The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepali nationals in the United States is set for an automatic extension until December 24, 2025, due to existing regulations within the TPS program.
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), under the TPS statute, if the Secretary does not determine whether a foreign state continues to meet the conditions for TPS designation at least 60 days before the country’s current TPS designation expires, the period of designation is automatically extended for six months.
In Nepal’s case, the current TPS designation is scheduled to expire on June 24, 2025. However, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was unable to make an informed determination on Nepal’s designation by the April 25, 2025, statutory deadline—60 days prior to the expiration. As a result, TPS for Nepali nationals will now remain in effect until December 24, 2025.
The DHS is expected to issue a formal notice in the coming days confirming this automatic six-month extension. Typically, TPS holders are not required to re-register during an automatic extension period, but USCIS is anticipated to provide further clarification on this matter.
Additionally, work permits and other related documents for TPS holders will also be automatically extended in line with the new TPS period. Nepali TPS holders who require updated work permits with the new expiration date can apply for them after USCIS publishes the relevant notice, likely after June 24, 2025.
While the automatic extension ensures TPS protection for Nepali nationals until December 2025, the DHS Secretary retains the authority to decide whether to further extend the designation beyond that date, potentially for 12 or 18 months, or to terminate it. Any such decision would be announced in the future.
As of December 2024, approximately 7,505 Nepali nationals in the U.S. are registered under TPS. This number has significantly decreased from the initial 14,791 TPS beneficiaries when the program was first introduced for Nepal in 2015. Over the years, many Nepali TPS holders have transitioned to other immigration statuses, contributing to the decline.
Data shows a steady reduction: in March 2023, 8,525 Nepalis were registered under TPS; by September 2023, this number dropped to 8,100; by March 2024, it further decreased to 7,875; and by December 2024, it reached the current figure of 7,505.
Nepal’s TPS designation was first granted on June 24, 2015, by then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson in response to the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015. The earthquake caused significant loss of life and property, rendering the Nepali government temporarily unable to manage the safe return of its citizens. As a result, Nepali nationals in the U.S. were granted TPS to protect them from being forced to return to unsafe conditions.
In the years following the 2015 earthquake, Nepal made progress toward recovery, but subsequent environmental disasters and economic challenges hindered the process. Recognizing these ongoing difficulties, the U.S. government extended Nepal’s TPS designation multiple times, with the most recent extension in December 2023 setting the expiration date for June 24, 2025.
The decision to extend TPS was based on the assessment that Nepal continues to face significant barriers to recovery, including the lingering effects of the 2015 earthquake and other environmental events, which have impacted the country’s ability to safely reintegrate returning citizens.
Nepal’s TPS faced significant challenges during the Trump administration, which attempted to terminate TPS designations for several countries, including Nepal, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Sudan, in 2017 and 2018. TPS holders, including Nepali nationals, challenged these terminations in court. In 2018, plaintiffs, including prominent Nepali TPS holders Keshav Bhattarai and Sajjan Pandey, secured a preliminary injunction that preserved TPS protections for affected countries for nearly five years.
In 2023, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the injunction, but the Biden administration reversed the Trump-era termination decisions and extended TPS for Nepal and other countries. This action fulfilled the objectives of the TPS plaintiffs, leading to the dismissal of the related lawsuit, known as the Ramos case, by a federal district court on December 28, 2023, as it was deemed no longer relevant.
The automatic extension of Nepal’s TPS until December 24, 2025, provides continued relief for thousands of Nepali nationals in the U.S., allowing them to legally live and work without fear of deportation. However, the future of Nepal’s TPS beyond December 2025 remains uncertain and depends on decisions by the DHS Secretary.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
