When the backlog began in 2013, no one quite knew what was happening. How long would the problem persist? How would the delays affect asylum seekers? How would the delays affect the integrity of the asylum system?
Two-and-a-half years later, we have some sense for what is happening, and the Asylum Division has made some adaptations to the new reality. It probably comes as no surprise that asylum seekers–and their representatives–are not satisfied with the current situation. Hence, I offer here my own ideas for improving the system. The only criteria for the below suggestions is that they do not cost anything (or at least, not much). It would be easy to propose expensive solutions (hire lots more asylum officers!) but in the current climate, I don’t think that is realistic. Anyway, without further ado, here are my humble suggestions to save the world:
Don’t Create Unrealistic Expectations: Most Asylum Officers are nice, and nice people do not like to make other people feel bad. And so what we frequently see is Asylum Officers giving a time frame for the decision. More often than not, this time frame under-estimates the wait time; sometimes, by a lot. As a result, asylum applicants have their expectations raised and then dashed. It would be far better to avoid this altogether. Unless they really know for certain, Asylum Officers should refrain from giving a time frame for the decision. If the decision comes quickly, the applicant will be (hopefully) pleasantly surprised; if it comes slowly, at least there will not have been an expectation of a quick decision.
Distribute Workloads More Evenly: Waiting times between Asylum Offices vary widely. Houston is currently interviewing people who filed their cases in May 2014; Los Angeles is interviewing people who filed their cases in August 2011. On it’s face, it appears that people in LA wait about three years longer than people in Houston. It should be possible to assign cases in a way that reduces this disparity. Much of the delay is due to credible fear interviews, which take place remotely (by video conference or phone). Why can’t these be processed in the faster offices, so that the slower offices can focus on their backlogs? In this way, perhaps wait times could be made more equitable.
Prioritize People Separated from Family Members: It is much easier to tolerate a long delay if you are not separated from your spouse and minor children. The asylum form, I-589, requests information about the applicant’s spouse and children. In cases where the spouse and minor children are outside the U.S., the Asylum Offices should prioritize those cases. It is really intolerable to remain separated from small children for 2, 3, and 4 years, or more. By the time you see your child again, she won’t even know you. Not to mention that in many cases, the family members are living in unsafe conditions. This is by far the worst part of the backlog, and the Asylum Division really should address the problem.
Standardize the Process of Expediting Cases, and Make the Process More Transparent: It is possible to expedite an asylum case. One way to do this is through the “short list.” When an applicant adds his name to the short list, he will be called for an interview if a slot opens up. The short list can be faster than the regular queue. However, short lists open and close, and not all offices have short lists. The Asylum Offices should post information about the short lists on their websites. Perhaps the short lists can be limited to people separated from their family members. At the minimum, each Asylum Office could post on their website whether a short list is available, and whether it is open to new applicants.
It is also possible to expedite a case for emergent reasons (health problems, family members overseas in jeopardy, etc.). However, there are no hard and fast rules related to expediting cases. Each Asylum Office should have a set of rules for expediting, and those rules should be posted on their websites: What are the criteria for expediting a case? What evidence is required? How and when will a decision to expedite be made? Currently, we are in the dark about these questions. The result is that applicants are trying again and again to expedite, which wastes Asylum Office time (and attorney time) and which creates unrealistic expectations about whether a case might be expedited.
Make the EAD Valid for Two Years and Have the Receipt Automatically Extend the Old EAD: Employment Authorization Documents–EADs–are currently valid for one year. There are also delays for people applying for and renewing EADs. The result is that many people see their EAD expire before they receive the new card. This causes them to lose their jobs and their driver’s licenses. If EADs were valid for two years (or longer), it would greatly reduce the problem. Also, USCIS should adopt the same policy for EADs as they have for the I-751: The receipt for the EAD should automatically extend the existing EAD until the new card arrives.
Create a FAQ Page: Tens of thousands of asylum applicants are waiting for their interviews or decisions. Waiting is difficult enough, but waiting in the absence of reliable information is even worse. The Asylum Office Scheduling Bulletin was a good start—at least now we know who is being interviewed today. But why don’t the Asylum Office websites have a link to the Scheduling Bulletin? And why don’t the paper asylum receipts include the Asylum Office website addresses? The little information that is actually available should be made more accessible.
