Practice Alert: DHS Announces Extension of TPS for South Sudan
Special thanks to Verification and Documentation Committee Vice Chair, John Mazzeo, for his contributions to this practice alert.
In a Federal Register notice published on May 6, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a six-month extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudan from May 4, 2025, through November 3, 2025.
The notice states that the extension is being issued because the Secretary of Homeland Security was not able to make an informed decision on South Sudan’s designation by the March 4, 2025, deadline. Additionally, the notice states “[d]uring this period, beneficiaries are encouraged to prepare for their return to South Sudan, in the event South Sudan’s designation is not extended again and if they have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States.”
Certain TPS beneficiaries may benefit from the 540-day EAD extension found at 8 CFR §274a.13(d). TPS beneficiaries may be eligible for other types of employment authorization extensions. More information on EAD extensions for TPS beneficiaries is available on the USCIS website. USCIS also provides an EAD Extension Calculator. Importantly, the 540 days runs from the “Card Expires” date on the EAD itself, not any other extension date.1
AILA’s Verification and Documentation Liaison Committee recently published Practice Pointer: Demystifying Employment Authorization Under TPS, AILA Doc. No. 23120600, to assist members in answering the myriad questions that surround employment authorization—particularly EAD extensions—for TPS beneficiaries.
1 Section 5.1 of the Handbook for Employers specifically states, “The extension begins on the ‘Card Expires’ date on [the] face of their EAD and generally continues for up to 540 days as applicable.”