Glossary

Temporary Protected Status

A temporary, renewable status that shields nationals of certain countries in crisis from deportation and allows work authorization.

Also called: TPS, temporary protected status designation

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a form of relief created by the Immigration Act of 1990. The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a country for TPS when conditions there, such as armed conflict, an environmental disaster or other extraordinary conditions, prevent its nationals from returning safely. Eligible people already in the U.S. receive protection against removal and work authorization for a designated period, typically six to eighteen months, which can be extended.

TPS does not lead directly to a green card or citizenship. Countries have included El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ukraine and others, with some designations lasting for decades through repeated extensions, and hundreds of thousands of people holding the status at any time. The Supreme Court held in Sanchez v. Mayorkas (2021) that a person who entered unlawfully does not become "admitted" through TPS and therefore cannot automatically adjust status.

Supporters argue that TPS is humane and that long-term holders, with U.S. families and jobs, should be allowed to stay. Critics argue that "temporary" designations have been extended indefinitely, often for conditions that no longer exist, and that it should not function as a permanent amnesty. Administrations have both extended and ended designations, and the decisions are challenged in court. Compare humanitarian parole and DACA.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Humanitarian parole Temporary permission, granted case by case, to enter or stay in the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Asylum Legal protection from removal for people already in or arriving at the U.S. who show a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country. DACA A 2012 policy that shields certain people brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and grants work permits, renewed every two years. Expedited removal A process letting immigration officers deport certain noncitizens quickly, without an immigration-judge hearing, unless they claim fear or U.S. status. Green card The document showing lawful permanent resident status, which lets a noncitizen live and work in the U.S. indefinitely and later apply for citizenship.