StatusHumanitarianCountry-specificForm I-821Work permitNo green card path

TPS Temporary Protected Status

A temporary status for nationals of designated countries who are already in the United States: protection from removal and eligibility for a work permit while the designation lasts.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 2026Sources: USCIS · Federal RegisterReport an error

At a glance

Who decides: The Secretary of Homeland Security designates, extends or terminates each country
Designation period: 6 to 18 months at a time, with review at least 60 days before it ends
Countries listed as designated (Oct. 1, 2026): El Salvador, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine, Venezuela — see each country page
Initial TPS application (Form I-821): $510 + $30 biometrics; $520 from Oct. 16, 2026
Re-registration: $0 + $30 biometrics
Green card: TPS does not lead to permanent residence by itself

Check the country page — status changes frequently. Since 2025, DHS has terminated TPS for most designated countries, and court rulings have repeatedly changed effective dates. On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court held in Mullin v. Doe that 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(5)(A) bars judicial review of non-constitutional claims about TPS decisions, and USCIS then set termination dates for seven more countries. As of Oct. 1, 2026, the USCIS TPS page lists only El Salvador, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine and Venezuela, and Venezuela’s designations have been terminated. Sudan’s and Ukraine’s designations run through Oct. 19, 2026; no extension or termination notice for either had been published in the Federal Register as of Oct. 1, 2026. By statute, if DHS does not decide at least 60 days before a designation ends, the designation is extended for 6 months (8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(3)(C)); DHS has not published a notice applying this to Sudan, Ukraine or El Salvador. Rely on each country’s USCIS page and the Federal Register notice, not on this summary.

Overview

Under INA 244 (8 U.S.C. 1254a), the Secretary of Homeland Security can designate a country for TPS because of ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster or epidemic, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions that stop its nationals from returning safely. Nationals already in the United States, and stateless people who last habitually resided there, can apply during the registration period in the Federal Register notice.

TPS beneficiaries, and applicants found prima facie eligible, cannot be removed, can get a work permit (EAD), may be granted travel authorization, and cannot be detained by DHS on the basis of their immigration status. TPS gives no permanent status, but it does not stop a person from applying for a nonimmigrant status, adjustment of status or other benefits they qualify for. Source: USCIS Temporary Protected Status.

Since July 22, 2025, H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21) has raised costs: the initial TPS registration fee went from $50 to a non-waivable fee (now $510), TPS-based EADs carry extra non-waivable fees, and initial TPS EADs are valid for 1 year or the length of the designation, whichever is shorter. These fees are being collected and are listed in the current USCIS fee schedule.

Who qualifies

To be eligible for TPS, the applicant must

Be a national of a designated country, or a person without nationality who last habitually resided there.
File during the initial registration or re-registration period, or qualify for late initial filing.
Have been continuously physically present in the United States since the effective date of the country’s most recent designation.
Have continuously resided in the United States since the date set for that country. Brief, casual and innocent departures may be excused.

An applicant is generally ineligible if they

Have been convicted of a felony, or of two or more misdemeanors, committed in the United States.
Are inadmissible on non-waivable grounds, including criminal and security grounds.
Are subject to a mandatory bar to asylum, such as persecuting others or terrorist activity.
Fail to re-register without good cause after being granted TPS.

