Ukrainian and Sudanese nationals covered by Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States keep their protection from deportation and their permission to work even though their designations reached their printed end date on October 19, the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed — but the department has set no new end date and has not formally extended or terminated either designation.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its Ukraine and Sudan TPS pages to say beneficiaries retain their protection, including work authorization, until a further announcement, and that a decision on each country will be made at the appropriate time, according to the Ogletree Deakins alert summarising the USCIS guidance. The assurance was also reported by Reuters and the Associated Press.
The Associated Press estimated about 101,000 Ukrainians and 1,800 Sudanese were covered by the protections scheduled to end on October 19, while Reuters cited broader registration figures. TPS does not itself provide a path to permanent residence, and Monday's assurance does not admit anyone new to the programme.
Source: The American Quorum (citing AP and Reuters figures)
What remains unclear for employers
Immigration law firm Wolfsdorf Rosenthal, in its October 22 news digest, said DHS has not yet published a formal extension term or termination notice in the Federal Register, and has not provided updated Employment Authorization Document expiration dates or specific Form I-9 instructions for this interim period — leaving employers uncertain how to document continued work authorization even though USCIS says the workers remain authorised to work.
Source: Wolfsdorf Rosenthal — WR Immigration News Digest, Oct. 22, 2026
NPR's immigration briefing on October 24 likewise described the TPS position for Ukraine as an extension-pending-decision, alongside other immigration developments, underlining that a formal DHS decision is still awaited. Advocacy group Global Refuge welcomed the reprieve but called for a formal decision, saying beneficiaries, their families and employers need certainty.
Source: NPR via WEKU — Immigration briefing, Oct. 24, 2026
For Punjabi and other immigrant families and employers in the United States, the practical position today is: existing Ukraine and Sudan TPS holders have not lost status, but no one should assume a new end date, a re-registration window or new document dates until DHS publishes them. Readers should check the official USCIS TPS pages for Ukraine and Sudan before acting, and take individual legal advice for their own case — this report is news information, not legal advice.