Syrians with TPS Have Work Permits Extended Only Until July 10, 2026

From the official announcement by USCIS ↗

What Has Changed in Syria's Temporary Protected Status

According to an update from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on July 1, 2026, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrian nationals remains in legal limbo, even though the federal government announced the termination of the program nearly a year ago. Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem determined that conditions in Syria no longer justified maintaining TPS, and the federal agency published a notice of termination in the Federal Register on September 22, 2025, setting the effective date as November 21, 2025.

However, just two days before that deadline, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a stay halting the termination in the case Dahlia Doe v. Noem. The court order required USCIS to continue recognizing the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) already issued to Syrians under TPS, specifically those with expiration dates of September 30, 2025, March 31, 2024, September 30, 2022, or March 31, 2021.

Why This Is Only a Temporary Solution

This extension is not a final decision but rather a holding measure while policy is adjusted to align with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Mullin v. Doe, decided June 25, 2026. While awaiting new guidance, USCIS requires employers completing Form I-9 to write "as per court order" in Section 1 and enter July 10, 2026 in Section 2 as the temporary expiration date of the work permit. On the E-Verify system, the expiration date to be reported must also be July 10, 2026 — just about one week from when USCIS issued this notice.

Who Is Affected

According to figures cited during Supreme Court oral arguments, approximately 6,100 Syrians currently hold TPS status in the United States. This is a small group compared to more than 350,000 Haitians in the same situation, but the legal implications could have cascading effects on the entire TPS program. During the oral arguments, government counsel argued that Congress granted the Secretary of Homeland Security unreviewable discretion to terminate TPS — an argument that, if fully accepted by the Supreme Court, would pave the way for similar terminations affecting many other countries.

Employers with Syrian-origin employees holding TPS, as well as the workers themselves, should note the July 10, 2026 deadline to update documentation properly and avoid unintentional violations of labor law. See USCIS's official notice at the source link below.

Analysis

Syria is not an isolated case. During oral arguments, Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism toward the arguments presented by representatives of TPS holders from Haiti and Syria, suggesting the court may lean toward the federal government's position. The most recent precedent is Venezuela: the Supreme Court just allowed the government to terminate TPS for approximately 348,000 Venezuelans, reversing an earlier ban issued by a federal judge in San Francisco. If the court applies the same logic to Syria and Haiti, hundreds of thousands of others — including those from Afghanistan and Cameroon — could face similar risk in the coming months. The only difference now: Syrian TPS remains temporarily extended thanks to a court order, unlike Venezuela's, which was terminated immediately.

Diaspora Impact

If you are an employer or a worker of Syrian descent holding TPS with a work permit expiring on September 30, 2025, March 31, 2024, September 30, 2022, or March 31, 2021, you must update Form I-9 and E-Verify records before July 10, 2026, correctly noting "as per court order" and the new date according to USCIS guidance. This is not a permanent extension — legal status may change at any time depending on the upcoming ruling. Workers should monitor uscis.gov directly, not rely on private services to confirm information, and should consult with an immigration attorney if documentation is about to expire and you have not yet received clear guidance from your employer.