US Announces 1 African Country Whose Citizens Have Temporary Deportation Protection

• Sudan holds the only active Temporary Protected Status designation granted by the United States to an African country in 2026
• The US Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed Sudan's TPS remains valid through October 19, 2026
• Sudanese nationals covered by TPS are shielded from deportation and are authorised to work while their status holds

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Sudanese nationals living in the United States currently enjoy a level of protection no other African group in the country can claim, as Sudan is the only African nation with an active Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation from the US government.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that Sudan's TPS designation remains valid through October 19, 2026. The extension was published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2025. Under this protection, Sudanese individuals in the US cannot be deported and may legally work for the duration of their status.

The USCIS also noted in an alert that a further announcement regarding Sudan's TPS would be made "at the appropriate time," adding that Sudanese nationals currently covered by TPS retain both their protection and work authorisation until that announcement is issued.

What Sudan's TPS Designation Covers

Sudan was first granted TPS on April 19, 2022. The current designation period began on October 20, 2023, and applies to Sudanese nationals who have lived continuously in the US since August 16, 2023, and were physically present in the country by October 20, 2023.

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Employment Authorisation Documents for qualifying Sudanese nationals were automatically extended through April 19, 2026, under the January 2025 Federal Register notice. The re-registration window for the most recent cycle closed on March 18, 2025, having opened on January 17, 2025.

Why Sudan qualifies for TPS

TPS is a humanitarian measure the US extends to nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other conditions that make return unsafe. Sudan qualifies primarily because of its ongoing civil war, which escalated sharply in April 2023 and has continued to displace millions of people.

With no other African country currently holding an active TPS designation, Sudan remains the only African nation on the US TPS list in 2026.

Source: YEN.com.gh