In addition, the Asylum Division should create a FAQ page (Frequently Asked Questions). What has caused the delay? Why are there delays after the interview? How do I inquire about the status of my case? How do I request expedited review? What happens if I move? How do I travel outside the United States? These are common questions, and there really are very few places to find reliable answers, especially for those applicants who cannot afford an attorney.
The benefit of providing reliable information to asylum seekers is hard to underestimate. If I might analogize to my own fear of flying. I hate to fly (which is annoying, since I like to be in other places), and it’s especially bad when there’s turbulence. But if the pilot announces,“We’re experiencing some normal turbulence. We should pass through in 10 minutes,” I immediately feel better. The psychological benefit of being informed is a real benefit, and the psychological harm of not knowing, is a real harm. Providing more information to asylum seekers, from a reliable source, would be a big help.
Finally, I will add one “bonus” suggestion, which I’ve made before. USCIS should allow for premium processing of asylum applications. I believe the primary objection to this idea is the appearance of impropriety: It looks bad when an asylum seeker is able to pay money to expedite his case. However, I still believe that the benefits of premium processing outweigh this concern. Those who oppose the asylum system will never be convinced, and there is little point in trying to appease them, especially when the cost of appeasement is further harm to people seeking asylum.
OK, Asylum Division, there you have it. Now, let’s see what you can do.
[…] Some (Unsolicited) Advice for the Asylum Office Published by Jason Dzubow, Esq. (The Asylumist) from Washington, DC […]
Hi Jason. Thank you for your help. You are doing a great job! What I want to ask is how do I know my name is on short notice? I want to change my lawyer, Do other firms accept me? I am now waiting for my interview.
You can email the asylum office to confirm that your name is on the short list. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. If you want to change lawyers, that is your decision and you can do it at any time. Take care, Jason
[…] and asylum system, a yet unexplored option is to advance pressing humanitarian cases and family reunification. Short lists should be created in Asylum Offices nationwide and could be limited to people […]
[…] coincidentally, I made this exact proposal for EADs a few months back. I presume that USCIS listened to me and they will be sending me a […]
Hello,
Jason I have two questions am hoping you can help with I apply for my work permit re-new it’seems been over 70 days now do you have any information on why it my be taking so long second I have my asylum interview November 17th 2015 in rosedale NY and was also told the decision will be mailed out to me because the rosedale office was closing and moving am still also awaiting on the decision any advice
We are seeing work permits take up to 4 months. As long as you have the receipt, you should get the new card eventually. The waiting period after the interview is vary variable. In our office, for example, we have around 30 people who have been waiting more than one year since their interview. Most people get a decision in less than 6 months, but it is very hard to predict as it seems mostly to depend on security background checks. Also, I wrote about this issue on October 21, 2014 – maybe you want to take a look at that. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thanks for all the explanations you provide regarding different stages of application for asylum. My case has been pending for over 200 days now. I applied for my work permit about 60 days ago and made a service request on it about 10 days ago. My case status for EAD card still shows “Case was received” online. Do you have an estimate of when I will get my EAD card? Also, is there anyway I can get health insurance meanwhile? I am not feeling well and the costs of doctor visits are piling up without an insurance.
We are seeing people wait 3 to 4 months for the EAD (it used to be faster). As for health insurance, I know of no way to get it while the case is pending. However, you might want to contact your local office of Catholic Charities, as they usually know more about such benefits than me. Take care, Jason
Hello, Jason!
If Rosedale office is currently reviewing May 2014 cases, and a person moves to New York from another jurisdiction where his asylum application was filed before May 2014, would they schedule his interview as soon as they receive his application or would he go into the “backlog of the backlog”?
I would highly appreciate your professional opinion on the matter.
Respectfully,
Stan
I don’t know – I plan to be at a meeting on Friday and hopefully, I will learn more then. If you contact me next week, maybe I will know. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Hope you are doing well. I have a question for you if i may ask.
I applied for call list and they call me for interview next week my question is do I need to have mail from them or at less email ? or the phone call it was enough ? in asylum office they will not ask me any paper about the interview ?
thank you very much
Hi Nadia! Please, tell me what office is it, and how long you’ve wait for call? Thanks in advance!
