DHS Publishes Notice in the Federal Register Extending Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security announced on January 10, 2025 the extension of the 2023 designation of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela for 18 months, from April 3, 2025 to October 2, 2026, due to temporary conditions and extraordinary events in Venezuela that prevent people from returning to their country safely. The corresponding notice published in the Federal Register provides information on how to re-register for TPS as a current beneficiary under the Venezuela TPS extension.
After consulting with interagency collaborators, it was determined that an 18-month extension of TPS is warranted due to the serious humanitarian emergency that the country continues to face due to the political and economic crises under the inhumane Maduro regime.
The TPS extension for Venezuela allows nearly 607,000 current beneficiaries to retain TPS until October 2, 2026, if they continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements. Current beneficiaries under the TPS for Venezuela, including those registered under the October 3, 2023 TPS designation or the previous March 9, 2021 designation, must re-register in a timely manner during the re-registration period that runs from October 17. January 2025 through September 10, 2025, to ensure you maintain your TPS and employment authorization.
Each person processed by the Department of Homeland Security goes through a rigorous national security and public safety investigation during the original application process and again during re-enrollment. If any person is identified as posing a threat, he or she may be detained, removed, or referred to another federal agency for further investigation or prosecution, as appropriate. People who have been convicted of one felony or two misdemeanors will be prohibited from obtaining TPS.
Individuals registered under the March 9, 2021 TPS designation or the October 3, 2023 TPS designation will be able to re-register under the Venezuela 2023 extension. All Venezuela TPS beneficiaries who properly re-register for TPS under the Venezuela extension 2023 and are approved by USCIS will obtain TPS until the same date of the extension of October 2, 2026.
DHS recognizes that not all individuals who re-register and renew their EAD may receive it before their current EAD expires and has automatically extended until April 2, 2026 the validity of certain EADs previously issued under the designation of Venezuela for the TPS. As proof of continued employment authorization through April 2, 2026, TPS recipients can show their EAD with the notation A12 or C19 under “category” and a “card expiration” date of:
- September 10, 2025;
- April 2, 2025;
- March 10, 2024; either
- September 9, 2022.
USCIS will continue to process pending applications filed under previous TPS designations for Venezuela. Individuals with a Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status or a related Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, pending as of January 17, 2025, do not need to submit either application again. If USCIS approves a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 filed under a previous TPS designation for Venezuela, it will grant that person TPS until October 2, 2026 and issue that person an EAD valid until the same date.
The Federal Register notice explains the eligibility criteria, deadlines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew their EAD.
This extension only applies to people who are already in the United States and are current beneficiaries of TPS for Venezuela. All irregular migration journeys are extremely dangerous, unforgiving and often result in loss of life. DHS continues to enforce U.S. laws and will return noncitizens who do not demonstrate a lawful basis for remaining in the United States.
