Some asylum seekers file their applications and never receive an interview. Others are interviewed for asylum and never receive a decision. I’ve discussed the first problem–called the backlog–several times, but today I want to discuss the second problem. What happens to people who are interviewed for asylum, but then wait forever for a decision?
I’ve had a number of clients with this problem. They fall into a few broad categories.
One group are people from countries that are considered a security threat to the United States–countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Somalia. People from such countries are subject to more extensive—and thus more time consuming—security background checks. The security check process is very opaque, so we really don’t know much about what the government is checking or why it takes so long, and the length of the delay seems to have nothing to do with the person’s personal history (for example, I’ve had clients who worked in the U.S. Embassy in their country or with the U.S. military, and still the background check was delayed). To me, the security background check delays don’t make sense. If the person is a threat to the United States, allowing him to live freely here for months or years while the government investigates his background seems like a bad idea. Another aspect of the background check that does not make sense is that asylum seekers in court never seem to be delayed by security checks. Also, aliens seeking their residency in other ways (marriage to a U.S. citizen or through employment) don’t seem to have problems with background checks either. While the need for background checks is clear, the inordinate delays for asylum seekers is hard to understand.
Another group of people who face delays after the interview are people who may have provided “material support” to terrorists or persecutors. I have a client like this–he was kidnapped by terrorists and released only after he negotiated a ransom (which was paid by his relative). Had he not paid the ransom, his case would not have been delayed post-interview. Of course, had he not paid the ransom, he would have been killed by the kidnappers, so the point would probably be moot. I imagine that his case is subject to review by Headquarters, which again, seems reasonable. But why it should take 10 months (so far) and what they hope to discover through an additional review, I don’t know.
A third group of people whose cases are delayed are members of disfavored political parties or organizations. Such people might also be subject to the “material support” bar, but even if they have not provided support to persecutors, their cases might be delayed.
A final group are high-profile cases, such as diplomats and public figures. When such a person receives asylum (or is denied asylum), there are potential political ramifications. Again, while I imagine it makes sense to review such cases at a higher level, I am not exactly sure what such a review will accomplish. The law of asylum is (supposedly) objective–we should not deny asylum to an individual just because her home government will be offended–so it is unclear what there is to review.
These delays are particularly frustrating given that decisions in asylum cases should generally be made within six months of filing. According to INA § 208(d)(5)(A)(iii), “in the absence of exceptional circumstances, final administrative adjudication of the asylum application, not including administrative appeal, shall be completed within 180 days after the date an application is filed.” Unfortunately, the “exceptional circumstances” clause is the exception that swallows the rule. These days, everything from backlog to background check to Asylum Office error seems to pass for exceptional circumstances. I know this is not really anyone’s fault–the Asylum Offices are overwhelmingly busy, but it is still quite frustrating.
Indeed, I have had clients waiting for more than two years (two years!) after their interview, and the asylum offices can give us not even a hint about when we will receive a decision. The worst part about these delays is how they affect asylum seekers who are separated from their families. I’ve already had a few clients with strong claims abandon their cases due to the intolerable wait times. The saddest case was an Afghan man who recently left the country, two years after receiving a “recommended approval.” The client had a wife and small children who were waiting in Afghanistan. After he received the recommended approval–in 2012–we were hopeful that he would soon receive his final approval, and then petition for his family. After enduring a two-year wait, during which time first his child and then his wife suffered serious illnesses, the client finally gave up and returned to his family. This is a man who worked closely with the U.S. military in Afghanistan and who has a very legitimate fear of the Taliban. In his case, we would have been better off if the Asylum Office had just denied his claim–at least then he would have known that he was on his own. Instead, he relied on our country for help, we told him we would help, and then we let him down.
Delays after the interviews seem to affect a minority of applicants, and they have not garnered as much attention as the backlog. However, they can be just as frustrating and never-ending as backlogged cases. At the minimum, it would be helpful if the Asylum Offices could provide some type of time frame for these people, particularly when they are separated from family members. As DHS struggles to deal with the backlog, I hope they don’t forget about those who have been interviewed, but who are also stuck waiting.
