As an immigrant to the U.S., you are often under specific rules telling you how long you can stay in the country and when you must return to your home country or at least leave the U.S.
In some situations, it is possible for you to stay in the U.S. when your time limit runs out. You would have to seek special permission to do so to avoid becoming an undocumented immigrant and facing serious legal issues. One such option you have is to seek temporary protected status.
TPS defined
The American Immigration Council explains temporary protected status provides protection to you if you are from a country where there are problems that prevent you from safely returning to it. TPS prevents the courts in the U.S. from deporting you back to your home country as long as the conditions remain unstable and unsafe.
Unsafe conditions may include an environmental disaster or a war. The situation must be such that you would face serious danger if you were to return. The Secretary of Homeland Security determines which countries qualify for TPS.
Benefits of TPS
If you receive TPS, you will have a stay of deportation so that no court can make you leave the U.S. and return to your home country. It also provides you with a work permit so that you can continue to make a living while staying in the country.
You will maintain TPS for up to 18 months at which time you will have a status review. At that time, the review of the situation could extend your benefits, or if the situation in your home country changed, it could lead to your deportation.