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The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) granted to Afghan nationals in 2022 ceased to exist on July 14, 2025, ending a humanitarian protection that covered approximately 11,700 people and shaped three years of U.S. immigration policy for this group. The designation had been created in the context of the Taliban’s return to power and the humanitarian crisis that followed, but was revoked on the grounds that conditions in the country had improved enough to allow for safe return. The timeline, recorded in two separate Federal Register notices, illustrates how TPS works in practice: a tool designed to be temporary, dependent on periodic review by the Secretary of Homeland Security and vulnerable to shifts in policy direction.
For anyone who follows global mobility and humanitarian immigration mechanisms, understanding the complete cycle of the Afghan designation helps calibrate expectations about the program. TPS does not grant permanent status, does not open an automatic path to residency, and can be terminated at any review. The Afghan case illustrates each of these characteristics.
What TPS Is
TPS is a protection created by the Immigration Act of 1990 and codified in section 244 of the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act). It allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate a foreign country when it faces ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions that prevent the safe return of its nationals. Beneficiaries receive protection from deportation and work authorization for as long as the designation remains in effect.
The designation lasts between six and eighteen months and can be renewed, extended, or terminated based on a periodic review of conditions in the country. The status does not confer the right to a green card, does not open a direct path to citizenship, and can be revoked by administrative decision.
The 2022 Designation
The initial designation of Afghanistan was announced on March 15, 2022, by then-Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. The designated period was 18 months and eligibility was limited to those already residing in the United States as of the announcement date. Nationals who attempted to enter the country after that date were not eligible to claim the benefit.
The legal basis invoked combined two grounds under the INA: ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions. The official document cited Taliban and Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) attacks against civilians, collapse of the public sector, economic crisis, drought, food and water insecurity, lack of access to healthcare, internal displacement, human rights abuses, and destruction of infrastructure.
A significant portion of the initial beneficiaries arrived in the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, the evacuation program following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. Many had been admitted under humanitarian parole valid for two years, with work authorization. TPS served as an additional layer of protection for this group.
Extensions and Updates
Afghanistan received an extension and a new designation in 2023, maintaining coverage for approximately 11,700 people. Each renewal required a formal review of conditions in the country and publication in the Federal Register, with a specific window for new eligible beneficiaries to register and for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to be revalidated.
This pattern of periodic extensions, with no prospect of a permanent pathway, is an intrinsic feature of TPS and historically a source of tension between the temporary nature of the program and the actual longevity of many designations, which span decades in cases such as Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
Termination in July 2025
On April 11, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced its intention to terminate the designation. The formal notice was published in the Federal Register on May 13, 2025, and the termination took effect on July 14, 2025, with final effects on beneficiaries starting July 21, 2025.
The justification offered by DHS was that conditions in Afghanistan had improved, with the security situation deemed stable and the economy stabilizing. This assessment was challenged by immigrant advocacy organizations, humanitarian agencies, and members of Congress, who pointed to the continued human rights violations under the Taliban regime, particularly against women, ethnic and religious minorities, and individuals who worked with foreign forces.
Immediate Implications
- Loss of protection from deportation for still-registered beneficiaries
- Expiration of work authorizations linked to TPS
- Need to seek alternative status, such as asylum, adjustment through marriage, parole, or SIV
- Risk of forced return to a country still under Taliban-controlled rule
Ongoing Litigation
Civil rights organizations filed lawsuits to suspend or reverse the termination, alleging arbitrariness in the assessment of country conditions and violation of due process. Similar cases involving TPS for other countries, such as Venezuela, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, are proceeding in parallel in federal courts. The outcome of this litigation could redefine the discretionary limits of the Secretary of Homeland Security when terminating designations.
What TPS Does and Does Not Do
DoesDoes NotProtects against deportation while in effectDoes not grant permanent residencyAllows work with a valid EADDoes not provide an automatic path to a green cardAllows travel with specific authorizationDoes not replace an immigrant visaCan be extended through periodic reviewCan be revoked at any review
Alternatives for Afghans Without TPS
For Afghan nationals who lost TPS coverage, some alternatives remain depending on individual circumstances. Asylum is the most commonly used path for those who fear persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The one-year filing deadline runs from the most recent entry into the United States, but can be extended in cases of changed circumstances.
The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) remains available for Afghans who worked for the U.S. government, although the backlog is extensive and requires specific documentation. Humanitarian parole, adjustment through marriage to a citizen or resident, and employment-based immigration categories such as EB-2 NIW and EB-3 may also be options depending on the case. Each pathway has its own requirements, distinct costs, and timelines that vary significantly.
Lessons for Global Mobility
The Afghan cycle reinforces three points that should guide anyone planning transnational life. First, humanitarian protections are by definition unstable and dependent on the politics of the moment. Second, relying exclusively on TPS without pursuing parallel paths to more durable status is risky. Third, changes in government can reverse designations that appeared settled, with material effects on tens of thousands of families.
For those who follow immigration and mobility on a global scale, the Afghan case is a reference point for understanding how TPS interacts with crisis scenarios, how the United States exercises humanitarian discretion, and how administrative decisions can reverse apparently stable protections in a very short period of time.
About the author
Victoria Harper
Editor-in-Chief
As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.