It would be nice to have something from them, but I think you will be alright if you do not. You can bring your original receipt or some other document with your Alien number, and explain to them that you were scheduled on an expedited/short list basis. Good luck at the interview, Jason
Hi Jasson
My passport from homeland is nearly expired and still have no ID from the US to represent me. Do you believe it is a good idea having my passport renewed through the embassy of my home country in the US? I heard some people are saying that could affect you asylum case while others are saying not to.
It depends on the case and on which asylum officer you get, but renewing your passport could affect your asylum case. It is safer to avoid it, but many of my clients have done it without any problem – for most of them, however, they were fearful of terrorist groups, not of the government that issues the new passport. Take care, Jason
Hi jason
My case is in newark. I asked the newark office to expedite my asylum case due to medical reasons and they did within a month ( early november) but because my lawyer was having another interview scheduled in the same day I was forced to reschedule and I got a letter from the immigration office that says they accepted my request and said they will reschedule it in NEAR FUTURE and and now it is almost a month. so when do you think they will schedule it?
I have no idea, of course. But typically, interviews are rescheduled in a month or two (at least in my local office – Virginia). Hopefully, it will be soon. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I had my interview in the month of June 2015 at the Boston offices. Do you know how long the estimated waiting time to get the decision?
Thank you.
There are no estimates of wait times for a decision. It could take days or years. Most of our delayed decisions are resolved in less than one year, but really there is no way to predict. Good luck, Jason
Hi CN,
Which month and year did you apply? I applied in Boston in December 2013 and still haven’t been interviewed 🙁
Thanks for responding
Hello Jason,
I have been waiting for reschedule interview since last year 6/16/14, two weeks ago I received a notice for finger print between 10-21November which I did on the 16th. I have not received any interview date, but I just received a notice of interview cancellation for 11/24/15, and the letter was dated 11/25. The Newark office stated they regret to cancel my appointment and any inconvenience cause regretted. It also said that a new interview date will be rescheduled and that this rescheduled will not interrupt my employment authorization, and put the figures of clock as at 11/25.
I’m confused since I have not received interview date and miss it, could it be there’s a miss up in the office? Or they send mail which did not get to me? What does it mean my clock will not be interrupted? Does it I can now apply for EAD if my clock reach 150 days? First it has stop when I requested for rescheduled.
Lastly if I received an appointment for interview is it necessary to go with my dependence daughter who was part of my application as a derivative applicant, but was granted asylum 12/31/14 ?
Thanks for your good work.
If your daughter was part of your case (meaning, you sent a photo and signature page fore her), she should go with you – even if her case was separately granted. As for the mess with the interview, I think you should contact the Newark office to check with them – either go there in person, or email them (if you look at the link at the right, Asylum Office Locator, you will be able to find their email address). I do not know of a way to tell whether your clock has reached 150 days, other than to apply for the EAD. It is free, so it is worth a try. If you think you have reached 150 days, file the I-765 and see what happens. If you are contacting the asylum office about the interview, you can also ask them about the clock. Good luck, Jason
Hi, there! I have a question. Stephen, was your daughter granted without an interview?
Hi Jason, what is the estimated wait time on Green Card. Thanks
There are many ways to get a green card. Some of our cases take less than 4 months; most take 6-8 months; sometimes it takes longer.
so if I am applying from a asylee status to permanent resident it will take about 4 to 8 months to get a green card ?
Jason have you in your extensive experience ever seen a refugee go to his home country and allowed back in U.S. having a very solid reason to go back like family emergency or anything ? Have you ever seen that !!!
I have seen it – but it could cause problems for you if you do that. You should talk to a lawyer before you go, in order to minimize the chances for a problem. Also, if I can ever get around to it, I want to write a blog post on this point. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Looks like my case is approved. When I check my case status with the Z number, it says, “We mailed your card”. Have you heard about this before? When I read in a couple of forums, they can only update your case with the Z number if you are approved. Let me know if you have heard something about this. Thanks.
