H.R. 9899 · Afghanistan TPS Act of 2026
The bridge for the allies already here
The Afghanistan TPS Act would designate Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status through July 1, 2029, restoring protection from deportation and the right to work for the vetted Afghan allies already living in the United States. It is bipartisan, and it is moving.
Last updated July 27, 2026
Bottom line up front
A bridge, not a path to citizenship
Tens of thousands of Afghans who served alongside American forces were brought to the United States after August 2021, vetted, and paroled in. That parole has largely expired. Without action, people the government itself cleared and flew here can lose the right to work and face removal to a Taliban-controlled country.
The Afghanistan TPS Act is the fastest tool to stop that. It designates Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status through July 1, 2029, which restores protection from deportation and work authorization for Afghan nationals already here, after biometric and national-security vetting, with a 90-day clock on adjudication.
TPS is a bridge, not a path to citizenship. It restores protection from removal and the right to work for people who are already here and already vetted, and it holds them safely while they pursue the durable relief they qualify for, whether asylum, a Special Immigrant Visa, or a family petition.
Where AfghanEvac stands
What we are asking Congress to do
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Section by section
The bill is short and does one thing well. Every claim below is traceable to the text of H.R. 9899.
| Section | What it does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sec. 2(a)-(b) – The designation | Treats Afghanistan as designated for Temporary Protected Status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, for a window running from enactment through July 1, 2029. | Opens TPS to Afghan nationals for the first time, with a defined, nearly four-year window. |
| Sec. 2(c) – 90-day adjudication | Requires DHS to receive, process, and decide TPS and work-permit applications within 90 days, extendable by up to 150 days only on a national-security certification to the Judiciary Committees. | Ends the open-ended limbo that has left vetted people unable to work or travel. |
| Sec. 2(d) – Who qualifies | Covers Afghan nationals continuously present in the United States since enactment who are admissible, register with biometric and biographic data, and complete criminal and national-security background checks. | Vetting is built into the front of the process, not bolted on after. |
| Sec. 2(e) – Emergency travel | Directs DHS to grant advance consent for brief, emergency trips abroad, and to treat the person as a returning TPS holder on the way back. | Lets people handle a family emergency without forfeiting their status. |
| Sec. 2(f) – Fee waiver | Requires DHS to allow fee-waiver applications for people who are eligible only by reason of this designation. | Removes the cost barrier for families already stretched thin. |
The provisions in full
What the bill actually says
Sec. 2(a) and (b) – The designation and its window
The bill treats Afghanistan as if the Secretary of Homeland Security had designated it for Temporary Protected Status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The designation runs from the date of enactment through July 1, 2029.
This matters because a TPS designation is normally a discretionary call by the executive branch. The bill makes it by statute, so it does not depend on the will of a given administration.
Sec. 2(c) – A 90-day clock
DHS must receive, process, and complete the adjudication of TPS applications, and the work-authorization applications that go with them, within 90 days. The Secretary may take up to 150 additional days for a specific applicant only by certifying to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees that derogatory information specific to that person and the interest of national security require more time.
The default is speed; the exception is narrow and accountable. That combination is what ends the limbo people have been stuck in.
Sec. 2(d) – Who qualifies, and the screening
Vetting is built in. Eligibility requires registering with biometric and biographic data and completing criminal and national-security background checks. This is not a waiver of screening. It is screening as a condition of protection.
An Afghan national qualifies if they have been continuously physically present in the United States since the date of enactment, are admissible under the usual immigration standards that apply to TPS, and register through the established process. The continuous-presence requirement means the bill covers the people already here, not future arrivals.
Sec. 2(e) and (f) – Travel and fees
DHS must grant advance consent for a brief trip abroad when a TPS holder shows emergency or extenuating circumstances, and must treat the person as a returning TPS holder on the way back, so a family emergency does not cost someone their status. The bill also requires DHS to allow fee-waiver applications for people who are eligible only because of this designation, so cost is not the thing that keeps a vetted family unprotected.
For the record
What this bill does not do
Precision protects credibility with the staff who have actually read the bill.
- It does not create a path to citizenship. TPS is temporary protection, not a green card.
- It does not waive security vetting. It requires biometrics and criminal and national-security background checks, and lets DHS take extra time for anyone flagged on national-security grounds.
- It does not cover Afghans who arrive after enactment. Eligibility is limited to people continuously present in the United States as of the date the Act becomes law.
- It does not replace the SIV, refugee, or adjustment pathways. It is a bridge that runs alongside them.
How it moved
Legislative timeline
Endorsed by AfghanEvac, No One Left Behind, Global Refuge, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Refugees International.
Read the bill yourself
Our analysis is traceable to the text. The bill and the broader record live on The Ledger, AfghanEvac's public record.
About this analysis
Prepared by AfghanEvac and updated July 27, 2026. This analysis reflects the introduced text of H.R. 9899. We will update this page as the bill moves.
Educational reference only, not legal advice. This analysis is provided for general informational purposes. Immigration law is complex and changes without warning. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. If you or someone you know needs help with an active case, consult a qualified immigration attorney or contact AfghanEvac.