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The US government has made significant decisions regarding Venezuelan Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This factsheet will help you determine what that means for you.
On February 5, 2025, the US government chose to end the 2023 Venezuelan Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation.
If you have TPS under the 2023 Venezuelan TPS designation, your TPS and work permit will both expire on April 7, 2025.
If you have TPS under the 2021 Venezuelan TPS designation, your TPS work permit and status are currently scheduled to expire on September 10, 2025. However, the US government could choose to terminate the 2021 TPS designation earlier; if that happens, your TPS work permit and status would end 60 days after the government terminates the 2021 TPS designation.
You should regularly check the USCIS webpage for Venezuelan TPS for updates or in case there is a lawsuit filed that leads to the extension of Venezuelan TPS.
If your work permit has an expiration date of April 2, 2025, you have the 2023 Venezuelan TPS.
If your work permit has an expiration date of September 10, 2025, you have the 2021 Venezuelan TPS.
On February 1, 2025, the Trump Administration withdrew the Biden Administration’s extension of both 2021 and 2023 Venezuelan TPS. That means that as of right now, there is no extension of any Venezuelan TPS.
You can give your employer a copy of this notice to show that your work permit is valid until April 7, 2025.
Once your current TPS work permit expires, you are not authorized to work based on your TPS work permit. But if you have a different type of work permit that is valid, like one based on a pending asylum application, you could work under that work permit.
If you are a Venezuelan national and have been living in the US since July 31, 2023, you may file a Venezuela 2023 TPS application before April 2, 2025. However, because the US government chose to end the 2023 Venezuelan TPS designation, your work permit and TPS status would expire very quickly, on April 7, 2025. It may be helpful to apply for TPS before the deadline anyway, just in case Venezuelan TPS gets extended by court order. You should regularly check the USCIS website for updates in case there is a lawsuit filed that leads to the extension of Venezuelan TPS after April 7, 2025.
Depending on your immigration history, you may no longer have any lawful status in the U.S. and may be in danger of being deported.
If you are not already in Immigration Court removal proceedings, the government may start removal (deportation) proceedings against you. Removal proceedings start with a Notice to Appear (NTA) in Immigration Court. USCIS might issue the NTA as soon as your TPS expires.
If you are already in removal proceedings, the immigration judge may ask you to demonstrate that you have filed for another form of immigration relief, such as asylum. Otherwise, if you have no immigration status and haven’t filed for another form of immigration relief, the immigration judge might order your deportation.
If you applied for asylum with USCIS or the immigration court, your asylum application will still remain pending after the termination of TPS.
If you have been physically present in the U.S. for less than two years and were not paroled or lawfully admitted into the country, or even if you were paroled into the country but the government terminates your parole status, you may be placed into a fast-track immigration process called Expedited Removal, where you would not have an automatic option to speak with an immigration judge.
If you are subject to Expedited Removal, you still have the right to tell an immigration officer that you are afraid to return to your home country. An immigration officer would then interview you more about your fear of returning. If they find that you have a credible fear of returning to your home country, you would then be able to speak with an immigration judge to explain this more.
Filing an asylum application now could help you if the federal government thinks the Expedited Removal process should apply to you. You should speak with an experienced immigration attorney or accredited representative as soon as possible to explore asylum and other options for immigration relief.
If you already have a removal order from before, ICE could try to use that to deport you now. If you are afraid to return to your home country, you should tell an immigration officer. An immigration officer would then interview you more about your fear of returning. If they find that you have a credible fear of returning to your home country, you would then be able to speak with an immigration judge to explain this more.
Once your TPS ends, you will return to the immigration status you had before receiving TPS, unless that status has expired or unless you successfully got a new immigration status. If you don’t qualify for any other immigration status (such as asylum), you will be undocumented and may be in danger of being deported from the United States. USCIS might issue an NTA, to start removal proceedings against you.
You may be eligible for other immigration status, such as asylum, a green card through a family member, or something else. Who can qualify for what sort of status varies case by case. We strongly recommend speaking with an experienced immigration attorney as soon as possible to explore your options and to get the best guidance for your specific situation.
If you live in New York City, you can call The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 or by calling 311 and saying “Immigration Legal”, between 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday, for free immigration legal help. You can also visit the MOIA website for more detailed information.
To learn about your rights if you encounter ICE, click here: What You Need to Know About ICE Encounters.
This resource has been translated and is available for download in English and Spanish.
The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.