Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a humanitarian immigration benefit that allows nationals of designated countries — where conditions make safe return impossible — to live and work legally in the United States on a temporary basis. TPS provides protection from deportation and work authorization, but does not directly lead to a green card or U.S. citizenship. This guide covers all current TPS-designated countries, how to apply, eligibility requirements, and how TPS interacts with other immigration pathways in 2025.
- What Is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?
- Currently Designated TPS Countries (2026)
- TPS Eligibility Requirements
- How to Apply for TPS: Form I-821
- TPS Re-Registration
- TPS and Green Cards: Can TPS Lead to Permanent Residency?
- Frequently Asked Questions: TPS
- Related Immigration Process Guides
- May 2026 Update: TPS Somalia Extended by Federal Court Order
What Is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?
TPS was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 (INA § 244). The Secretary of Homeland Security can designate a country for TPS when conditions in that country — such as ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions — temporarily prevent nationals from safely returning. TPS provides:
- Protection from deportation: TPS recipients cannot be removed to their designated country during the TPS designation period
- Work authorization: TPS recipients receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) allowing them to work legally for any U.S. employer
- Travel authorization: TPS recipients may be able to obtain travel authorization (advance parole) in limited circumstances
- No path to a green card: TPS alone does not lead to permanent residency — but TPS holders who separately qualify through marriage, family petition, or employment may be able to adjust status
Currently Designated TPS Countries (2026)
As of 2025, the following countries have active TPS designations. Note that TPS designations and extensions are subject to ongoing litigation and policy changes — check USCIS.gov for the most current status:
Currently designated TPS countries — beneficiary estimates as of 2026
- Afghanistan: Designated following the Taliban takeover in August 2021
- Burma (Myanmar): Designated following the February 2021 military coup
- Cameroon: Designated due to ongoing armed conflict in Anglophone regions
- El Salvador: Designated since 2001 following devastating earthquakes — one of the longest-running TPS designations
- Ethiopia: Designated due to ongoing armed conflict
- Haiti: Designated multiple times due to earthquakes, political instability, and humanitarian crises
- Honduras: Designated since 1999 following Hurricane Mitch
- Nepal: Designated following the 2015 earthquake
- Nicaragua: Designated since 1999 following Hurricane Mitch
- Pakistan: Designated due to 2022 catastrophic flooding
- Somalia: Designated due to ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crisis
- South Sudan: Designated due to ongoing armed conflict
- Sudan: Designated due to ongoing armed conflict
- Syria: Designated due to ongoing civil war and humanitarian crisis
- Ukraine: Designated following the February 2022 Russian invasion
- Venezuela: Designated due to the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis
- Yemen: Designated due to ongoing armed conflict
TPS Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for TPS, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- Nationality: You must be a national of a currently designated TPS country (or a stateless person who last habitually resided in that country)
- Continuous physical presence: You must have been continuously physically present in the United States since the date the TPS designation was announced for your country
- Continuous residence: You must have continuously resided in the United States since the date established by the TPS designation for your country
- No criminal bars: You cannot have been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors in the United States
- No terrorism-related bars: Standard immigration inadmissibility bars apply
- Timely registration: You must register during the initial registration period or a subsequent re-registration period
How to Apply for TPS: Form I-821
To apply for TPS, file Form I-821 (Application for Temporary Protected Status) along with:
TPS application process — Form I-821 steps and what approval grants
- Form I-765 (EAD application): Filed simultaneously with I-821 to receive your work permit. If filing for the first time, both forms must be filed together.
- Filing fee: $50 for I-821. I-765 fee of $520 applies unless you are under 14 or over 65 (fee-exempt). Fee waivers may be available for financial hardship.
- Proof of nationality: Passport, birth certificate, or other national identity document from the designated country
- Proof of identity: Government-issued photo ID
- Evidence of continuous residence and physical presence since the required date — utility bills, school records, medical records, employment records, bank statements, lease agreements
- Two passport-style photos
TPS Re-Registration
TPS is not permanent — it is granted for the duration of the designation period and must be renewed each time the designation is extended. USCIS publishes re-registration windows (typically 60-day periods) during which current TPS holders must re-register to maintain their status. Missing a re-registration deadline can result in loss of TPS. Set reminders for your re-registration window — USCIS announces extensions and re-registration periods through the Federal Register and USCIS.gov.
TPS and Green Cards: Can TPS Lead to Permanent Residency?
TPS alone does not provide a path to a green card. However, TPS holders can pursue permanent residency through other qualifying pathways:
- Marriage to a U.S. citizen: A TPS holder who marries a U.S. citizen may be able to adjust status to permanent residence — this is the most common TPS-to-green card pathway. Whether adjustment of status is available inside the U.S. depends on the TPS holder’s original entry (with or without inspection). Courts have issued conflicting rulings on this — consult an attorney.
- Family petition: A U.S. citizen parent or adult child can file an I-130 petition for a TPS holder, establishing a priority date for an immigrant visa
- Employment sponsorship: A U.S. employer can sponsor a TPS holder for PERM and I-140 employment-based green card
Frequently Asked Questions: TPS
Does TPS lead to a green card or citizenship?
No — TPS alone does not provide a path to a green card or citizenship. TPS is a temporary benefit providing deportation protection and work authorization. However, TPS holders who separately qualify for permanent residency — through marriage to a U.S. citizen, a family petition, or employer sponsorship — may be able to adjust status to permanent resident. The availability of adjustment of status for TPS holders who entered without inspection is subject to ongoing litigation — consult an immigration attorney.
What countries are designated for TPS in 2026?
As of 2025, TPS-designated countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen. TPS designations and extensions are subject to ongoing legal challenges and policy changes — always verify current status at USCIS.gov before applying or re-registering.
Latest Updates & Related Guides
Related Immigration Process Guides
- How to Get a U.S. Green Card: All Pathways Explained
- Form I-485: Adjustment of Status Complete Guide
- Consular Processing: NVC and Immigrant Visa Interview
- Form I-864 Affidavit of Support: Sponsor Requirements
- Visa Bulletin & Priority Dates Guide
- Marriage-Based Green Card Guide 2025
- Work Permit (EAD): Form I-765 Guide
- EB-1A & EB-2 NIW: Self-Petition Green Card Guide
See also: U.S. Visa Services Paused in South Sudan, DRC & Uganda (May 2026)
May 2026 Update: TPS Somalia Extended by Federal Court Order
May 2026 — Court Stays TPS Somalia Termination. The Trump administration had moved to terminate the TPS designation for Somalia, with a termination date set for March 17, 2026. However, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued an order on March 13, 2026 staying (blocking) the termination. As a result, TPS Somalia remains in effect and all Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under TPS Somalia are automatically extended through July 1, 2026, per a USCIS and E-Verify confirmation in May 2026. Somali TPS holders should continue to retain their current EAD as proof of work authorization and monitor USCIS.gov/tps for further developments as the legal challenge proceeds in court.
Last updated: May 19, 2026.
