Immigration Update – March 16, 2026

Headlines:

DOS Final Rule Amends Diversity Visa Program Documentation Requirements – The new amendments require a DV petitioner to provide valid, unexpired passport information and to upload a scan of the biographic and signature page in the electronic entry form or to otherwise indicate that the applicant is exempt.

USCIS Updates Guidance on Automatic Extensions of Work Authorization for TPS Beneficiaries – USCIS said that if a TPS beneficiary presents a TPS-based Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and timely filed a renewal application that was pending on or filed after July 22, 2025, but before October 30, 2025, their automatic extension is limited to one year or the duration of TPS, whichever is shorter.

SAVE Releases Updates on TPS for Several Countries – In response to recent court orders, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program and E-Verify released updates on Temporary Protected Status for Burma, Ethiopia, Haiti, South Sudan, and Syria.

Global Entry Program Restarted Amid Partial DHS Shutdown – The Global Entry Program, which the Trump administration had paused amid a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown due to a lapse in funding, was reactivated on March 11, 2026.

Details:

DOS Final Rule Amends Diversity Visa Program Documentation Requirements

On March 11, 2026, the Department of State (DOS) published a final rule amending regulations governing the Diversity Visa (DV) program.

The new amendments require a DV petitioner to provide valid, unexpired passport information and to upload a scan of the biographic and signature page in the electronic entry form or to otherwise indicate that the applicant is exempt from this requirement.

Additionally, the Department is standardizing and amending its regulations to add the word “shall” to simplify guidance for consular officers; ensure the use of the term “sex” in lieu of “gender”; and replace the term “age” in the DV regulations with the phrase “date of birth.”

DOS noted that it has historically encountered millions of fraudulent DV program entries, including entries submitted by third parties, some of them criminal enterprises, on behalf of individuals without their knowledge or consent. In DV-2025, for example, DOS discovered 2.5 million fraudulent entries. “Unauthorized third parties often contact these individuals, inform them of the opportunity to apply for a diversity immigrant visa (‘‘DV’’), and withhold the entry information unless the individual pays a large fee or agrees to participate in fraudulent activities. Upon submitting an entry, an entrant receives a unique confirmation number, without which it is impossible to confirm whether the entrant was selected to continue the DV process,” DOS noted. The agency advises entrants to retain the confirmation number and notes that DOS “will not replace or provide it in the future.”

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USCIS Updates Guidance on Automatic Extensions of Work Authorization for TPS Beneficiaries

On March 13, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its guidance on automatic extensions of work authorization for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries.

Specifically, USCIS said that if a TPS beneficiary presents a TPS-based Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and timely filed a renewal application that was pending on or filed after July 22, 2025, but before October 30, 2025, their automatic extension is limited by H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) to one year or the duration of TPS, whichever is shorter. They are not eligible for an up-to-540-day extension, even if it is listed on their EAD renewal receipt notice.

USCIS noted that if the Form I-797C receipt notice has a “Received Date” of July 21, 2025, or earlier, the up-to-540-day automatic extension applies; however, any part of this extension that falls after July 22, 2025, cannot last longer than one year from this date or for the duration of the TPS designation period, whichever is shorter.

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SAVE Releases Updates on TPS for Several Countries

In response to recent court orders, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program and E-Verify released updates on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several countries:

• Following a court order in Aung DOE v. Noem, the termination of TPS for Burma, which had been set for January 26, 2026, is stayed and beneficiaries’ status and work authorization (categories A12 and C19) have been extended, according to a SAVE announcement issued on March 12, 2026. Because this case is in “active litigation,” USCIS advised checking the TPS Burma page for any updates.

E-Verify said that the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued under the TPS designation of Burma with an original expiration date of November 25, 2025, May 25, 2024, or November 25, 2022, is also extended. E-Verify said that when completing the Expiration Date (if any) fields on Form I-9, employers should input “as per court order” in Section 1 and “March 15, 2026” in Section 2 along with a note in the additional information box. Employers may download the Alert and TPS Burma webpages and attach them to Form I-9. When completing a case in E-Verify for these beneficiaries, the employer should enter the expiration date of “March 15, 2026” from the I-9.

• Following a court order in African Communities Together v. Noem, the termination of TPS for Ethiopia, which had been set for February 13, 2026, is stayed and beneficiaries’ status and work authorization (categories A12 and C19) have been extended, according to a SAVE announcement issued on March 12, 2026. Because this case is in “active litigation,” USCIS advised checking the TPS Ethiopia page for any updates.

E-Verify said that when completing the Expiration Date (if any) fields on Form I-9, employers should input “as per court order” in Section 1 and “April 8, 2026” in Section 2 along with a note in the additional information box. Employers may download the Alert and TPS Ethiopia webpages and attach them to Form I-9. When completing a case in E-Verify for these beneficiaries, the employer should enter the expiration date of “April 8, 2026” from the I-9.

• Following a court order in Miot v. Trump, the termination of TPS for Haiti, which had been set for February 3, 2026, is stayed and beneficiaries’ status and work authorization (categories A12 and C19) have been extended. USCIS noted that the new guidance on this extension, released on March 13, 2026, supersedes SAVE’s previous message posted on February 14, 2026, regarding termination of Haiti TPS. Because this case is in “active litigation,” USCIS advised checking the TPS Haiti page for any updates.

E-Verify said that when completing the Expiration Date (if any) fields on Form I-9, employers should input “as per court order” in Section 1 and “March 15, 2026” in Section 2 along with a note in the additional information box. Employers may download the Alert and TPS Haiti webpages and attach them to Form I-9. When completing a case in E-Verify for these beneficiaries, the employer should enter the expiration date of “March 15, 2026” from the I-9.

• South Sudan. Following a court order in African Communities Together v. Noem, the termination of TPS for South Sudan, which had been set for January 5, 2026, is stayed and beneficiaries’ status and work authorization (categories A12 and C19) have been extended, according to a SAVE announcement issued on March 12, 2026. Because this case is in “active litigation,” USCIS advised checking the TPS South Sudan page for any updates.

E-Verify said that when completing the Expiration Date (if any) fields on Form I-9, employers should input “as per court order” in Section 1 and “April 10, 2026” in Section 2 along with a note in the additional information box. Employers may download the Alert and TPS South Sudan webpages and attach them to Form I-9. When completing a case in E-Verify for these beneficiaries, the employer should enter the expiration date of “April 10, 2026” from the I-9.

• Following a court order in Dahlia Doe v. Noem, the termination of TPS for Syria, which had been set for November 21, 2025, is stayed and beneficiaries’ status and work authorization (categories A12 and C19) have been extended, according to a SAVE announcement issued on March 12, 2026. Because this case is in “active litigation,” USCIS advised checking the TPS Syria page for any updates.

E-Verify said that when completing the Expiration Date (if any) fields on Form I-9, employers should input “as per court order” in Section 1 and “March 13, 2026” in Section 2 along with a note in the additional information box. Employers may download the Alert and TPS South Sudan webpages and attach them to Form I-9. When completing a case in E-Verify for these beneficiaries, the employer should enter the expiration date of “March 13, 2026” from the I-9.

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Global Entry Program Restarted Amid Partial DHS Shutdown

The Global Entry Program, which the Trump administration had paused amid a partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown due to a lapse in funding, was reactivated on March 11, 2026. The program allows U.S. citizens and permanent residents to expedite their reentry into the United States after traveling abroad.

The reactivation follows reports of lengthy delays in processing travelers at airports. A pause on the T.S.A. PreCheck expedited security program was also quickly restarted. The DHS shutdown continues, although many of the agency’s functions are continuing while existing funds remain.

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