I hear these stories sometimes, and sometimes we’ve had cases where the DMV knows the asylum is approved before us, but I have not personally witnessed what you are describing. I would not be surprised if it is true. However, until they have the approval notice in their hands, I recommend that my clients don’t get too excited about things like this. Anyway, hopefully, you will have the approval in your hands soon. Good luck, Jason
Finally Approved!!! Thank you Jason for everything! You’re just awesome!
Congratulations and good luck in the USA! Jason
Thank you so much, Jason!
Hi jason
first of all thank you for your effort in providing such helpful information
i have some questions ,there is a news about san francisco office that it will give Iraqis and Syrian refuges priority in interviewing ,is that true and if its true do you advise me to change my application from Colorado to san Francisco considering that i didn’t for apply asylum yet
another question is my status now is f1 for studying english and i want to apply for dental program for international dentist so do you advise me to drop the scroll after applying for asylum and be out of status and if i did that can i regain the f1 status later
thank you
If I may answer your question,
I don’t know about the validity of that news (priority to select refugees) in the San Fransisco office.
Should you decide to change your office from Chicago to SF, which is adviseable regardless of the news due to the SF office’s high approval rate, are you aware that you need to relocate to fall within its geographic jurisdiction? It refers to northern half of CA, Reno of NV, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. Note that some of these locales (CA, AK, WA) have a higher cost of living than the national average. I know, not all asylum seekers have the luxury of choosing where to live in the US.
As for the approval rates, SF office had 74.73% approval rate in June 2015 (most recent statistic) while the Chicago office had 38.44% at the same time. The SF office consistently has the highest approval rate in the country. This is why your move is recommended although I think the refugee news is bogus.
Further, if the transfer of your case results in a delay, that would not be credited for your EAD purpose.
As for your F-1, it may be problematic to regain it later if you apply for asylum. F-1 students should have a nonimmigrant intent, meaning that you intend to return to your country after your education in the US. If you file for an immigrant visa such as asylum, that prevents you from establishing nonimmigrant intent.
I don’t think there’s a reason for you to try to regain the F-1 anyway because you won’t be accruing any unlawful presence in the US while your asylum is pending. Besides, it’s not that the F-1 visa gives you any benefits. The student visa still would not likely let you work or own a firearm. Instead, the F-1 would impose restrictions on you such as having to pursue a full-time study that is mostly offline and not take even a semester off while still being in the US. Moreover, if you fail to graduate on-time without justification and request an extension, 8 CFR 214.2 (f) requries you to sign a statement saying that you would leave the country right after an extension is granted and your education is complete. Repulsive.
I’m not an attorney, and the above is not legal advice. This interaction does not create a lawyer-client relationship.
Thank you dale lee for those information
I have not heard about any office giving priority to particular countries, and I doubt that that would happen (but who knows?). I think you should live where you need to live (I know Dale Lee is a fan of venue shopping; I am less of a fan, though he is slowly convincing me). As for the F-1, if you drop it, you will have to wait for your EAD to start dental school, as you will need either the EAD or the F-1. There are advantages to staying in F-1 status – mainly, you might be able to later get OPT and an H1B visa and then a green card through your job. In other words, if the asylum does not work out, remaining in F-1 status might give you a second option. Take care, Jason
As always, thank you for the information you provide here, Jason.
But why do you say that he needs an EAD or the F-1 visa to attend the dental school? Unlawful presence does not accumulate when one has filed for asylum, and the school isn’t a job, so why is F-1 or an EAD required?
Also, I think if he holds on to both F-1 and asylum at the same time, the US government may consider it problematic that a nonimmigrant student has immigrant intent. He might be screened again and flagged when he applies for OPT or reinstatement (if he falls out of status later), although H-1B allows dual intent.
