The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced a Federal Register notice extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the validity of TPS-related documentation for beneficiaries under the TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. The previous extension was set to expire in early 2021.
This extension means that individuals with TPS from the following countries will have TPS automatically extended through Oct. 4, 2021: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan.
DHS is also extending the validity of TPS documentation, including work permits, without issuing new cards. Individuals are permitted to get new cards if they wish.
USCIS’s continued extension is pursuant to orders issued by the federal district courts in the Ramos v. Nielsen, Bhattarai v. Nielsen, and Saget v. Trump lawsuits. These orders require DHS to maintain the TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan.
DHS notes that the termination of TPS for some of these countries could move forward if courts permit it. The final decision will likely come down to how President-Elect Biden’s administration chooses to handle the TPS terminations. There is a strong possibility that they will decide to continue TPS and perhaps even expand it to other countries.