Hello Jason,
I have a question. if a daughter is over 21 years old , has she right to file form I-601 for her father if he gat deportation out to USA for 10 years?
Thank you
She can file an I-130 to petition for her father, but if the father needs a waiver, he would file the I-601 for that. Talk to a lawyer about whether the waiver is needed and how to file it. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I have filed my asylum application in Aug 2015 recently interview for the asylum claim about 5 weeks ago, does my filing time counts towards my claim if I will chose to file mandamus after 3 months completed and will not hear anything from USCIS? I was reading some details for the asylum process which mentions that case should be resolved with in six months, but I’m not sure how it implements into my scenario,
Your suggestion would be appreciated sir,
and also wanna mention that I have done inquiry and they were ignorant about it and some how I’m sensing that they want to drag this into months or years which I don’t want them to do that again.
Will wait to hear from you.
Thank you.
I do not know that it matters. You can complete your “due diligence” – inquiring about a decision with the asylum office, maybe filing a USCIS Ombudsman inquiry and a Congressional inquiry, but once you have done all that, if there is no decision, you can file a mandamus. I do think the suit would list the complete wait time (6+ years), as that would be good for the judge to know, but you will have to decide how to approach the lawsuit when and if that time comes. I wrote a piece about post-interview delay on June 2, 2021 that may be helpful and that has links to the different places where you can inquire before you file a mandamus suit. Take care, Jason
Thank you for your great response, I have called USCIS today and told them that I might consider mandamus law suit in next 8 to 10 weeks if still didn’t get my decision that caught their attention and they told me we are working on it but it definitely change the operator attitude on phone and he was being nice after listening that.
It was nice talk and now I will wait two more months and will see how things go.
Thank you very much again.
Please let us know what happens – Good luck, Jason
Surely I will,
Thank you!
Hi Jason as we have talked few weeks earlier about getting a decision and very fortunately I have received the decision, IT IS A GOOD NEWS!!!
They have grant me indefinitely.
Asylum Filed in Aug 2015
Interview Nov 8 2021
Approved Dec 7 2021.
Have a nice Weekend sir!
Excellent – Congratulations and thank you for sharing. There was a post from last week that may be of interest to you. Take care, and best of luck in the USA! Jason
Hello,
I had my asylum interview in January 2019, and since then I am waiting for my decision. I did a couple of inquiries myself and I also asked our Congressman to inquiry. In January 2018 they mailed me asking about all my original documents, I gave everything they asked for and still no decision. About two months ago the Congressman received an answer from them saying that the review about my case was complete, but I still did not got any decision sadly. It had been more then two years since my interview. What do you think it’s taking so long for them to give me a decision? Even if they told the congressman that the review about my asylum case is complete still nothing. What can I do to receive this decision?
Thank you
I would copy the letter or email from the Congressperson, email it to the asylum office, and ask about the case. You can find their email if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. You could also try going in person to ask, but bring the letter from the Congressperson. Maybe it will help. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I have a question regarding the delay of my asylum decision. I have been waiting fo asylum decision for 1year and 3 months now. I was reading your post published on october 21, 2014 regarding the groups of people whose decision may take longer. I dont belong to any of those groups. I am from a country that is not a threat to the US or any of the other groups. I have emailed the asylum office in chicago and they said that the decision has not been made and they will mail me the decision once it has been made. Is there any other reason other than the one you listed why my asylum case maybe taking longer? Does how long the decision take have anything to do with which city i live in or your status before you applied for asylum (I had F1 visa)?Is there anything else i can do to speed up the processes?
Thank you so much
I have never seen any statistics about the length of time for a decision at the various offices, or based on a person’s prior status, so I do not know. However, from my own cases, I do not see any real difference in wait times based on those reasons. Sometimes, the reason for the delay is completely unrelated to anything – maybe the asylum officer changed jobs and failed to finish the case, and now it is languishing. Or maybe it is the security background check, which seems (to me) to be somewhat random in terms of the wait times. Besides making inquiries with the asylum office, you can also inquire with the USCIS Ombudsman – a link is at right. If all else fails, you can try a mandamus lawsuit. We did a post about that on October 2, 2018. Take care, Jason
Hi sir,
I am 10yr green card holder thru Ashlee and I am thinking to going to Thailand (not my home town)for plastic surgery. If I go to Bangkok and stay there for 1 month and back to USA is there any problems on the airport or should I have to face immigration? I was just worried. Can you help me please sir?
