USCIS Confirms Eligible Salvadoran TPS Holders to Receive Automatic Extensions for Work Permits
Nationwide—Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its guidance confirming that eligible Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries whose Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applications remain pending will receive a notice extending their expired work permits.
The agency announced it will send extension notices by mail and electronically to individuals with myUSCIS accounts. The notice, together with an expired TPS-based EAD, may be presented to employers as proof of continued employment authorization through September 9, 2026.
José Palma, Coordinator of the National TPS Alliance, issued the following statement:
For weeks, many Salvadoran TPS holders who were still waiting for their renewed work permits were being told they could no longer work. Today’s USCIS update provides critical clarification and is an important victory for our community. While the agency doesn’t say it outright, this action follows our continued advocacy and litigation to ensure TPS holders are not wrongfully prevented from working and confirms that eligible individuals remain authorized to work through September 9, 2026.
The National TPS Alliance encourages TPS holders to stay informed through trusted legal service providers and accredited immigration attorneys as the legal process continues. Community members should not make decisions based on rumors or misinformation.
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About the National TPS Alliance: The National TPS Alliance is a member-led organization representing Temporary Protected Status holders from across the United States. The Alliance advocates for the protection of TPS, family unity, and a permanent pathway to residency for long-term TPS holders who have built their lives, families, and communities in the United States.
About the litigation: The lawsuit, Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts et al. v. USCIS et al., is brought by the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, National TPS Alliance, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and 32BJ SEIU. It challenges four USCIS policies implementing provisions of HR1, including policies that retroactively shorten employment authorization for certain TPS holders and impose unlawful barriers that threaten asylum seekers with loss of work authorization, rejection of their asylum applications, and removal proceedings. Plaintiffs are represented by Democracy Forward, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, and ASAP.