Duration & extensions

El Salvador	TPS continued through Sept. 9, 2026; USCIS says an announcement will be made at the appropriate time and that until then Salvadoran TPS holders retain protection, including work authorization
Lebanon	Automatically extended for 6 months, May 28 – Nov. 27, 2026 (91 FR 32069); existing EADs are auto-extended through Nov. 27, 2026
Sudan	TPS continues through Oct. 19, 2026 (90 FR 5944); no extension or termination notice had been published in the Federal Register as of Oct. 1, 2026
Ukraine	TPS designated through Oct. 19, 2026 (90 FR 5936); no extension or termination notice had been published in the Federal Register as of Oct. 1, 2026
Venezuela	Both designations terminated. The Supreme Court let the 2023 termination take effect on Oct. 3, 2025, and the 2021 designation ended Nov. 7, 2025 (90 FR 43225). Under a May 30, 2025 N.D. Cal. order, TPS-related EADs, Forms I-797 and Forms I-94 issued on or before Feb. 5, 2025 with an Oct. 2, 2026 expiration date remain valid, with work authorization, through Oct. 2, 2026
Terminated after the June 25, 2026 Supreme Court decision	Per USCIS, after Mullin v. Doe: Yemen (effective July 20, 2026; 91 FR 10402), Haiti (July 27, 2026; 90 FR 54733), Syria (July 27, 2026; 90 FR 45398), Burma/Myanmar (Aug. 7, 2026; 90 FR 53378), South Sudan (Aug. 7, 2026; 90 FR 50484), Somalia (Aug. 14, 2026; 91 FR 1547), Ethiopia (Aug. 18, 2026; 90 FR 58028)
Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal	Terminated Sept. 8, 2025 (Honduras, Nicaragua) and Aug. 5, 2025 (Nepal). A district court vacated the terminations on Dec. 31, 2025, but the 9th Circuit stayed that order on Feb. 9, 2026 (National TPS Alliance v. Noem)
Afghanistan, Cameroon	Terminated effective July 14, 2025 (90 FR 20309) and Aug. 4, 2025 (90 FR 23697)
Work permit validity	Initial TPS EADs: 1 year or the duration of the designation, whichever is shorter (H.R. 1). DHS ended most automatic EAD extensions on Oct. 30, 2025, but extensions made by law or Federal Register notice, such as TPS notices, are not affected

Fees

Current amounts from the USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055, edition 10/01/26). The H.R. 1 fees cannot be waived. Under the FY 2027 inflation notice (91 FR 62540), some rise for filings postmarked on or after Oct. 16, 2026; filings without the correct fee will be rejected.

Fee	Amount	Who pays	Notes
Form I-821, initial registration (H.R. 1 TPS fee)	$510	Applicant	Becomes $520 on Oct. 16, 2026. No fee waiver.
Form I-821, re-registration	$0	Applicant	Biometrics fee still applies
Biometric services (with I-821)	$30	Applicant	Fee waiver available on Form I-912
Form I-765, initial TPS EAD (a)(12)/(c)(19)	$520 paper / $470 online + $560	Applicant	The $560 H.R. 1 fee becomes $570 on Oct. 16, 2026 and cannot be waived
Form I-765, renewal TPS EAD	$520 paper / $470 online + $280	Applicant	The $280 H.R. 1 fee is unchanged for FY 2027
Form I-131, TPS travel authorization	$630 paper / $580 online	TPS beneficiary	Fee waiver may be available

Before H.R. 1, the statutory TPS registration fee was $50. Section 100006 of Public Law 119-21 replaced it with a $500 fee, which USCIS began collecting for filings postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. It was inflation-adjusted to $510 from Jan. 1, 2026 (90 FR 52693).

Processing time

Designation length: 6–18 months; Per designation or extension under INA 244(b)
Decision deadline: 60 days before expiry; Unless DHS determines the country no longer qualifies, the designation is extended by 6 months (or 12 or 18 at DHS’s discretion)

Filing windows are set country by country in Federal Register notices. Wait for your country’s notice before filing Form I-821. Processing times vary; check USCIS processing times. Re-registration windows for El Salvador, Sudan and Ukraine last ran Jan. 17 – March 18, 2025.

Application steps

1
Check the country page
Confirm on the USCIS country page and in the latest Federal Register notice that the country is designated and that a registration or re-registration period is open, and note the continuous residence and physical presence dates.
2
Prepare Form I-821
Initial applicants submit evidence of identity and nationality, date of entry, and continuous residence. Re-registrants file during the re-registration window. Form I-821 can be filed online.
3
Add Form I-765 if work is needed
Filing Form I-765 with Form I-821 can speed up the work permit. Include the separate, non-waivable H.R. 1 fee.
4
Pay the correct fees
Use the amounts in effect on the postmark date: $510 for an initial I-821 now, $520 from Oct. 16, 2026.
5
Attend biometrics
USCIS schedules fingerprints and a photo for background checks.
6
Keep re-registering and track changes
TPS must be renewed in each re-registration period. Watch for extension or termination notices, because a termination ends TPS and TPS-based work permits on the effective date.

