This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh is an active member.
On September 19, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrians is terminated and affected Syrian nationals have 60 days to voluntarily depart the United States and return home. “After the 60 days have expired, any Syrian nationals admitted under TPS who have not begun their voluntary removal proceedings will be subject to arrest and deportation. Any alien who forces DHS to arrest and remove them will never be allowed to return to the United States,” DHS warned.
DHS said that those leaving the United States are encouraged to use U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP Home app to “report their departure from the United States and take advantage of a safe, secure way to self-deport that includes a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus, and potential future opportunities for legal immigration.”
Meanwhile, E-Verify issued related guidance on September 22, 2025, noting that Syria’s TPS designation and related benefits terminate on November 21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. The guidance states that Form I-766, Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), with a category A12 or C19 and a Card Expires date of September 30, 2025; March 31, 2024; September 30, 2022; or March 31, 2021, issued under a prior TPS designation of Syria, expire on November 21, 2025. “Employers must reverify TPS Syria beneficiaries who presented these EADs before they start work” on November 22, 2025, the guidance notes.
