alien Registration Number (re-registration only)
  • Date of Birth

Filing Tips: Review our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.

Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.

Special Instructions

E-Notification: If you want to receive an email and/or text message when we have accepted your form at a USCIS lockbox, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the first page of your form.

Related Links

• Temporary Protected Status

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