The Department of Homeland Security extends Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to individuals from a country enduring conditions that prevent the person from returning safely, such as a natural disaster or armed conflict. TPS may also apply when the person’s home country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. Some people without nationality who last lived in the affected country may also receive TPS.

TPS is a conditional status that requires periodic renewal and entitles the recipient to a work permit, protection from deportation, and authorization to travel abroad. Renewal is at the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security, which determines whether the conditions that prevented the person’s return persist. Note that travel abroad requires a separate application (Advance Parole), which must be approved before the applicant leaves the country.

Do I qualify for TPS?

To be eligible for TPS, you must:

• Be a citizen of a country designated for TPS, or a person without nationality who last lived in the affected country.  See Temporary Protected Status | USCIS for a current list of designated countries.
• File during the initial registration or re-registration period, or meet the requirements for filing late during any extension of the country’s TPS status.
• Have been continuously present in the United States since the effective date of the country’s original or extended TPS status.