United States: DHS to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela
January 10, 2025
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At a glance
- The Department of Homeland Security is extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela, for 18 months from their current expiration dates.
- TPS for Sudan and Ukraine will be extended to October 19, 2026. TPS for Venezuela will be extended to October 2, 2026.
- Current TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend their benefits will be required to re-register during the specified registration period for their country.
- DHS will also accord automatic one-year extensions in validity for TPS EADs for these countries.
The issue
Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela, for a period of 18 months, due to extraordinary and temporary local conditions that prevent nationals of these countries from safely returning home.
The TPS designations for Sudan and Ukraine, which are currently set to expire on April 19, 2025, will be extended to October 19, 2026. The TPS redesignation for Venezuela, which is currently set to expire on April 2, 2025, will be extended to October 2, 2026.
Details on the announced extensions, including eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures, will be included in upcoming DHS Federal Register notices.
Current TPS beneficiaries from these countries will be required to apply to extend their TPS status and work authorization during a re-registration period that will be specified in the upcoming Federal Register notices for each country. Foreign nationals who already have TPS and/or EAD applications pending at the time the re-registration period opens will not need to file a second application, as approvals will be valid to the end of the new, extended TPS period.
Individuals applying for TPS undergo security and background checks as part of determining eligibility. Biometrics collection (fingerprinting) is generally required for applicants ages 14 and older.
As DHS recognizes that re-registrants may not receive new EADs before their current cards expire, the agency has announced that it will automatically extend for 12 months the validity of EADs issued under the TPS designations for the three affected countries.
Looking ahead
In the coming days, DHS will issue Federal Register notices for each country, setting forth the specific eligibility criteria, timelines and procedures for applying for extension of TPS status and work authorization, and specific EAD auto-extension expiration dates and EADs covered by the auto-extension for each country. Fragomen will issue further client alerts providing these details as these Federal Register notices are issued.
It should be noted that the first Trump administration attempted to terminate a number of TPS programs, which resulted in court challenges. If the incoming Trump Administration were to seek to take action to terminate TPS for these newly extended countries, such an action might prompt similar court challenges.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
