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On January 10, 2025, the DHS announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine for another 18 months, beginning on April 20, 2025, and ending on October 19, 2026. Existing TPS beneficiaries who want to extend their status through October 19, 2026, must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period, which runs from January 17, 2025, through March 18, 2025. To be able to re-register, existing TPS beneficiaries must continue to meet the eligibility requirements for TPS.
Temporary Protected Status is a form of immigration relief offered to foreign nationals in the United States whose home countries are unsafe. TPS provides the right to live and work in the U.S. for a temporary period.
TPS for Ukraine was extended due to the ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions that continue to prevent Ukrainians from safely returning home. According to DHS, there are approximately 103,700 Ukrainians in the United States who currently have TPS and who will be eligible to renew this status, provided they continue to be eligible for TPS. Temporary Protected Status allows beneficiaries to remain and work legally in the United States.
Current beneficiaries under TPS for Ukraine will need to re-register in a timely manner to continue their status, provided they still meet the eligibility requirements. This extension covers individuals who arrived in the U.S. on or before August 16, 2023, and have continuously lived here since then.
Missing the re-registration deadline can have serious consequences. It may result in the loss of TPS benefits, including work authorization and protection from deportation. Do not miss the re-registration deadline!
To re-register, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
Detailed information on eligibility requirements, timelines, and procedures for re-registering for TPS as a current beneficiary under Ukraine’s extension can be found in the Federal Register.
One important thing to note is that DHS is extending TPS-related Employment Authorization Documents, or EADs, for 12 months. So, if you already have an EAD under Ukraine’s TPS designation, you don’t need to worry about your work authorization expiring while you wait for your new documents. Your current EAD will remain valid for 12 more months, until April 19, 2026.
If you’ve submitted a Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, or a related Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, under previous designations of TPS for Ukraine and are still waiting on approval, there’s no need to submit new applications. USCIS will process your pending applications and, if approved, will grant TPS through October 19, 2026, and (if applicable) will issue an Employment Authorization Document valid through October 19, 2026.
USCIS does not charge a fee to file a Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, to re-register for TPS for Ukraine. However, you will still have to pay a biometric services fee, which is currently $30.
USCIS fee for the related Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, is currently $470 if the form is filed online or $520 if filed on paper.
Certain applicants may be eligible for a fee waiver. To request a fee waiver, a Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, will need to be filed.
Our immigration law firm is prepared to help Ukrainians currently in the United States apply for Temporary Protected Status, allowing them to legally remain in the U.S. Please contact us if you need an attorney’s help with filing I-821 or I-765 applications.
Page updated: January 16, 2025