New York · est. 2013Saturday, September 5, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Forms · Humanitarian

Temporary Protected Status

TPS protects nationals of a country the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated because of armed conflict, disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. It stops removal and allows work for the length of the designation. It is not a green card and it does not lead to one; when a designation ends, the protection ends with it.

Typical time: 12.4 months national median in FY 2026, double the FY 2025 figure. Work permits are often auto-extended by Federal Register notice while the I-821 is pending.Fees: About $540 for an initial registration without a work permit, or roughly $1,600 with an initial EAD once the Public Law 119-21 fee is counted. Re-registration is $30 plus any EAD fees.

Who it is for. Nationals of a currently designated country, and people with no nationality who last habitually resided there, who meet the continuous residence and continuous physical presence dates in the designation notice.

The forms, in order

3 forms
I-821I-765I-131
  1. 1

    Check the current Federal Register notice for your country

    Who
    The applicant
    When
    Registration windows are fixed and short
    Fee
    $0

    The dates, the filing address, and the required evidence all change with each notice.

  2. 2

    File Form I-821 during the registration window, with the work permit application if you want one

    I-821I-765

    Who
    The applicant, and separately for each family member who qualifies in their own right
    When
    During the registration or re-registration period
    Fee
    $510 plus $30 biometrics for an initial registration; $0 plus $30 for re-registration. The I-765 costs $520 paper or $470 online plus a $560 Public Law 119-21 fee on an initial (a)(12) or (c)(19) EAD and $280 on renewals.

    TPS is individual - there are no derivatives.

  3. 3

    Attend biometrics

    Who
    Applicants 14 and over
    When
    A few weeks after filing
    Fee
    Covered by the $30 biometric services fee
  4. 4

    Re-register in every subsequent window

    I-821I-765

    Who
    The TPS holder
    When
    Each re-registration period announced in the Federal Register
    Fee
    $0 plus $30 biometrics, plus EAD fees if renewing the work permit

    Missing a re-registration window without good cause ends TPS.

  5. 5

    Apply for travel authorisation before leaving the country

    I-131

    Who
    The TPS holder
    When
    Before any travel
    Fee
    $630 paper or $580 online

    Leaving without TPS travel authorisation ends the protection.

Where it goes wrong

  • TPS gives no path to permanent residence on its own; it only buys time.
  • Only the $30 biometric services fee is waivable, according to the fee schedule.
  • Travelling without advance travel authorisation ends TPS.
  • Designations have been terminated at short notice, and litigation over terminations has produced whiplash - protection restored, then removed again.
  • TPS does not cure unlawful presence for someone who wants to consular process later.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

  • Several country designations were terminated or allowed to lapse in 2025 and 2026, with most terminations challenged in court.
  • Processing time for Form I-821 doubled between FY 2025 and FY 2026.
  • Initial and renewal TPS work permits now carry non-waivable Public Law 119-21 fees of $560 and $280.

Related processes

Sources: uscis.gov · uscis.gov · egov.uscis.gov · uscis.gov