TPS for Ethiopia citizens

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a humanitarian immigration status granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to nationals of countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. TPS provides protection from removal and authorization to work — but does NOT directly lead to a green card.

⛔ TPS for Ethiopia — terminated, effective Aug. 18, 2026; the last stay is lifted and E-Verify says the EADs are no longer valid

⛔ Update — Aug. 18, 2026: Judge Brian E. Murphy of the District of Massachusetts lifted the administrative stay in African Communities Together v. Noem (No. 1:26-cv-10278-BEM, ECF 103) — the order that had kept Ethiopia’s termination paused. He granted the government’s motion to dismiss as to Counts I-IV and VI-VIII, denied it as to Count V, denied the plaintiffs’ motion to postpone the termination as moot, and ordered the parties to file a joint proposed discovery and briefing schedule by Aug. 25, 2026 — so the case continues, but the stay is gone. USCIS moved the Ethiopia TPS page to the archive the same day, and E-Verify guidance issued Aug. 18, 2026 (superseding Aug. 6) states the designation is terminated, effective Aug. 18, 2026: Form I-766 EADs with category A12 or C19 issued under Ethiopia TPS are no longer valid, and employers must reverify those employees and cannot keep employing someone who does not provide proof of current employment authorization. Ethiopia was the last court-stayed designation — no TPS designation is court-stayed any more. Verified against the E-Verify What’s New feed and the USCIS TPS page on Aug. 19, 2026.

TPS STATUS — Ethiopia: TERMINATION IN FORCE — litigation continues

DHS terminated Ethiopia's designation (90 FR 58028, Dec. 15, 2025), slated to end Feb. 13, 2026. On Jan. 30, 2026 the District of Massachusetts stayed that termination (African Communities Together v. Noem, No. 1:26-cv-10278-BEM, D. Mass.). On June 25, 2026 the Supreme Court held that courts cannot review TPS terminations (Mullin v. Doe, 6-3). On Aug. 18, 2026 Judge Brian E. Murphy dismissed Counts I-IV and VI-VIII, denied dismissal of Count V, denied the postponement motion as moot and lifted the administrative stay (ECF 103); the parties must file a joint proposed discovery and briefing schedule by Aug. 25, 2026, so the case continues on Count V. USCIS moved the Ethiopia page to the archive the same day and E-Verify guidance issued Aug. 18, 2026 (superseding Aug. 6) states the designation is terminated, effective Aug. 18, 2026 - A12/C19 EADs are no longer valid and employers must reverify. Status as of Aug. 19, 2026: termination in force; no TPS designation remains court-stayed.

Verified against USCIS on 2026-09-08 — status can change with a single court ruling. Confirm on the official USCIS page before acting.

  • Termination action: Termination of TPS Designation
  • Publication date: 2025-12-15
  • Source: Federal Register

What this means:

  • TPS holders from Ethiopia who do not have another immigration status may face removal proceedings once their work authorization expires.
  • Termination notices often face litigation that may delay implementation. Verify current status at USCIS before relying.
  • Affected individuals should consult an immigration attorney immediately to explore alternative pathways (asylum, U-visa, family-based, cancellation of removal).

How TPS works

This section describes the TPS program in general — it is not a filing path for Ethiopia. This designation is terminated (see the status above), so there is no open re-registration window, and no Form I-821, Form I-765 or Form I-131 filed under it can be granted. The cycle, forms and fees below are listed to explain how the program works, not as steps to take. A pending appeal does not reopen it — only a court order actually reinstating the designation would, and none is in force.

  • Initial designation — DHS designates a country for TPS for 6-18 months based on conditions
  • Extensions — DHS reviews and decides to extend, redesignate (covers new arrivals), or terminate
  • Re-registration — Each cycle, current TPS holders must re-register during a published window (usually 60 days). Not available under this terminated designation — there is no open window to file into.
  • Forms used: Form I-821 (TPS application), Form I-765 (work authorization), Form I-131 (travel). None of these can be filed or granted under this terminated designation.
  • Fees — for designations that are still active (raised sharply by H.R.1, July 2025): Initial TPS registration on Form I-821 now carries a non-waivable $510 fee for filings postmarked on or after January 1, 2026 ($500 when H.R.1 introduced it on July 22, 2025 — it amended the old $50 cap in INA § 244(c)(1)(B)), plus $30 biometrics. Re-registration still has no I-821 fee, but a work permit adds the I-765 agency fee ($520 paper / $470 online — waivable via Form I-912) plus a non-waivable H.R.1 EAD fee: $560 initial / $280 renewal. TPS EADs are now valid a maximum of 1 year. H.R.1 fees adjust annually for inflation — verify your exact total with the USCIS Fee Calculator before filing.

Last verified: 2026-08-27. General procedural information — not legal advice. TPS status changes frequently; always verify at uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status before relying.

Recent fee, deadline, and contact context (2025-2026)

DHS terminated TPS designations for 8 countries between 2025-09-08 and 2026-03-03: Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Burma (Myanmar), South Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela 2021 designation. The Haitian TPS termination alone affects approximately 500,000+ TPS holders. Termination notices typically take effect 6-18 months after Federal Register publication; some face litigation that delays implementation.

TPS filing requirements: Form I-821 (TPS application — initial registration carries a non-waivable $510 H.R.1 fee for filings postmarked on or after January 1, 2026, plus $30 biometrics; re-registration has no I-821 fee) and Form I-765 (work authorization — $520 paper / $470 online agency fee, waivable via Form I-912, plus a non-waivable H.R.1 fee of $560 initial / $280 renewal). H.R.1 amended INA § 244(c)(1)(B) in July 2025, replacing the old $50 cap; its fees stack on top of agency fees, cannot be waived, adjust annually for inflation, and TPS EAD validity is capped at 1 year. Verify current amounts at uscis.gov/g-1055 and the USCIS Fee Calculator before filing. These amounts describe TPS filings generally. This designation is terminated, so no I-821 or I-765 can be filed or granted under it — paying any of these fees under this designation preserves nothing.

Re-registration windows are published in the Federal Register; typically 60 days from publication, and missing one requires a “good cause” explanation. That applies to designations that are still active. There is no re-registration window open under this terminated designation, so there is none to miss. Travel abroad, for designations that are still active: Form I-131 (Advance Parole) is required BEFORE departure; fee approximately $630 (biometrics included in the filing fee), and returning without Advance Parole abandons TPS protection. Advance parole granted under this terminated designation is no longer valid — do not travel on it. Sanchez v. Mayorkas (593 U.S. ___, 2021) held that TPS holders who entered without inspection cannot adjust status to LPR in the US without prior lawful admission — requires consular processing abroad which triggers 3-year/10-year unlawful-presence bars in many cases.

USCIS Form I-821 instructions and current designation status: uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status. USCIS Contact Center: 1-800-375-5283 Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm Eastern Time. For affected nationals, consult a BIA-recognized organization (free) or AILA-member immigration attorney within 30 days of any termination announcement to evaluate alternative pathways (asylum, U-visa, T-visa, VAWA, cancellation of removal).