There are no rules related to attending school, but most schools will not allow a person to attend without an EAD or an F-1 (or a J-1). Theoretically, USCIS could give someone a problem who has an asylum case pending and a valid F-1 visa, but we have never seen that. On the contrary, if the person is in valid F-1 status and the case is denied, the person is not referred to court, and they continue along in their F-1 status. Take care, Jason
Thanks Jason For your advise I appreciate it.
dear Jason Dzubow
my asylum case is still pending , my question is can my sister (american citizen ) applied for petition to me to change my status while i am still present here in america that is mean to be sponsor for me to get green card.
best regards
She can sponsor you, but most likely, you will be required to leave the US to collect your green card – and this may or may not be possible. Also, when a sister petitions for you, the waiting time is very long (like 12 years). Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason I apply asylum befor28month till now waiting interviews when I ask senator,obsman,asylum office directly to give me interview I ressived same answer (my case was backlog)and no one help me that’s thing let me think why no one can not help me to get interview .is any problem whith my case thank you
I wrote a post on February 26, 2015 that might be helpful – but it is difficult to expedite these cases and everyone is delayed. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have EAD on basis of my L1 but now I have applied Asylum and my EAD card is going expire on December so can I work with same card until I will not have another EAD card ?
Regards
Pratik
I am not sure I understand your question. If you have a valid EAD, you should be able to work. Some EADs are limited to specific jobs, but I do not know whether that is the case for you. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
My wife has been interviewed in this Jan, but we didn’t get the decision yet. Now the problem is that I came to America in Dec, 2014, and I was not included in my wife’s case. The I-94 for me has been expired, and I lost my status. May I file an I-589 to the Asylum Office to ask to add me into her case for EAD? Someone told us that it doesn’t work because my wife has been interviewed. If it is available, how to write the I-589 to distinguish between a new seprated case? I also puzzled, because there are only 20 days for one-year limit, which one is better for me if I can drop off the documents directly in the asylum office or mail them to the Nebraska Service Center(I live in San Francisco).
There are 3 questions totally:
1. May I file an i589 for my legal stay in America?
2. How to claim my request for add-in my wife’s case in the i589?
3. Drop-off or mail, which one need less time to get the receipt?
Thank you very much.
Its easy
Just go with your wife to the Asylum office and ask them to add your wife to your application, and to send her the finger print..
I did this many times for friends and relatives
Rregards
I would add only that different asylum offices have different policies, but if you go to your local office, they should be able to advise you.
I do not know whether you can be added to her case after the interview. I have never done that for anyone. I recommend you contact the Asylum Office to ask for guidance (assuming you can find someone to talk to). If your wife’s case is granted, she can then file an I-730 to get you your asylum too. However, while you are waiting, you might want to file for asylum so you are allowed to stay here (if you cannot join with her case). I do not know whether you need to file with the local office or the service center. Given that you have so little time, I recommend you talk to a lawyer who can research the question for you. Good luck, Jason
Got it. Thanks for your reply.
Hello dear Jason
I have filed my asylum case in june 2014 in Anaheim office and interviewed 11-10-2015 and officer told me to return 2 weeks later
First question is in intervew there were to officer at the same time and one of them was quiet do now why ? By the way i did my interview by writ of mandamus
Second one month befor interview i have applyed to renew my EAD and i got it today one week before getting the answer what do you think about that
Thank you for your kindly attention
Sometimes there is a second officer in the room for training purposes. Maybe it is something else, but this situation is not uncommon, so there is no reason to worry about it. As for the EAD, I think it is totally unrelated to the asylum case, so it should not have any effect. Good luck with the case, Jason
Thank you dear Jason 🙂
please let us know your decision.
Hi guys
I got recommended approval
Thank you dear Jason
That is good news – sometimes the final approval comes quickly; other times, it takes many months. So be patient, and hopefully, you will have it soon. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Hope you are doing well. I have a question for you if i may ask. My brother is looking to come visit me in the USA on a B-visa. He will be listing me on the visa application as his contact in the USA. Will this affect my asylum case in any negative way? Thank you so much
I do not see why it would, but I also know very little about the case. If you are concerned, you might want to talk to a lawyer to review the situation. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Great article! Good job on that! I hope they will implement your proposal(suggestion).
Well, I was finally able to be interviewed a month ago after waiting two and half years. At the same time, I applied for EAD, and it’s been pending for over three months. Checking both asylum and EAD cases online every hour is very frustrating while enrolled full time at university. I can’t make future plans like going to medical school, Masters… right after graduating in less than a year. Our life is hard; we don’t know where our compass is navigating. What do you think I should do at this point? Any advice would help. Thank you for everything you do here.
