USCIS Extends Somalia TPS Employment Authorization Through August 12 as Legal Battle Continues

Editorial Team
2 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

WASHINGTON, August 10, 2026 — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has once again briefly extended the validity of employment authorization documents (EADs) for individuals granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia, this time through August 12, 2026.

The extension, announced on August 10, 2026, marks the latest in a series of brief placeholder extensions issued as litigation over the termination of Somalia's TPS designation continues. The prior extension was given until August 10.

Published: August 11, 2026 | By VisasUpdate.com Editorial Team

USCIS Somalia TPS employment authorization extended through August 12 2026 – infographic showing EAD extension details, affected expiration dates (March 17 2023, Sept 17 2024, March 17 2026), and the legal backdrop of the Supreme Court's June 2026 TPS ruling. — USCIS extends Somalia TPS employment authorization through August 12, 2026, following the Supreme Court's June 2026 ruling on TPS terminations

Which EADs Are Affected by the Extension?

Somalia TPS EADs that benefit from the automatic extension through August 12, 2026 are those with an original expiration date of:

Original Expiration Date	Status
March 17, 2023	Automatically Extended
September 17, 2024	Automatically Extended
March 17, 2026	Automatically Extended

Note: The extension applies only to EADs with the original expiration dates listed above. Employers and workers should verify their specific case.

The Legal Background: Supreme Court Ruling Fuels Uncertainty

The continued brief extensions come in the wake of the June 25, 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mullin v. Doe, which allowed the Trump Administration to proceed with its plan to terminate TPS for Haiti and Syria.

This decision is currently impacting the results of all ongoing TPS litigation, including the Somalia case — African Communities Together et al. v. Noem et al., No. 26-cv-11201 (D. Mass.) — which is presently pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Timeline of Key Events

Date	Event
January 14, 2026	DHS publishes termination of Somalia's TPS designation in the Federal Register
March 13, 2026	Massachusetts district court issues order staying the TPS Somalia termination
March 17, 2026	Original TPS termination date
June 25, 2026	Supreme Court allows TPS termination for Haiti and Syria to proceed
August 10, 2026	USCIS extends Somalia TPS EADs through August 12

"The extension is limited relief until the lower courts align with the U.S. Supreme Court's favorable decision in Mullin v. Doe, 609 U.S. ____ (2026), issued on June 25, 2026."— E-Verify Guidance

What This Means for Employers

Form I-9 Compliance

When filling out the Expiration Date sections on Form I-9, employers must:

Section	Entry
Section 1	Input "as per court order"
Section 2	Input "Aug. 12, 2026" along with a note in the Additional Information box

Employers may download the official Alert and the TPS Somalia webpage and attach them to Form I-9.

E-Verify Guidance

When completing a case in E-Verify, employers should enter the expiration date of "Aug. 12, 2026" from the Form I-9.

Important Considerations

No 540-Day Extension: Employers cannot claim the full 540-day extension even if it appears on the Form I-797C notice.
Check Regularly: USCIS continues to issue placeholder extensions on short notice. Employers should check USCIS websites regularly for updated information.

Broader TPS Context

The Somalia extension is part of a broader pattern of brief placeholder extensions for multiple TPS-designated countries following the Supreme Court's June 2026 ruling. Other affected countries include:

Country	Current EAD Extension
Somalia	August 12, 2026
Burma (Myanmar)	August 3, 2026
Ethiopia	July 30, 2026
South Sudan	July 30, 2026
Syria	July 27, 2026
Haiti	July 24, 2026

Quick Reference Summary

Aspect	Details
Extension Date	August 12, 2026
Affected EAD Expiration Dates	March 17, 2023 • September 17, 2024 • March 17, 2026
Legal Basis	Court order in African Communities Together v. Noem
Supreme Court Precedent	Mullin v. Doe (June 25, 2026)
Form I-9 (Section 1)	"as per court order"
Form I-9 (Section 2)	"Aug. 12, 2026"
E-Verify Expiration Date	"Aug. 12, 2026"

🔗 Official Resources

Resource	Link
USCIS TPS Somalia Page	uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-status-designated-country-somalia
E-Verify Update (Aug 10, 2026)	e-verify.gov
Federal Register Termination Notice	federalregister.gov/d/2026-00596
Form I-9 Central	uscis.gov/i-9-central