Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a form of humanitarian protection the United States grants to nationals of countries the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated as unsafe to return to — because of armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. TPS shields a person from deportation and allows them to work legally while the designation lasts, but it is temporary by design: it does not, on its own, lead to a green card, and it ends when the government ends the country's designation. In 2025–2026, terminations — and the court fights over them — have made TPS one of the most rapidly changing corners of the U.S. immigration system.
Status as of July 11, 2026. On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Mullin v. Doe that TPS termination decisions are essentially beyond the reach of judicial review, clearing the way to end TPS for Haiti and Syria and weakening the lawsuits protecting other countries. Work permits for seven countries whose terminations are in litigation (Haiti, Syria, Burma, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen) are being extended in short increments — currently through July 17, 2026, and July 24 for Haiti. Ukraine's designation remains valid through October 19, 2026, and El Salvador's through September 9, 2026. New fees apply: $510 to register for the first time and $560 for an initial TPS work permit, which is now issued for no more than one year.
How TPS works
The Secretary of Homeland Security designates a country for TPS — typically for 6, 12, or 18 months at a time — when conditions there temporarily prevent its nationals from returning safely. Nationals of that country (and stateless people who last lived there) who are already in the United States by the date set in the designation can register. The designation can be extended, expanded, or terminated; each decision is published in the Federal Register with its own deadlines. If the Secretary takes no action by the review deadline, the designation extends automatically for six months — which is what happened with Lebanon, now extended through November 27, 2026.
Eligibility rests on nationality, continuous residence and physical presence in the U.S. since the dates set in the country's designation, and the absence of disqualifying criminal history or security grounds. Registration is filed on Form I-821, during the registration window announced for each country; those who already hold TPS must re-register during each re-registration period to keep it.
What TPS gives — and what it doesn't
A person granted TPS cannot be deported while the status is valid and can obtain an employment authorization document (EAD). Travel abroad requires a separate TPS travel document, Form I-512T, which replaced advance parole for TPS holders in 2022 — and leaving without it generally means abandoning the status. TPS does not by itself lead to permanent residence: a TPS holder can get a green card only through an independent basis, such as a family petition, and the rules there depend heavily on how the person entered the country. TPS also confers no access to federal public benefits.
Which countries have TPS now
The picture changes almost weekly, and the country-specific pages on the USCIS site are the authoritative source. As of July 11, 2026, the designations fall into four groups. Valid designations: Ukraine (through October 19, 2026), El Salvador (through September 9, 2026), Sudan, and Lebanon (auto-extended through November 27, 2026). Terminations cleared or pending after the Supreme Court's ruling: Haiti and Syria, where termination is expected to take effect around or after July 27, 2026, plus Burma, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen, where lawsuits continue but on much weaker footing; work permits for these seven countries are being extended in short increments while the cases wind down. Already terminated: Venezuela (the 2021 designation ended November 7, 2025, following the 2023 one), Afghanistan (July 2025), and Cameroon (August 2025) — with litigation continuing over some of them. Terminations announced but paused by courts: Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal, where a federal judge blocked the 2025 termination orders; after the Supreme Court's June decision, the durability of those blocks is uncertain.
Work permits: one-year cards and automatic extensions
Under H.R. 1, TPS work permits — both initial and renewal — are now issued for no more than one year, or for the remaining length of the country's designation, whichever is shorter. When USCIS cannot process renewals in time, it extends existing cards automatically: current examples include El Salvador TPS EADs auto-extended through August 31, 2026, and Ukraine and Sudan EADs auto-extended through October 11, 2026, for those who filed renewals during their re-registration windows. For the seven countries in post-Supreme Court litigation, USCIS has been setting short "placeholder" expiration dates and updating employer guidance as the cases move — the dates have already shifted several times in recent weeks.
What it costs
H.R. 1 raised TPS fees sharply, and the amounts adjust for inflation each year. As of 2026: first-time registration on Form I-821 costs $510, plus a $30 biometric services fee; re-registration itself carries no H.R. 1 charge. The H.R. 1 fees cannot be waived or reduced under any circumstances — the $30 biometric fee is the one charge that can still be waived for financial hardship. An initial TPS work permit costs $560 and a renewal $280, in addition to any regular Form I-765 filing fee. Fees are paid separately — the H.R. 1 charges come on top of, not instead of, the standard USCIS fees.
When TPS ends
Once a country's designation terminates and any court protection lapses, a former TPS holder reverts to whatever immigration status they had before — or to no status at all, with exposure to removal proceedings. The work permit expires on the termination date unless a court order or USCIS notice extends it. Because of that cliff, people with TPS commonly assess other options well before a termination date: asylum (subject to its own deadlines and new fees), family-based petitions, or other relief. What is available depends entirely on individual circumstances, which is a question for a licensed attorney rather than a general guide.
How long is TPS valid?
For the length of the country's designation — typically 6, 12, or 18 months per cycle — and only if the holder re-registers during each re-registration period. A designation can be extended repeatedly (El Salvador's has run since 2001) or terminated; termination dates are set in Federal Register notices and, in recent cases, changed by court orders.
Can TPS holders work in the U.S.?
Yes. TPS holders can apply for a work permit, which is now issued for no more than one year at a time under H.R. 1. When renewals back up, USCIS extends existing cards automatically — the current auto-extension dates are country-specific (for example, August 31, 2026 for El Salvador and October 11, 2026 for Ukraine and Sudan re-registrants), so the country page on the USCIS site is the place to verify.
Can TPS holders travel outside the U.S.?
Only with a TPS travel document (Form I-512T) obtained before the trip; leaving without it is generally treated as abandoning the status. Even with the document, returning is not guaranteed — admission decisions are made at the border, and travel during termination litigation carries added risk.
Does TPS lead to a green card?
Not by itself. TPS is protection, not an immigration track. A green card requires an independent basis — most often a family petition — and eligibility to adjust status inside the U.S. depends on the manner of entry: the Supreme Court held in 2021 that a TPS grant does not count as a lawful admission for someone who entered without inspection.
What happens when TPS ends?
The person returns to their prior status or, if they had none, becomes undocumented and potentially subject to removal; the work permit lapses with the designation unless specifically extended. Court orders have repeatedly shifted termination dates in 2025–2026, so the practical answer for any given country sits in its Federal Register notice and the USCIS country page — both worth checking before making decisions.
Sources we track: USCIS, DHS, EOIR, the Federal Register, and federal courts.