Here are three frequently asked questions from the TPS beneficiary community in El Salvador:
This tool has two purposes:
This information comes from the Federal Register notice published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on January 17, 2025. It explains that Salvadoran nationals who did manage to submit their TPS extension and work authorization permit applications between January 17, 2025, and March 18, 2025, can benefit from the automatic extension of their work permits for 540 days. Please read carefully who is covered by this mechanism.
Yes. There are two conditions under which the EAD is automatically extended to Salvadoran nationals covered by TPS.
If you have an EAD with an expiration date:
The Federal Register notice, published on January 17, automatically extends the validity of your employment authorization through March 9, 2026. There's no need for anything else. You do not need to submit the Federal Register notice or any other documentation, other than your EAD, to benefit from this automatic extension.
If you submitted your Form I-765 EAD renewal application during the re-enrollment period (January 17, 2025, to March 18, 2025).
The Federal Register notice published on January 17 also automatically extends the validity of the EAD for up to 540 days from the expiration date of your EAD if you submitted your Form I-765 EAD renewal application during the re-registration period from January 17, 2025, to March 18, 2025. Your EAD renewal application is in category A12 or C19. The categories do not need to match between documents. One can be A12, and the other can be C19.
Your EAD may benefit from both automatic extensions. If you take advantage of both EAD extensions, the automatic extension periods run concurrently. In that case, the automatic extension will expire on September 9, 2026.
If you complete Form I-9 for your employer to verify your work eligibility and check “Automatic EAD Extension of up to 540 Days,” the automatic extension period begins on the EAD expiration date. You can use the EAD Automatic Extension Calculator, available at https://www.uscis.gov/eadautoextend, to determine the expiration date of the automatic extension.
Here are three frequently asked questions from the TPS beneficiary community in El Salvador:
I re-registered in early 2025. Why haven't I received my work permit and TPS yet?
Answer: The government is behind in processing TPS forms and work permits. According to official information available on the USCIS website, as of June 2025, only 9,510 people out of 120,804 applicants had received a response regarding their TPS and work permit. There are more than 117,000 TPS beneficiaries from El Salvador who have not yet received a response.
The automatic extension of my work permit expires on March 9, 2026. When can I resubmit the forms? How much do I have to pay?
Answer: There is NO need to pay or resubmit the forms. You must continue to wait for the government to process the application you submitted in 2025. Remember that you can benefit from the automatic 540-day extension, which allows you to continue working until September 9, 2026.
Remember to make copies and submit these documents to your employer:
What will happen to El Salvador's TPS?
Answer: The Trump administration has 60 days, starting on September 9, 2026, to announce a decision on El Salvador's TPS. In other words, we should hear the news starting on July 7, 2026. It is important to note that, on occasion, the government has made decisions after the 60 days established by the TPS law. The government announces it on its website. Please be sure to watch out for fake websites.
For now, beware of scams by “paper fillers” or notaries who offer to fill out TPS forms for El Salvador or extend your work permit. Report these unscrupulous individuals; doing so helps prevent others from falling victim to scammers. Don't be afraid to file a complaint. Click here to download a tool to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of scams.
