Nearly Half of Nepalis with TPS in the U.S. Move to Other Legal Immigration Options

Nearly 50 percent of Nepalis in the U.S. have transitioned out of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and moved to other immigration statuses. Currently, 7,505 Nepalis remain under TPS. A report by the Congressional Research Service highlights that the number of Nepalis leaving TPS and transitioning to other statuses has significantly increased.

According to the report released on Thursday, 7,505 Nepalis now have approved TPS—a significant decrease from the 14,791 who were in TPS in 2017.

A USCIS report from October 12, 2017, indicated that 14,791 Nepalis were initially under TPS. However, since then, many have left TPS, often obtaining green cards or shifting to other immigration statuses.

The number of Nepalis with approved TPS dropped from 8,525 in March 2023 to 8,100 in September 2023—a decline over six months. By March 2024, this number fell further to 7,875, and as of September 30, 2024, it stands at 7,505.

According to the report, these data reflect the number of individuals with an approved TPS application who have not obtained lawful permanent resident (LPR) status or U.S. citizenship. The figures may include individuals who have left the country or passed away since their last TPS approval and do not necessarily include all nationals from the specified countries who are currently in the United States and eligible for the status.

As of September 30, 2024, the total number of immigrants from around the world under TPS in the United States has risen to 1,095,115, an increase from 863,880 reported on March 31, 2024.

In 2018, the Trump administration sought to terminate TPS for immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Nepal, and Honduras. However, these efforts were blocked due to legal challenges. A lawsuit filed by TPS holders in 2017 and 2018 successfully delayed the termination of TPS for nearly six years.

In 2018, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction, maintaining TPS protections for affected individuals. However, in 2023, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this injunction.

Representing Nepal in the legal case were lead plaintiffs Keshav Bhattarai and Sajjan Pandey. In June 2023, the Biden administration reversed Trump’s decision to end TPS, extending protections for approximately 300,000 individuals from Nepal, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Around the same time, TPS designations for Haiti and Sudan were also reinstated.

On December 28, 2023, a federal court dismissed the Ramos case, ruling that it was no longer relevant after the Biden administration fulfilled the plaintiffs’ demands by extending TPS deadlines.

In 2023, the Biden administration announced an 18-month extension of TPS for Nepalis until June 24, 2025, reversing the previous administration’s plans to terminate the program. The Department of Homeland Security had earlier automatically extended TPS documents until June 30, 2024, though this did not affect the TPS period itself.

The U.S. granted TPS to Nepalis following the devastating earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015, which killed over 8,000 people and destroyed more than half a million homes. Nepalis who had been living in the U.S. without green cards since June 24, 2015, were eligible for the designation. On June 24, 2015, citing a substantial but temporary disruption in living conditions caused by the earthquake, then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson designated Nepal for TPS for an 18-month period.