Written and reviewed by John V. Martine, Immigration Attorney — Law Office of John V. Martine · Last updated: September 13, 2026 — TPS status is changing fast; check uscis.gov/tps for the latest before relying on this page.
TPS 2026 is one of the most disrupted areas of U.S. immigration law right now. Since 2025, the government has moved to end TPS for most countries that had it. Federal courts have blocked some of those terminations. The legal picture keeps changing, sometimes week by week.
If you have TPS or had it, this guide tells you exactly where things stand today and what you can do.
What Is Temporary Protected Status?
TPS is a humanitarian protection. The U.S. government grants it to people from countries facing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. It lets people from those countries live and work legally in the U.S. for a limited time.
TPS does not lead automatically to a green card or citizenship. The government can renew it, or end it.
Which Countries Have Active TPS in 2026?
As of September 2026, only a few countries still have active TPS. Most countries that once had TPS have lost it since 2025.
Countries with active TPS right now:
- Sudan — extended through October 19, 2026.
- Ukraine — extended through October 19, 2026.
- Lebanon — extended through November 27, 2026.
- El Salvador — in limbo. The designation expired on September 9, 2026. DHS says protections remain in place “for now” while it prepares a formal announcement. If you have TPS from El Salvador, check uscis.gov every week. This status could change at any time.
Countries where TPS has ended:
Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen no longer have active TPS designations. If you had TPS from one of these countries, read the sections below. You may still have other legal options.
What Happened to Venezuela’s TPS?
Venezuela had two separate TPS designations. Both have ended. The 2023 designation ended on April 7, 2025. The 2021 designation ended on November 7, 2025. There is currently no active TPS designation for Venezuela of any kind.
Check your work permit card carefully. Some Venezuelan EADs tied to the 2021 designation were automatically extended to a specific date, even though the designation itself has ended. Confirm your exact expiration date with an attorney.
What Happened to Haiti’s TPS?
Haiti’s TPS designation ended on July 27, 2026. This happened after a Supreme Court ruling on June 25, 2026 (Mullin v. Doe). That ruling made it harder for courts to block TPS terminations. A lower court confirmed Haiti’s termination on August 5, 2026.
If you had Haitian TPS and have no other legal status, you are now at risk. Speak with an attorney right away.
What Happened to Honduras and Nicaragua’s TPS?
TPS for both Honduras and Nicaragua ended on September 8, 2025. In December 2025, a federal judge ruled the terminations were unlawful. That ruling briefly restored protections for both countries, and for Nepal too. But in February 2026, a federal appeals court paused the judge’s ruling. The terminations went back into effect. There is no active TPS for Honduras or Nicaragua today.
What About El Salvador?
El Salvador’s TPS designation officially ended on September 9, 2026. This followed the same Supreme Court ruling that affected Haiti and Syria. But DHS says protections and work permits remain valid “for now.” USCIS is still processing automatic extensions for pending renewals. No final termination announcement has been made as of this writing.
If you have TPS from El Salvador: your status has not been confirmed as ended, but it could change at any time. Check uscis.gov/tps for updates and speak with an attorney about your specific situation.
What Are Your Options If Your TPS Has Ended?
Losing TPS does not mean you must leave the United States right away. You may have other legal options. Talk to an immigration attorney about these:
Option 1 — Asylum. If conditions in your home country put you at personal risk because of your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, you may qualify for asylum. You generally must apply within one year of your last arrival in the U.S. — but there are exceptions. Even if you’ve been here for years, ask an attorney whether you qualify.
Option 2 — Family-Based Petition. If you have a close family member who is a U.S. citizen or green card holder — a spouse, parent, adult child, or sibling — they may be able to file a petition for you. Processing time varies from months to years, depending on your relationship and country of birth.
Option 3 — U Visa (Crime Victims). If you were the victim of a crime in the U.S. — like domestic violence, sexual assault, robbery, or human trafficking — and you helped law enforcement, you may qualify for a U visa. A U visa leads to a green card after three years.
Option 4 — VAWA (Violence Against Women Act). If you were abused by a U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse, parent, or child, you may be able to self-petition for a green card — without your abuser’s knowledge or cooperation.
Option 5 — T Visa (Trafficking Victims). Victims of human trafficking who cooperate with a federal investigation may qualify for a T visa. A T visa also leads to permanent residency.
Option 6 — Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). SIJS may offer a path to a green card. It’s for people under 21 who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected, and who have a state court involved in their case.
Option 7 — Employer Sponsorship. If an employer will sponsor you for a green card, options like EB-2 or EB-3 may apply. It depends on your education and your job.
What Happens If You Stay Without Status?
Staying in the U.S. without legal status after your TPS ends carries real risk:
- You are considered “unlawfully present.”
- More than 180 days of unlawful presence, followed by leaving the country, can trigger a 3-year bar on returning.
- More than 365 days of unlawful presence, followed by leaving, can trigger a 10-year bar.
- You become a higher-priority target for immigration enforcement under current policy.
Important: time spent with valid TPS does not count as unlawful presence. That clock generally starts only after TPS ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
If my TPS ended, can I still apply for asylum? Possibly. The one-year filing deadline has exceptions for changed circumstances, and the end of your TPS may qualify as one. Talk to an attorney right away.
Does TPS ending mean I’ll be deported immediately? No. You won’t be automatically deported. But your risk goes up. The most important thing you can do is talk to an immigration attorney to understand your options before ICE makes that decision for you.
Can my U.S.-citizen children be deported? No. Children born in the United States are U.S. citizens and cannot be deported. But they could be separated from a parent who is removed, unless you plan ahead. Talk to an attorney about naming a guardian for your children in case you’re detained.
My TPS just ended and I have no other status. What do I do right now? Call an immigration attorney today — not tomorrow. The sooner you know your options, the more of them you’ll still have.
TPS Status Is Changing Fast
TPS terminations are happening quickly, and court rulings can change the picture with little warning. If your status has ended or is ending, you may have more legal options than you think — but time matters. Call the Law Office of John V. Martine to schedule a case evaluation with an immigration attorney, in English or Spanish.
Call (256) 314-9142 or WhatsApp (256) 398-9478.
- Official USCIS TPS page: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status
- American Immigration Council TPS fact sheet (country-by-country dates, cited throughout this article): https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/temporary-protected-status-tps-overview/