Hopefully, you will get a good decision soon, and that will be the end of it. It sounds like there is not much you can do except wait for the decision and for the EAD. Waiting truly is the hardest part (as the old song goes). Good luck, Jason
Thank you, Jason! I’m afraid that the decision will be a bit longer as I am in status and interviewed at field office(Seattle). Right?
Very likely.
Please allow me to ask a question.
How do you have the interview at a field office? I thought the interviews had to be done only at one of the 8 asylum offices. Do you get to choose?
It depends where you live. For example, if you are in Buffalo, NY, you will be interviewed at the USCIS office in Buffalo. That is a sub office of Newark, NJ. Atlanta is a sub office of Arlington, etc. You have to go where they send you; you cannot choose. Take care, Jason
Finally, they updated the EAD case status “New Card is being produced” after waiting 97 days. I hope they will make quick decision on the asylum case as well.
@Dale, there are some field offices under the main asylum offices, and officers travel to those places and interview applicants. For example, field offices for San F. are Seattle and Portland. Hope this helps.
Good luck everyone(to me as well)! lol
Thanks Jason!
Hello, Jason. Thought I sent you the question but apparently it wasn’t sent. I application for asylum was filed on the 24th of December, 2014 with the Newark, New Jersey office. I notice that this office is at summer of 2013 for interviews scheduled. About how soon do you think I can get scheduled for an interview?
The chart only tells who is being interviewed now – it does not predict future progress. For this reason, we really do not know. I would be surprised if your interview were in less than 6 months (and maybe much longer), but again, the chart does not predict future progress, so that is just a guess (hopefully, an educated guess). Good luck, Jason
I like the photo in the post comparing lawyers to annoying relatives. It reminds me that some people consider lawyers as being lower than prostitutes and tax collectors. I plan on becoming a lawyer myself next year, so no offense, Jason.
By the way, are you sure that each asylum office has its own website? I tried to access the San Fransisco office website, but couldn’t. All I could find was the USCIS office locator on https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=offices.detail&office=ZSF&OfficeLocator.office_type=ZSY&OfficeLocator.statecode=CA
Further, the failed immigration reform bill from “Gang of 8” listed some ideas to improve the asylum system. These include abolishing the 1-year deadline and making the EOIR and BIA procedures non-adversarial. I like getting rid of of the 1-year deadline in particular because many asylum seekers are barred from applying just because of that deadline. Studies also suggest that LGBT asylum seekers are especially more likely to be barred by the deadline.
You said that improvements costing money are unlikely to happen, but what about after the presidential election? Jeb Bush, Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, etc. are all proposing immigration reform. I’m also glad that John Boehner is gone now. That sucker refused to let the House vote on the immigration reform bill.
Maybe after the election, we will see some movement. I fear that, if anything, we will see more restrictions on asylum and more security delays (in light of the recent terrorist attack). All the offices have websites – they are linked to the Asylum Office Locator. They are pretty useless, but they could be made more functional. But that might put me out of business, so I suppose I shouldn’t advocate for it…
Hey Jason, thank you for all the information you provide to us. I have applied for asylum in Jan, 2015 and still waiting for the interview. Please tell me how to apply for Asylum shortlist in Arlington.
The short list is currently closed in Arlington (or at least it was when last I checked). You can email them (the email address is available if you follow the link at the right called “Asylum Office Locator”) and ask. Good luck, Jason
dear Jason
i need some help , i filed my case in Miami in nov 2013 and now i found a good job in Virginia , the address i have in miami is still valid and my uncle checks my mails regularly , i still have my florida driving license but i assume as soon as i start my new job i need to change it , unfortunately my lawyer is too busy to address me in this matter , i really dont know what is going to happen and what i have to do , he told me if i change my asylum office to arlington he cant help me anymore on my case and i paid him 5000 usd . please help me and let me know what i need to do
thank you
november 2014 i meant
It seems to me that your lawyer owes you a better explanation than that. If the fee you paid included the interview, you may be entitled to a refund. Also, the attitude you describe makes me doubt the lawyer’s over-all ability (I do not think a good lawyer would say this to you). In any case, if you can keep your “permanent” address in FL, even if you have a “temporary” job in VA, maybe you can keep the case in FL. This is a bit of a balancing act, and it is something you need to discuss with your lawyer (or another lawyer who you trust). If you do move the case, it may result in additional delay, but that is unclear – sometimes when cases are moved they go slower; other times, they seem to go faster. Good luck, Jason
Hello, again, Jason. I have a question again. I applied for asylum in December 2014. My asylum office is Newark, New Jersey. Can you estimate when you think I will be scheduled for an interview? This particular office is at summer 2013 for interviews. Approximately how soon before I can get an interview scheduled, or when do you think they will reach 2014? I’m trying to get an idea of how fast they move and how longer I can expect to wait. Your answer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
The real answer is that no one knows. The chart shows who is being interviewed now, but does not really predict when a case filed in (for example) December 2014 will be interviewed. I think it would be impossible for you to get an interview in less than 6 months, but otherwise, I can’t even guess. Sorry.
