Certain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders may lose the ability to work as soon as next week, if the federal court orders currently preserving their protections are lifted.
On July 10, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released new SAVE guidance for TPS beneficiaries from Syria, South Sudan, Burma, Haiti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen. The agency issued the alerts so benefit-granting agencies know that these individuals keep valid status and work authorization under court orders that paused each country’s termination.
Did you know? Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a designation that lets foreign nationals from crisis-afflicted countries live and work in the U.S. without a visa or Green Card.
What exactly changed in this TPS SAVE update?
USCIS’s SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) program allows government agencies to check a person’s immigration status when they apply for public benefits or licenses. The new alerts state that TPS holders from those seven countries will appear in SAVE as employment authorized, with a note that their status and work permits are extended per court order.
Each USCIS notice also lists the dates SAVE will display as the end of that group’s work authorization:
- Syria: TPS was set to end on November 21, 2025, but a New York federal court paused the termination on November 19, 2025. SAVE will show work authorization through July 17, 2026.
- South Sudan: TPS was set to end on January 5, 2026, but a Massachusetts federal court paused the termination on December 30, 2025. SAVE will show work authorization through July 17, 2026.
- Myanmar: TPS was set to end on January 26, 2026, but an Illinois federal court postponed the termination on January 23, 2026. SAVE will show work authorization through July 17, 2026.
- Haiti: TPS was set to end on February 3, 2026, but a Washington, D.C. federal court paused the termination on February 2, 2026. SAVE will show work authorization through July 24, 2026.
- Ethiopia: TPS was set to end on February 13, 2026, but a Massachusetts federal court paused the termination on January 30, 2026. SAVE will show work authorization through July 17, 2026.
- Somalia: TPS was set to end on March 17, 2026, but a Massachusetts federal court paused the termination on March 13, 2026. SAVE will show work authorization through July 17, 2026.
- Yemen: TPS was set to end on May 4, 2026, but a New York federal court paused the termination on May 1, 2026. SAVE will show work authorization through July 17, 2026.
These July dates come from DHS, and they show how far the agency currently extends work records while the litigation wraps up. USCIS describes the extensions as limited relief because the Supreme Court ruled in the government’s favor in Mullin v. Doe on June 25, 2026.
Since the Supreme Court ruled in the government’s favor in Mullin v. Doe, the affected district courts must now determine how to implement that decision in their respective cases, which could result in the current injunctions being lifted.
How does this affect TPS holders and their employers?
Manifest immigration attorney Ana Gabriela Urizar says TPS holders and their employers from these seven countries are looking at two kinds of dates right now, and they mean very different things.
The first is the expiration date printed on their EADs. For employers, Urizar notes that those dates no longer decide anything, as work authorization comes from TPS itself and the court orders have kept it alive for these groups. USCIS confirms this on each country’s TPS page, which states that older expired cards remain valid per court order.
The second is the new July dates in SAVE, and Urizar says these deserve close attention. “These show how long the government currently plans to honor the court-ordered extensions. Since the Supreme Court sided with the government in Mullin v. Doe, the lower courts are expected to apply that ruling soon,” she says. “If those courts end their orders, TPS benefits and the work authorization that comes with it end too. If the orders survive past mid-July, USCIS can push the dates back again.”
In the meantime, Urizar recommends that workers and employers check the USCIS TPS page for each country regularly. Employers should confirm the latest guidance before ending anyone’s employment over an expired card, and they should be ready to reverify workers quickly if the litigation moves.
Urizar says, “The SAVE dates are verification dates used by government agencies and should not be interpreted in isolation. Employers should continue following USCIS Form I-9 guidance and monitor any updated instructions before taking adverse employment action.”
She also encourages TPS holders to consult with an immigration attorney about longer-term options, such as a work visa, a family petition or another path to a Green Card, so they have a backup plan if these protections end.
About the Author
Staff Writer
Caryl Espinoza Jaen is a Nicaraguan-born staff writer for Manifest Law. As a writer, he strives to cover complex topics like immigration policy with clarity, accuracy, and precision.
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Immigration Lawyer to Manifest Law
Ana Gabriela Urizar is an award-winning immigration attorney licensed in Arizona and New York. With nearly a decade of experience, she advises global corporations on complex U.S. immigration matters. Originally from Guatemala, Ana Gabriela previously spent close to ten years at the world’s largest immigration firm, managing business immigration matters for leading technology, science, and financial companies. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and Negocios Now’s Tri-State 40 Under 40.
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