INS Extends Salvadorans’ Work Permits Until Jan. 31

The work permits of tens of thousands of Salvadorans living in the Los Angeles area and elsewhere in the United States have been automatically extended for four months, until Jan. 31, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service announced this week.

Affected are 200,000 Salvadorans nationwide, concentrated in Los Angeles, whose working papers are set to expire Sept. 30. All have been beneficiaries of two federal programs--temporary protected status and deferred enforcement departure--that have allowed them to remain and work in the United States since at least 1990.

The extension of work permits has been a central goal of Central American community leaders, who are urging eligible Salvadorans to apply now for political asylum under the favorable terms of a federal court settlement. The deadline for those political asylum applications is also Jan. 31. Without the extension, many eligible Salvadorans faced a four-month gap in their work permits.

Although the work permits are scheduled to expire Jan. 31, INS officials say no mass deportations of Salvadorans are planned. Most eligible Salvadorans are expected to have their papers renewed as they file for asylum.