Hey Jason, thank you for all the information you provide to us.
I have a question about moving while my asylum case is pending. Will it delay my case if i move in another apartment but still live in the same city and state? Thank you much
If your move does not cause you to change asylum offices, it should have no effect on the timing of your interview (it sounds like your move will not cause you to change asylum offices, but you can double check using the Asylum Office Locator – a link is at the right). Take care, Jason
there is something weird in asylum office interview scheduling!! in website the LA office says they are interviewing cases from Aug 2011, while actually, I got 2 interviews for cases filed on Jan and Feb 2013!!!!
The first one is an old man living here with his son, and the other for a young girl married to US LPR, so NO one of them is under first two CAT.
Also, they are NOT in the short list!!!
Any Explanation or some thing same happened with you
please read my comments below for explanation
You are not the first person who mentioned this to me. I will be at meeting next month with the Asylum Division, and I will try to ask this question (they don’t always provide answers – but we can ask). If I have info, I will post it. Take care, Jason
Great advises, I do hope the USCIS offices take them to action.
Two of those suggestions can be applied on my case, separated family and child disability within the family, however after two and a half years and despite the many requests I’v made, I’m still not eligible for expediting in the eyes of Chicago asylum office’s officers.
This is very unfortunate. At least if the Asylum Office told you the requirements and process for expediting, you would have a better idea about what is happening. Good luck, Jason
Yeah I think it will be better if they provide more informations cuz somtimes it seems like they just do not care.
[…] Some (Unsolicited) Advice for the Asylum Office Published by Jason Dzubow, Esq. (The Asylumist) from Washington, DC […]
again and again and again the Scheduling bulletin is a big lie. here’s a few points to prove :
1- No. of applicants interviewed every month is bigger than no. of one month at backlog so offices cannot ever spend over 6 month in one month backlog. (unless its closed )
2- 2015 cases have been called for interviews !!!!!!!!!!! wow
3-cases are scheduled randomly as the old policy .-guess what theres no new policy in most offices NOT all
4- the bulletin itself is saying so didnt you notice this ”The approximations provided in the table are based on interviews scheduled during the listed month and future movement will be determined by each office’s caseload and resources” future movement will be determined by each office which is mean next month scheduling policy will be determined by each office which is gonna be RANDOMLY
PLEASEEEEEEEEE dont let people think that was a release of information because for most offices its not . sorry if i was agressive , just the truth
My experience contradicts what you are saying. Most of our cases are in Arlington, and we have found the bulletin to be accurate. We do have a number of cases in other offices across the country, and – as far as we can tell – it seems pretty accurate for those offices as well. However, there are a lot of cases that are interviewed and the interviews are not reflected in the bulletin – unaccompanied minors, short list cases, expedited cases – and so it can be a bit confusing.
i agree Jason , there’s 4 offices working with the new policy : Arlington , newyork , San Francisco , Newark . the rest is not believe i have talked to a lawyers at these offices beside lawyers have talked with ppl in these offices . i have been told theres cases from 2015 been scheduled . the logic they said ( we are addressing the backlog slowly while working in new cases as well ) so thats why there’s no difference in bulletin since april . although i wish from all my heart that those 4 were working with new policy , beside its true that credible interviews consume some of the resources as well
Interesting – I had not heard that. I will be in a meeting with the Asylum Division next month, and (if I can remember – my brain is not so good), I will try to ask about that.
such a great article I hope they will apply them.
Gracias. Hope springs eternal…