Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: El Salvador
ALERT: On Jan. 10, 2025, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador for 18 months. This extension will be in effect from March 10, 2025, through Sept. 9, 2026. For additional information, please see the Federal Register notice.
ALERT: The Department of Homeland Security has extended the validity of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries under the designations of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan through March 9, 2025. We will send a Form I-797, Notice of Action, notifying you if you are affected by this extension.
If you are currently a TPS beneficiary under the El Salvador designation, and you have not yet re-registered for TPS under the most recent extension for that designation, you must submit Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, during the current re-registration period to keep your TPS benefits.
Alert: Before sending your package to USCIS, make sure that all the forms you have completed are the current acceptable edition. The current acceptable edition can be found under the Edition Date section listed on each form’s webpage.
You can also find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions. For each form that you are submitting, make sure that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are from a different form edition, we may reject your form. Watch USCIS Forms: Download the most recent version! to see how to ensure your form is acceptable.
For additional guidance on filing paper-based forms at the Lockbox and how to avoid or correct common errors before you file, please visit the Five Steps to File at the USCIS Lockbox webpage.
| TPS Continued Through: | Sept. 9, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Re-registration period for People Who Already Have TPS: | Jan. 17, 2025 – March 18, 2025 |
| Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Auto-Extended by FRN Through: | March 9, 2026 |
| Continuous Residence in United States Since: | Feb. 13, 2001 |
| Continuous Physical Presence in United States Since: | March 9, 2001 |
| TPS Designation Date: | March 9, 2001 |
| Federal Register Notice Citation: |
To maintain TPS, you must re-register during the re-registration period that runs from Jan. 17, 2025, through March 18, 2025. We encourage you to re-register for TPS as soon as possible within the re-registration period.
If you are re-registering for TPS El Salvador, you may file Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, online. You can also request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by submitting a completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online with your Form I-821 or separately later.
If you are filing a paper application to re-register for TPS, or if you are filing for an initial EAD or a renewal or replacement EAD for TPS you were already granted, mail your TPS package to the appropriate address in the table below.
| If you live in: | Then, mail your application to: |
|---|---|
| USCIS Dallas Lockbox U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS |
| USCIS Chicago Lockbox U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS |
| USCIS Elgin Lockbox U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS |
EAD Extension
We are automatically extending the validity of EADs with the category codes A-12 or C-19 and the expiration dates shown below that we issued to beneficiaries under the TPS designation of El Salvador, if these individuals continue to be eligible for TPS:
| EAD Expiration Date | Now Valid Until |
|---|---|
| March 9, 2018 | March 9, 2026 |
| Sept. 9, 2019 | March 9, 2026 |
| Jan. 2, 2020 | March 9, 2026 |
| Jan. 4, 2021 | March 9, 2026 |
| Oct. 4, 2021 | March 9, 2026 |
| Dec. 31, 2022 | March 9, 2026 |
| June 30, 2024 | March 9, 2026 |
| March 9, 2025 | March 9, 2026 |
If you are a TPS El Salvador beneficiary and your EAD has one of the expiration dates noted in the chart above, this automatic extension will help ensure you do not lose employment authorization if your EAD expires before you receive a new EAD (if you applied for one).
To show your employer that you have continued employment authorization for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, you may present your TPS-related EAD with one of the EAD expiration dates above. You are not required to provide them a link to or a copy of the Federal Register notice announcing the automatic extension, but you may if you wish. Government agencies may also accept these EADs if they need to determine your immigration status.
Information for TPS Beneficiaries Granted under the 2001 El Salvador TPS Designation Regarding Re-registration
If you were granted TPS under the 2001 El Salvador designation that was the subject of the Ramos litigation, your TPS EAD with category A12 or C19 is automatically extended through March 9, 2026. Current El Salvador TPS beneficiaries who were covered under the Ramos litigation must re-register in accordance with the latest FRN 90 FR 5953 announcing the extension of TPS for El Salvador to keep your TPS and related benefits.
To do so, you must file Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, so we may determine whether you are still eligible for TPS. For more information, see:
- INA section 244(c)(3)(C) (TPS beneficiary’s failure to register without good cause in form and manner specified by DHS is ground for TPS withdrawal);
- 8 CFR 244.17(b); and
- The Form I-821 Instructions (PDF, 440.69 KB).
You might be eligible for other immigration options listed on the Explore My Options page.
To apply for a lawful permanent status (Green Card), you must be eligible under one of the categories listed on the Green Card Eligibility Categories page. Once you find the category that may fit your situation, click on the link provided to get information on eligibility requirements, how to apply, and whether your family members can also apply with you.
Note on Seeking Asylum: Being granted and maintaining TPS until a reasonable period before the filing of the asylum application is considered an extraordinary circumstance for the purposes of the one year filing deadline. In other words, having TPS “stops the clock” on the requirement to file for asylum within one year of arriving in the United States, if the one-year clock has not already expired. See 8 CFR 208.4(a)(5)(iv).
Please be aware that some unauthorized practitioners may try to take advantage of you by claiming they can file TPS forms. These same individuals may ask that you pay them to file such forms. We want to ensure that all potential TPS applicants know how to obtain legitimate, accurate legal advice and assistance. A list of accredited representatives and free or low-cost legal providers is available on the finding legal advice web page.
We do not want you to become a victim of an immigration scam. If you need legal advice on immigration matters, make sure the person helping you is authorized to give legal advice. Only an attorney or an accredited representative working for a Department of Justice (DOJ) recognized organization can give you legal advice. Visit the Avoid Scams page for information and resources.
Forms
- Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
- Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
- Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
- Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Ground of Inadmissibility
- In-Country Refugee/Parole Processing for Central American Minors
Tools
Other USCIS Links
Non-USCIS Links