The Department of Homeland Security announced the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) program extension is available through 2025 for qualifying individuals from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal. Protection from deportation and work permits are eligible for TPS extension. The program will not be expanded to include individuals from other countries.

The TPS program for individuals from these countries was the subject of legal efforts in the Trump administration. That administration made efforts to end the program for individuals from these countries, and others. However, the U.S. courts denied those efforts. The Biden administration rescinded the termination orders created by the Trump administration for individuals from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal and announced the TPS program extension eligibility.

TPS renewals are available for the estimated 239,000 individuals from El Salvador who have lived in the U.S. since 2001. An estimated 76,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans who have lived in the U.S. since 1998 are also eligible. There are roughly 14,500 Nepalese eligible, who must have lived in the U.S. since 2015.

The TPS program lets individuals who cannot safely return to their home countries due to dangerous conflicts, natural disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances to stay in the U.S. and receive work permits. TPS generally lasts from 6 to 18 months but can be renewed indefinitely. TPS does not provide a path to citizenship or any permanent U.S. status.

Individuals from these countries who are in the U.S. without a legal basis are not eligible for the TPS program. Specific cutoff dates are required in order to be eligible for TPS.

If you have questions about the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program or any other immigration-related issue, contact us at ILBSG. We work with our clients to ensure they get the right advice for their specific situations to achieve their U.S. immigration goals.