DED Extended for Liberians

"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced its intention to automatically extend employment authorization documents (EADs) for Liberian nationals covered under Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) through Sept. 30, 2013. This automatic extension of EADs follows President Obama’s announcement today of his decision to extend DED through Sept. 30, 2014 for qualified Liberians and those persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia. The six-month automatic extension of existing EADs will permit eligible Liberians to continue working in the United States while they file their applications for new EADs that will cover the full 18 months of the DED extension through Sept. 30, 2014. The extension will also allow USCIS to complete processing and issuance of those new EADs.

Although DED for Liberian nationals was scheduled to end on March 31, 2013, President Obama determined that there are compelling foreign policy reasons to continue deferring enforced departure for eligible Liberian nationals presently living in the United States under the existing grant of DED.

Certain individuals are ineligible for DED, including:

• Liberians who did not have Temporary Protected Status on Sept. 30, 2007, and are therefore not covered under current DED;
• certain criminals;
• persons subject to the mandatory bars to Temporary Protected Status; and
• persons whose removal is in the interest of the United States.

USCIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register with information regarding the extension of the validity of EADs for Liberian nationals covered under DED, and instructions on how they may obtain employment authorization for the remainder of the DED extension.

For additional information about DED for Liberia, please visit the DED - Liberia Web page on the USCIS website. Liberian nationals or their employers may also contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5273."

- USCIS, Mar. 15, 2013.