I have 3 children and and they are us citizens , I am planning to go Thailand with them and spend vacation time and also for plastic surgery.is there any problems if I come back at the airport?
Travel of a month should not be a problem, though you should have a Refugee Travel Document, as that is safest (available at http://www.uscis.gov). If you are outside for 6 months or more, you should talk to a lawyer before you go. Take care, Jason
I also did my asylum interview on 1st May 2017 (one year seven months). No response and I wrote to the immigration in Chicago. They just told me to dtill wait. I’m really exhausted of waiting while my family is also tired of waiting in my country. Need some advice
You might try a mandamus lawsuit. We did a post about that on October 2, 2018. Take care, Jason
Hi Mr Jason
I was interviewed last year 2 times for my asylum case. The first interview in March 2017 and the second one in September 2017. I was a minor at the time of the first interview.
On my second interview, the officer kept my originals ,she told us they will mail it back with the approval letter.
Still then I never received a decision. Almost a 1 since the second interview. What can I do? Because with my status I can’t even go to school, what kind of life is this?
How long does it take for them to give an answer?
Thank you
You should email them or go there in person to inquire. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Maybe start with an email. Keep it short, but mention that they have your originals and you need those to attend school. If that does not work, if you can, try to go in person to ask (check their website for office hours), and if the receptionist cannot help you, ask to speak to a supervisor about your originals. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
My husband applied for asylum in Chicago and we got scheduled for interview. We went to have the interview and after seeing our case they refused to hold the interview; because my husband come here with visa waiver and he overstayed the visa…they said it’s gonna send us to immigration judge.A month past and we didn’t get an answer yet…do you think there’s a chance for a second interview? Or it’s sure that we go to judge? And if we go to judge can you approximate how much time it’s gona last this process…
Thank you!
People who enter the US using a visa waiver must file for asylum within 90 days of arrival (I think – the I-589 instructions talk about this, and you would have to double check, as I am not sure). So probably that is why they are sending the case to the judge. You can use your husband’s Alien number and call 800-898-7180. Enter the Alien number and the system will tell you your next court date (if it is scheduled). The wait time for the first hearing is unpredictable – it depends on the court and the judge. Usually, it is a few months. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I had first interview 09-16, after that 09-17 they request stock interview , I didn’t go with my husband, we was in bad relationship that moment, now we are back and fort, but still nothing from USICE :-(. Please respond
You can contact the asylum office to inquire about the case status. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Take care, Jason
Hello, I have been on the wait for my fiancee, since 2016 bcs am in Nigeria, but bcs he has no document to come to Nigeria and get me married, so he seek for asylum, the last one he seek for was September 2017
, his lawyer went for him, and gave him feed back that he will get decision in 4 months time, but till now he hadn’t gotten any decision about his asylum status, what could be wrong?
Such delays are common – he can inquire with the asylum office to ask for an update. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason
Can you tell us about the decisions for asylum-interview throw last year, they are going with more delay? I hear many people wait about two years to get result can you give us statistical review for last 3 or 2 years about the asylum decisions it will be helpful i saw you made one in 2015 or 2016 if can you help us with a new one
Regards
I have not seen any statistics from the asylum office about average wait times after the interview. It would be good to know, but it would not help much in an individual case, since post-interview wait times are so variable. Take care, Jason
I think I read this specific article many many times. Since most of the people here were waiting for their decision. I ‘d like to share my story.
I applied for Asylum in the beginning of 2013, and I have my interview in mid 2016, and today I got my approval.
I just want to advise everybody to tell the truth and to be honest with your story and to ask for help from a good lawyer. I was lucky enough to find an NGO with great two attorneys worked with me for free. It has been more than 5 years since I have submitted my case. I’d like to thank Jason for his wisdom and time and for sharing them with the asylum seekers. One sentence I always repeat after I read it on one of Jasons articles” live your life as if you are going to win your case.” I totally agree. if you are going to just wait life will be extremely difficult.
