Countdown to El Salvador’s TPS expiration: what happens to work permits after Sept. 9

The clock is running down on Temporary Protected Status for Salvadoran nationals in the United States. The designation and its related benefits are scheduled to end on Sept. 9, 2026.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has extended certain employment authorization documents through that date. The automatic extension applies to eligible beneficiaries who still meet the requirements, filed renewal applications and have not yet received new cards.

The measure covers certain expired EADs in categories A-12 and C-19. Beneficiaries who received a USCIS notice must present the expired card together with the notice to show identity and employment authorization under List A of Form I-9.

Employers must enter Sept. 9 as the expiration date in sections one and two of Form I-9 and add a note in the additional-information section. They must use the same date in E-Verify, and may attach documentation explaining the extension.

Pew Research Center data cited in the article put the number of Salvadorans currently protected under TPS at about 170,100. Losing TPS does not automatically mean that every beneficiary must leave the United States immediately, because some may qualify for other immigration options under U.S. law.