The US Department of Homeland Security [official website] on Wednesday extended [statement] Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for certain Syrian immigrants.

The TPS status is extended for 18 months and affects 7,000 Syrians in the US who benefit from that designation.

Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen continued TPS status for Syria based on the continuing armed conflict and other extraordinary conditions in the country, saying:

After carefully considering conditions on the ground, I have determined that it is necessary to extend the Temporary Protected Status designation for Syria…It is clear that the conditions upon which Syria’s designation was based continue to exist, therefore an extension is warranted under the statute. We will continue to determine each country’s TPS status on a country-by-country basis.

TPS beneficiaries cannot be removed from the US, can get work authorization, and could be authorized to travel. This status does not lead to lawful permanent residency in the US or confer additional immigration status but does not bar an individual for applying for other immigration statuses or benefits.

Current eligibility for Syrian TPS status requires that individuals must have resided in the US since August 2016 and be continuously present in the US since October 2016. Those arriving after this time period must look into other forms of immigration relief. Advocates have criticized the administration’s decision not to extend TPS benefits to Syrians who had not already had TPS status.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services [official website] has more resources on TPS including countries currently given TPS designation, eligibility requirements for application for benefits and other information.