Congratulations again. I must admit that it is easy to give such advice, but I do not know whether I could follow it myself. Best of luck in the USA, Jason
Thanks Jason,
Yes, I followed your advice. I gradually get a good job,bought a house and finished my higher education.I confess it was hard to forget about the asylum case ,but I kept myself busy.
T.C.
I had an interview on march 2018 and have been told that I should be getting a decision within 4 weeks and after it passed the 6th week I contacted the the san Francisco asylum office and I was told my case is under additional review. How long does it usually take for additional review? what is the minimum and longest time it could take ?
There is no way to predict – it could be decided to today, or it could take many months (or longer). If you have no news in 60 days, I would contact them again. Most cases are resolved in a few months, so hopefully you will get a good result soon. Take care, Jason
Well today June 11. After 3 months of wait . I got my approval letter. I’m so thankful. It took 2 years and 8 month for the whole process. I was scheduled to be interviewed just before they changed it to the new system where they interview new comers first. I’m so grateful .
Congratulations and welcome to the USA! Take care, Jason
Hello,
I did my interview in 10/21/2014 it’s been Alamo’s 4 years and I haven’t heard anything from USICS. I work and go to school now. I’m from Iraq and I have send them emails about it and it always comes back we are waiting for background check. I did my interview alone no lawyer no nothing. What should I do? Any recommendations? Thank you!
Try contacting the USCIS Ombudsman – a link is at right. You might also go in person to the asylum office to inquire (check their website about hours for such inquiries). If nothing else works, you can file a mandamus lawsuit – but talk to a lawyer about that first. You can find the asylum office contact info and website if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
I took my interview on 1st May 2017 in Chicago Asylum Office. Apparently, the officer looked satisfied and told me the response would be mailed to me. I took a further step asking the immigration about the outcome of my interview through an Ohio Senator and the response was to wait two more months, which have also elapsed. Till now I haven’t heard from the immigration in this matter and I’ll realise one year on 1st May 2018. What can you advise me to do?
Contact the asylum office and inquire about the case. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. After that, you can try the USCIS Ombudsman – a link is at right. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
I hope you are doing well.
My friend is Asylum seeker. He had an interview in April 2017, but it is still pending and he hasn’t gotten the result so far. his girlfriend is out of America. She got admission to the university and she will come to America in the Fall. they wanna get married. Can he apply for her as a wife as soon as she comes here?
Thanks
If his case is still pending and they marry, she can be joined to the case. Ask the local asylum office how to do that. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Then, if he is granted, she should also get asylum. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Thanks for the response. He is not granted so far. If he granted before she arrives here and after that they get married, she still must apply for asylum or it is not necessary? Because she does not want to be asylee. because she does not have any problem in their country and sometimes she wanted to come back her country to visit her family. Can my friend get married to her without applying asylum for her?
Thanks
They can marry and not apply for her asylum status, but she will have to find some other way to stay in the US. If they are legally married before asylum is granted, she should be eligible to obtain dependent asylum status. With that, it may be possible to return to the home country, but she should talk about the specifics of the case with a lawyer to be sure it will not cause problems. Take care, Jason
My inter done 6 March
My decision date 21 March but that day here snow fall mthey told me dnt need to come they mail me decision but still I dnt received decision what can I do pls tell me
I would wait a few weeks for the mail. If you do not get it, contact the asylum office (email is probably best) to ask. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hello, Jason
I had an interview on November 2017 and was told that they will send the decision via mail in two weeks and never received it. Do you think I can contact them ( if there are anyways to call them) and find out the reason why my decision is delayed?
Thank you!
Hello, Jason
I had my interview on November 2017 and I was told that they will send the decision via mail in two weeks and never did. Do you think I can contact them ( if there anyway to call them) and ask why the decision is being delayed?
Thank you!
I usually email the asylum office, but you can call or go in-person. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
I interviewed 4years ago . And i still waiting ….
I really need to see my familly and i dono why Trump ban iranian people if he has problem with that regime .
Im getting old.
