DHS to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela

Extension Allows Eligible Venezuelan Nationals Who Arrived on or Before July 31, 2023, to Maintain TPS and Employment Authorization Following Vetting

WASHINGTON –The Department of Homeland Security announced today the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela for 18 months. The extension of TPS is due to extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent eligible Venezuelan nationals from safely returning. After reviewing the country conditions in Venezuela and consulting with interagency partners, it was determined that an 18-month TPS extension is warranted based on the severe humanitarian emergency the country continues to face due to political and economic crises under the inhumane Maduro regime. These conditions have contributed to high levels of crime and violence, impacting access to food, medicine, healthcare, water, electricity, and fuel. Such a determination meets the statutory obligation to decide, at least 60 days before the expiration of a TPS designation, whether the conditions for designation continue to be met and merit an extension.

Individuals may be eligible if they have continuously resided in the United States on or before July 31, 2023. Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States after July 31, 2023, are not eligible for TPS. Those who do not enter through a lawful process or pathway will be subject to enforcement consequences. 

Every individual processed by the Department of Homeland Security goes through rigorous national security and public safety vetting during the original application process and again during re-registration. If any individual is identified as posing a threat, they may be detained, removed, or referred to other federal agencies for further investigation or prosecution as appropriate. Individuals are barred from TPS if they have been convicted of any felony or two misdemeanors.   The extension of TPS for Venezuelans runs from April 3, 2025, to October 2, 2026, and allows approximately 600,000 eligible current beneficiaries to retain TPS through October 2, 2026, if they re-register and continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements. Venezuelan nationals who registered for TPS under the 2021 Venezuela TPS designation are also eligible to re-register for TPS under this extension, as they meet the same eligibility requirements. Venezuelan TPS beneficiaries must timely re-register during the re-registration period that runs from the publication of Federal Register notice to September 10, 2025, to ensure they keep their TPS and work authorization. DHS recognizes that not all re-registrants may receive a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD) before their current EAD expires and is automatically extending through April 2, 2026, the validity of certain EADs previously issued.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue to process pending applications filed under previous Venezuela designations. Both initial applicants and re-registering current beneficiaries who have a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 under Venezuela 2023 do not need to file either application again. If USCIS approves an individual’s pending Form I-821, USCIS will grant them TPS through October 2, 2026. Similarly, if USCIS approves a pending TPS-related Form I-765, USCIS will issue the individual a new EAD that will be valid through the same date. 

A soon-to-be-published Federal Register notice will explain the eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew EADs. Re-registration is limited to individuals who previously registered for and were granted TPS under either the 2021 or 2023 designations for Venezuela.