By: Dawn M. Lurie, John W. Mazzeo, and Selene Malench*

On May 29, 2026, DHS extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanon through November 27, 2026, continuing employment authorization for eligible beneficiaries.

The decision has been formally published in the May 29, 2026 edition of the Federal Register available at here. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated the “Alert” section on the TPS country webpage as well.

Impact on Employees

Per the Federal Register Notice (FRN), employees with Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) bearing category code A12 or C19 that facially expire on May 27, 2026, will now be automatically extended and be able to continue working through November 27, 2026.

Impact on Employers

USCIS included specific guidance in the FRN and relevant website updates.

For current employees, USCIS advises employers to examine the EAD to see if it has an expiration date of May 27, 2026 and further advises that employers may not solely rely on the country of birth listed on the face of the card to determine whether an employee is eligible for the automatic extension. Instead, employers may rely on the EAD category code (A12 or C19), the May 27, 2026 expiration date, and the employee’s attestation.

Once the employer has determined the employee eligible for the extension, USCIS advises to update Section 2 with the EAD EXT and November 27, 2026 in the Additional Information field, and to initial and date the correction. Employers using electronic I-9 systems should confirm their vendor supports workflows that align (to some extent) with USCIS guidance while also enabling tracking of the new reverification date.

For new employees, USCIS specifies that employees should complete Section 1 by checking the ‘Alien Authorized to Work’ box with November 27, 2026 as the ‘Work Until’ date. Employers should complete Section 2 by entering the appropriate information for the extended EAD with November 27, 2026 as the expiration date.

Per the E-Verify website, when creating a case for a new employee, employers may enter the EAD document number from the Form I-9 along with the automatically extended date of November 27, 2026. Employers, using paper I-9s, should also ensure internal tickler systems are updated to avoid missed reverification obligations in November 2026.

In an environment of frequent TPS changes, consistency, not complexity, is the key to compliance. Employers that build repeatable processes (even when using electronic systems)  for handling automatic extensions and litigation placeholders across all TPS populations will reduce risk and administrative burden alike.

Seyfarth’s Immigration Compliance & Investigations specialty group is recognized as a national leader in the field. Trusted by Fortune 100 companies and small businesses nationwide, the team provides strategic, practical guidance across the full spectrum of immigration compliance. The group advises on Form I-9 and E-Verify compliance; ICE inspections and worksite enforcement actions; internal immigration assessments and I-9 audits; DOL immigration-related wage and hour investigations; H-1B compliance; and DOJ’s IER and OCAHO anti-discrimination matters, including foreign sponsorship and export control/ITAR issues.

*Selene Malench is a Case Assistant on Seyfarth’s Immigration Compliance & Enforcement team. Many thanks for her contribution to this legal update.