Maybe you can try to meet them in a third country by using Advance Parole. I wrote about that on September 11, 2017. Also, you might consider a mandamus lawsuit in your case, since you have been waiting a long time. Talk to a lawyer about the specifics of your case to see whether that is appropriate. Take care, Jason
I did my interview on Oct 20 , 2017 , the told me to assylum office on Nov 2 , 2016 to receive the answer , I did and recived letter said “assylum recommended approval” and the final approve will be after background and security check . Now over 5 months difnt receive any mail from them, two days ago I sent them email to enquiring about my application status, they replied “ Your case is undergoing final review prior to a decision being finalized. We are unable to estimate how long the review might take. When it is completed, your final decision will be served to you by mail”
My question is what is thier answer give any signs that they will send me somthing nearly? and if not how long do u think it will take more? Is thier any thing I can do it ?
There is probably nothing you can do. I think their answer does not tell you anything. Most people wait less than 6 months, but some wait much longer. Maybe give them another 60 or 90 days and if there is no final decision, make another inquiry. Theoretically, you could take steps towards a mandamus lawsuit, but that seems very premature and may also risk a bad outcome (for a mandamus case, if the security check is not finished, the asylum office may deny the case). Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I had my interview last year in August, i am still waiting the decision. Now i am applying for University to do my masters, what if they deny my case? I will be able to continue my Masters degree or not?
Thank you in advance.
If you have a valid student visa, you can. Also, if your case is referred to court, you would keep your EAD and should be able to continue in school until the case (and any appeal) are finished. Take care, Jason
Hello, Jason.
Wondering if you’re aware what this answer from USIC may mean in terms of our assylum case that hasn’t been granted since the interview in Jan 2016:
– Desicion will be mailed when resources permit.
We’ve received a lot of other reasons like case in pending or under security check. But this time they sent us this text and we have no idea what did the resource mean and what kind of the resources they need to mail it.
Thanks
I don’t know either. It sounds like another standard reply, but I really don’t know. Hopefully, you will get some good news soon. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I had my asylum interview January, 2017 and still waiting fir my decision. In December after a year of waiting they sent me a letter requesting the original documents that were attached to my case, I submitted them and after 3 more weeks they requested some additional documents from my country and I submitted rhem also. But I still did not receive any news regarding my decision😒. How do you think, this will last long for them to give me a decision? It seems that this nightmare never ends
It is a good sign that they asked you for documents – at least they are working on your case. But we cannot predict when the decision will come. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason,
Do you think that it is a good ideea to make an inqury with the asylum office to see if they have dome updates about my case, 3 months after they request otiginal documents?
Thank you
I think that is fine. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
So I went today to inquiry at the Asylum office and they told me that my case is still pending becouse the officer still did not made her decision😫. They also told me that my background check is ready long time ago, the only problem is that my case is still sitting into the officer desk and she needs to make a decision. I told her that I’m waiting for more than a year and she smiled and told that some people wait for 5 years, and added ,, just wait and enjoy your time’’😱😱How to enjoy my time with this waiting interesting… So do you think that it is really possible that this is rhe problem? It’s thery strange that she needs so many time just to say yes or no. After she requested all my original documents and some additional ones in december I really thought that soon I will receive my decision🙁
I guess that is possible, but normally, the officers make decisions quickly. Also, I am never sure how much the front desk people actually know about the cases. Here, it is obvious that the person does not really understand the harm these long waits cause on asylum seekers, and whether she knows the reason for the delay in your case, I am not sure. Maybe you want to send a short letter to the officer explaining about the hardship you are suffering due to the wait. Or maybe you want to send a letter to the director of the asylum office and ask about the delay. I am not sure whether this would help, but you could try. Take care, Jason
hi
my asylum request was denied almost a year after they interviewed me !!
I then sent them a rebuttal and every time I send them an email enquiring about the status of my rebuttal they answer the following: ( WE ARE STILL WORKING ON SECURITY BACKGROUND CHECK )
few days ago they asked me to visit certain center to do fingerprinting and biometrics
my question is:
is this a good sign that my case is approved or not necessarily?
Thank you
I do not understand the question. Was the case denied? If it is pending and they sent you a fingerprint notice it may (or may not) mean that a decision is coming soon. Sometimes, people do get the decision after that, but not always. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I’m here in the USA since 2014 together with my family.We had our interview last year in may but until now we never received any answer form USCIS.I don’t want to call them about my case I’m just patient waiting on them.