Required documents

Initial applicants

Identity and nationality: passport, birth certificate with photo ID, or national ID; secondary evidence is allowed if these are unavailable
Date of entry: passport stamps, Form I-94 or other entry evidence
Continuous residence since the country’s date: leases, utility bills, employment, school or medical records
Certified English translations of any foreign-language documents
Form I-601 if a waivable ground of inadmissibility applies

Dependents & family

There is no derivative TPS. Spouses and children must each qualify and apply on their own Form I-821 as nationals of the designated country, or as stateless people who last habitually resided there, meeting the same residence and presence dates.

Path to a green card

TPS is a temporary benefit and does not lead to permanent residence by itself. A TPS holder may still apply for any status they otherwise qualify for, such as adjustment through a family or employment petition, as USCIS explains.

Being in TPS does not cure every bar to adjustment. Eligibility depends on the specific green card category.

U-1

Victim of qualifying crime

Status for crime victims who help law enforcement.

T-1

Victim of human trafficking

Status for trafficking victims, with a path to a green card.

IR-1

Spouse of a U.S. citizen

A common green card route for people who also hold TPS.

EB-3

Skilled and other workers

An employment-based green card route that is separate from TPS.

Common questions

Which countries have TPS right now?

As of Oct. 1, 2026, USCIS lists El Salvador, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine and Venezuela under “Countries Currently Designated,” but Venezuela’s designations have been terminated and El Salvador’s status awaits an announcement. Many other countries were terminated in 2025–2026. Check the USCIS country page, because status changes frequently.

How much does it cost to apply for TPS now?

An initial Form I-821 costs $510 plus a $30 biometrics fee ($520 from Oct. 16, 2026). Re-registration has no I-821 fee but still requires $30 for biometrics. A work permit adds the I-765 fee ($520 paper or $470 online) plus a non-waivable H.R. 1 fee of $560 for an initial EAD ($570 from Oct. 16, 2026) or $280 for a renewal.

Can the TPS fee be waived?

Not the H.R. 1 fees. The $510 registration fee and the H.R. 1 EAD fees cannot be waived. The $30 biometrics fee and some other USCIS fees can be waived with Form I-912.

What happens when a country’s TPS is terminated?

TPS and TPS-based documents end on the termination effective date in the Federal Register notice or set by court order. People then hold only whatever other status or pending application they have. Court orders have changed several of these dates.

Can TPS lead to a green card?

Not by itself. A TPS holder can apply for a green card through another category, such as a family or employment petition, if they meet its requirements.

Official sources

Recent changes

Oct 1, 2026
FY 2027 inflation increase to H.R. 1 fees. For filings postmarked on or after Oct. 16, 2026, the initial TPS (I-821) fee rises from $510 to $520 and the initial TPS EAD fee from $560 to $570. The TPS EAD renewal fee stays $280. Source ↗
Jun 25, 2026
Mullin v. Doe: Supreme Court rules on TPS terminations. The Court held that 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(5)(A) bars judicial review of non-constitutional claims related to TPS and that a challenge to Haiti’s termination was unlikely to succeed. USCIS then set termination dates of July 20 to Aug. 18, 2026 for Yemen, Haiti, Syria, Burma, South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. Source ↗
May 29, 2026
Lebanon TPS automatically extended. Lebanon’s designation was automatically extended for 6 months, May 28 – Nov. 27, 2026, and existing EADs were extended to Nov. 27, 2026. Source ↗
Apr 29, 2026
Interim final rule codifies H.R. 1 fee procedures. Codifies certain H.R. 1 fees and provisions, including EAD validity periods. Effective May 29, 2026. Source ↗
Feb 9, 2026
9th Circuit stays vacatur for Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal. Stays a Dec. 31, 2025 district court order that had vacated the terminations (National TPS Alliance v. Noem). Source ↗
Oct 30, 2025
Automatic EAD extensions removed. Ends automatic extensions for timely renewal filings in most categories. Extensions made by law or Federal Register notice, such as TPS notices, are not affected. Source ↗
Jul 22, 2025
H.R. 1 TPS fees take effect. Adds a $500 non-waivable TPS registration fee, replacing $50, and new TPS EAD fees ($550 initial, $275 renewal for FY 2025). Initial TPS EADs are limited to 1 year or the designation period. Source ↗

This page is general reference material compiled from the official sources above and is not legal advice. Eligibility depends on individual facts; rules and fees change, so confirm with the agency before you file. VisaTypes.com is not affiliated with USCIS, the Department of State or any government agency. Spotted an error? Tell us.