On August 12, 2026 the Uinted States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued an Alert about an extension of the work authorization for TPS El Salvador. USCIS is extending the work authorization for individuals with TPS El Salvador based on an individual notice and not a general notice for all beneficiaries. Specifically, USCIS stated the following:
The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation of El Salvador and related benefits are set to terminate on Sept. 9, 2026. USCIS is sending notices to El Salvador TPS recipients who continue to be eligible for TPS but haven’t received renewal EADs with category codes A-12 or C-19 and whose TPS-based EAD application is still pending, that their expired TPS-based EADs are extended until Sept. 9, 2026, the end of the El Salvador TPS designation. USCIS will send the notices by mail and electronically to those who have a myUSCIS account.
For purposes of completing the Form I-9, USCIS provided the following guidance:
If your employee has a pending TPS-based EAD renewal application, they should receive a notice from USCIS informing them of this automatic extension of their EADs to Sept. 9, 2026. If so, they may choose to present the following combination of documents as proof of identity and continued employment authorization under List A, valid until Sept. 9, 2026:
An EAD that has an expiration date of Mar. 9, 2025; June 30, 2024; Dec. 31, 2022; Oct. 4, 2021; Jan. 4, 2021; Jan. 2, 2020; Sept. 9, 2019; or Mar. 9, 2018; and
The USCIS notice extending their EAD.
When completing the “Expiration Date (if any)” fields on Form I-9, input in Section 1 and Section 2 “Sept. 9, 2026” along with a note in the Additional Information box. Employers may download the Alert and TPS El Salvador Automatic Employment Authorization (EAD) Extension webpage and attach them to Form I-9, along with the USCIS notice. When completing a case in E-Verify, enter the expiration date of “Sept. 9, 2026,” from the Form I-9.
And also on August 12, 2026, USCIS issued an update on the placeholder for TPS Somalia. Specifically, USCIS has extended the placeholder date for TPS work authorization from August 12, 2026 to August 14, 2026. The official termination of TPS Somalia depends on action by the lower court.
WR Immigration will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as additional information becomes available. If you have questions about this alert or its impact on your workforce, please contact your WR Immigration attorney or a member of the WR Immigration team.
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