On Jan. 10, 2025, the outgoing Biden administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly one million individuals in the United States. Specifically, DHS extended TPS for 18 months for qualifying individuals from El Salvador, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela. To qualify for the TPS extension, individuals from these countries must already be residing in the United States as current beneficiaries of TPS. If they continue to meet general and country specific eligibility requirements, these individuals can register for continued temporary protections from removal and seek temporary employment authorization. Every individual processed by DHS goes through rigorous national security and public safety vetting during the original application process and again during re-registration. If any individual is identified as posing a threat, they may be detained, removed, or referred to other federal agencies for further investigation or prosecution as appropriate. Individuals are barred from TPS if they have been convicted of any felony or two misdemeanors. Please see below for a summary of country specific details:
El Salvador
- The extension allows roughly 232,000 current beneficiaries from El Salvador to re-register for TPS, if they continue to meet eligibility requirements. Re-registration is limited to individuals who previously registered for and were granted TPS under El Salvador’s prior designation.
- DHS’ underlying reason for the TPS extension was a substantial disruption of living conditions in El Salvador stemming from environmental disasters, including geological and weather-related events.
- The 18-month extension period runs from March 10, 2025, to Sept. 9, 2026.
- Current beneficiaries under TPS for El Salvador must re-register in a timely manner during the 60-day re-registration period beginning when the Federal Register notice is published to ensure they keep their TPS and employment authorization.
- DHS is automatically extending the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) previously issued under El Salvador’s TPS designation through March 9, 2026.
- Individuals with a pending Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, or a related Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, starting when the Federal Register notice publishes, do not need to file either application again. If U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 filed under the previous designation of TPS for El Salvador, USCIS will grant the individual TPS through Sept. 9, 2026, and issue an EAD valid through the same date.
Sudan
- DHS cited ongoing armed conflicts, political instability, and human rights abuses as reasons for the extension of TPS for Sudan.
- The extension allows approximately 1,900 current eligible beneficiaries to re-register for TPS, if they continue to meet eligibility requirements.
- Re-registration is limited to individuals who are in the United States and previously registered for TPS under Sudan’s designation. Moreover, eligibility is limited to individuals who have continuously resided in the United States since at least Aug. 16, 2023.
- USCIS will continue to process pending applications filed under the Sudan designation. Both initial applicants and re-registering current beneficiaries who have a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 do not need to file either application again.
- If USCIS approves an individual’s pending Form I-821, TPS will be granted through Oct. 19, 2026; similarly, if USCIS approves a pending TPS-based Form I-765, USCIS will issue a new EAD that will be valid through Oct. 19, 2026.
Ukraine
- DHS determined that an 18-month TPS extension was warranted because of the humanitarian crisis and conditions resulting from the expansion of the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine.
- The extension allows approximately 103,700 current eligible beneficiaries to re-register for TPS, if they continue to meet eligibility requirements.
- Re-registration is limited to individuals who previously registered for TPS under Ukraine’s designation and have continuously resided in the United States since August 16, 2023.
- DHS is automatically extending the validity of EADs previously issued under Ukraine’s TPS designation for 12 months beyond the current validity’s expiration.
- USCIS will continue to process pending applications filed under the Ukraine designation. Both initial applicants and re-registering current beneficiaries who have a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 do not need to file either application again.
- If USCIS approves an individual’s pending Form I-821, TPS will be granted through Oct. 19, 2026; similarly, if USCIS approves a pending TPS-based Form I-765, USCIS will issue a new EAD that will be valid through Oct. 19, 2026.
Venezuela
- Venezuela’s TPS extension period will be from April 3, 2025, to Oct. 2, 2026.
- DHS determined that a TPS extension is warranted because of the severe humanitarian emergency the country continues to face due to political and economic crises under the Maduro regime.
- The extension will allow approximately 600,000 current eligible beneficiaries to re-register for TPS, if they continue to meet eligibility requirements.
- Individuals may be eligible if they have continuously resided in the United States on or before July 31, 2023. Venezuelan nationals who registered for TPS under the 2021 Venezuela TPS designation are also eligible to re-register for TPS under this extension, as they meet the same eligibility requirements. Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States after July 31, 2023, are not eligible for TPS. Those who do not enter through a lawful process or pathway will be subject to enforcement consequences.
- Venezuelan TPS beneficiaries must timely re-register during the re-registration period that runs from the publication of Federal Register notice to Sept. 10, 2025, to ensure they keep their TPS and work authorization.
- DHS is automatically extending the validity of EADs previously issued under Venezuela’s TPS designation through April 2, 2026.
- USCIS will continue to process pending applications filed under the Venezuela designation. Both initial applicants and re-registering current beneficiaries who have a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 do not need to file either application again.
- If USCIS approves an individual’s pending Form I-821, TPS will be granted through Oct. 2, 2026; similarly, if USCIS approves a pending TPS-based Form I-765, USCIS will issue a new EAD that will be valid through Oct. 2, 2026.
Please refer to the forthcoming Federal Register notices for each respective country for specific details and explanations regarding the eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew EADs.