In a late-day announcement on July 28, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it will automatically extend Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) held by Burmese nationals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an additional seven days, through August 3, 2026. The short extension was needed because litigation over the future of TPS for Burma has delayed publication of a broader Federal Register notice that will set the next long-term validity period. Without the bridge extension, thousands of Burmese employees would have fallen out of work authorization at midnight on July 27. The agency’s website explains that the stop-gap is tied to the Supreme Court’s June 25 ruling in Mullin v. Doe, which limits judicial review of DHS decisions to terminate TPS designations. Because parallel suits are still pending in federal district court, USCIS said it could not yet issue a longer auto-extension but wanted “to avoid any lapse in lawful employment for TPS beneficiaries while the courts finalize next steps.” For employers, the announcement means that Form I-9 records for impacted workers must be updated to reflect the new August 3 expiration date. USCIS advised HR departments to annotate the I-9 by writing “EAD EXT” and “08/03/26” in the Additional Information field and to attach a print-out of the web alert. Once a longer extension is published, employers will need to update I-9s again. Burmese nationals with TPS are also urged to keep a copy of the USCIS notice with their EAD when traveling domestically; although TPS does not confer international travel permission, domestic airline staff and local law-enforcement officials sometimes request proof of current work authorization. Immigration attorneys recommend that affected individuals consider renewing their EADs as soon as the renewal window re-opens to avoid future last-minute extensions. While the Burma TPS designation formally remains in place, the Supreme Court’s decision—and the Administration’s stated intent to wind down several TPS programs—means the long-term future of work authorization for this population is uncertain. Multinational companies with Burmese assignees are preparing contingency plans, including possible L-1 or H-1B sponsorship, should TPS ultimately be terminated next year.
Source: VisasUpdate
