On March 8, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security announced that temporary protected status (TPS) for South Sudan nationals will be extended to November 2, 2020. South Sudan nationals will be required to re-register to extend their work and travel benefits, the details of which have not been released at this time. This means that the 84 South Sudan nationals who came to the United States under TPS due to the ongoing armed conflict can legally stay and work in the country for another year and half. However, this extension is only for South Sudan nationals who came to the U.S. before January 25, 2016, any South Sudan nationals who arrived afterwards will be forced to leave after their current visas expire.
TPS is granted to certain groups of people in the wake of natural disasters, wars, outbreaks of disease, and other catastrophes that would make it difficult for them to return safely to their home countries. Since the beginning of Trump’s administration, TPS has been terminated for more than 425,000 people. There is currently an ongoing lawsuit against the termination of TPS for El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan nationals. While the case is still in litigation, these benefits have been temporarily extended for all four countries. To learn more about TPS, please click here.
