Iranian Temporary Immigration Relief Act

Key Points

• This bill creates Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Iranian nationals in the U.S. whose immigration applications were frozen by a government adjudication pause starting in December 2025. It shields them from deportation and lets them stay legally for at least 18 months.
• Eligible individuals would receive work permits within 30 days of applying, so they can support themselves and their families while their frozen cases remain unresolved. The bill also retroactively fills any gap in work authorization caused by the pause.
• The bill protects people from being penalized on their immigration records for delays caused by the government. Time spent waiting during the adjudication pause would not count as unlawful presence, which could otherwise block future immigration benefits.
• To qualify, a person must be an Iranian national who was lawfully in the U.S. since December 2, 2025, had a benefit application frozen by the pause, and has no serious criminal record. Iranian government officials and those involved in human rights abuses are specifically excluded.
• Congress highlights that these Iranian nationals include engineers, physicians, researchers, and tech entrepreneurs who contribute to critical U.S. sectors like healthcare, AI, and advanced manufacturing. The bill frames their protection as being in the national interest.