Sudanese and Ukrainian TPS holders keep their protection past the 19 October deadline while the US decides their future
USCIS says a decision will be announced "at the appropriate time" and has not given a new end date. Holders keep their work permits for now, but employers have no updated paperwork guidance.
By Eyob Hadgu · 25 October 2026
TPS for Sudan and Ukraine was due to expire on 19 October. (Illustration)
Sudanese and Ukrainian holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States are still protected from deportation and can keep working, even though their status was due to expire on 19 October.
On that date, USCIS posted statements on its Sudan and Ukraine TPS pages saying an announcement "will be made at the appropriate time," according to the immigration law firm BAL. Until then, holders from both countries keep their protection, including work authorisation.
How many people are affected
About 1,790 Sudanese and about 101,150 Ukrainians held TPS as of March 2025, according to the National Immigration Forum.
In August, USCIS said it was ending the TPS designations for both countries and extended holders' work permits only through 19 October. Its latest statements give no new end date.
Unanswered questions
The National Immigration Forum says USCIS has not updated its guidance for employers checking work eligibility (Form I-9) or its SAVE system used by other agencies, so it is unclear how holders should prove they can still work after 19 October. The Department of Homeland Security has also not said whether federal law automatically extends the designations by six months when no decision is published in time.
BAL advises employers to keep copies of the USCIS alerts and the Sudan and Ukraine TPS web pages with the affected workers' I-9 forms.
The same approach was used for El Salvador in September, when USCIS said TPS holders would keep their protection with no set end date.
Why it matters for Eritreans
Eritrea has never been designated for TPS, but many Eritreans in the US live and work alongside Sudanese families who depend on it. The administration has ended TPS for 13 of the 17 countries that had it at the start of 2025, affecting more than a million people, according to the National Immigration Forum.
Eritrean citizens abroad also remain subject to a full suspension of US entry that took effect on 1 January 2026, with exceptions such as green card holders.
This report draws on BAL, Envoy Global and the National Immigration Forum's policy bulletin of 23 October. It is general information, not legal advice.
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