I have a question to ask.Can you please tell me if with a work permit i’m allowed to go to study(university) here in the USA?
You should be able to, but it may depend on the university. We have many clients who attend university while their cases are pending and they have an EAD. Take care, Jason
Hi sir I’m living with my partner we were both student we made a asylum claim 2016 27 September then i received interview after my screening 6th feb 2017 we missed appointment because my son born with c- section but i had told them we can’t come for interview then they send inter after 1 year 12 the January 2018
Caseworker said we will send your decision with in 3 to 4 weak but 7 weak has been strat but not response yet can you plz tell us how long they usually take for decision ? End of the interview they asked do you want to give us permission to compare your wife interview and want decision toghter I’m so worried can someone share your experience?
It may take them time if they are comparing notes from two people’s cases (you and your partner). That may be the reason for the delay, but we do not know. You can contact them and inquire about the decision. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. As for the length of delay after the interview, it is not predictable. Some cases are fast; other take a long time. Some take years, but that is not so common. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
A week back I was told by CIS Ombudsman that USCIS has issued a decision for my petition and they are closing my case. I also Newark Asylum Office and the lady on phone told me that they have granted a decision.
But 2 days back I got a reply from Newark office regarding my query and they said that its still under review by officer.
Does that make any sense? Should I call them again and find out if they gonna send me my decision in mail?
It does not make sense, but a lot of things they do don’t make sense. You can call or email them, or go in person to ask. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thanks Jason,
I do not know if its ok to bug them just after 15 days 🙂 May be I should call them next week !!!
We try not to bug them too often. Mostly because it does not accomplish anything and we are busy with other things. I don’t think you should bother them too often, but it is up to you. Take care, Jason
I had my asylum interview 8 years back but still no response. What can I do?
Contact the asylum office and inquire. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Also, contact the USCIS Ombudsman – a link is at right. If none of that works (and I’m guessing it won’t, but you should try anyway), you might talk to a lawyer about filing a mandamus lawsuit. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Thank you for your response. Have you ever heard such a scenario before? Do you think filing a mandamus lawsuit will have a positive outcome? If I proceed with the lawsuit do you think I will get a quick response?
Thank you for your time and professional advice in advance.
I have heard of people waiting years without a decision. A mandamus might help, but you would need to talk to a lawyer about the specifics of the case before you filed that, to be sure it is the best path. Try the other inquiries first. You never know, they may help. Take care, Jason
Thank you for the helpful advice Jason. Will act accordingly.
Hi Jason,
Been reading your blog in a daily routine, it always cheers me up, I did my interview on June 2016 at Chicago office and never heard from them since then, but I kept checking with them every month, previously every time they told me nothing but let me keep waiting, today I was told my case is delayed because of background check, it seems my case does not fit the conditions you wrote in this article, I wonder what can I do to move the case, appreciate for your time!
Hi Jason , me and my parents had two interview in june 2015 and july 205 they called us for our second interview and told us to bring our original passport and also testified my mom church pastor and told us decision will come in mail in 10 days .after that didnt heard any thing till we contact them again in 2017 through local congress women office with my dad dr papaer work as he had stroke .Answer they gave us was EXTENSIVE supervisory review is required for our case . 3 month after that in jan 2018 we three got letter from them staying that they will be runnign back ground check however they will use our previous biometric and we dont have to show up for any thing .is it good sign ?
There is no way to predict. I will say that it is very common for the officer to tell you that you will get a decision soon, and then it takes a long time. It would be far better if they did not do that. At least it seems that your case is moving along, so hopefully you will get a good decision soon. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason ,
I have again contacted asylum office through local congress women office and thats what they sent congress women office regarding my case ..
Thank you for your follow up email on behalf of your constituent,regarding Form I-589, Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records confirm that your constituent’s has been updated with a final decision and USCIS is scheduled to serve the decision via mail within the next 30 days. Please note we are not allowed to disclose decisions to any outside party until after it has been received by your constituent… Is this good thing mean decsion sounds positive ?
They do not say if the decision is good or bad, but it sounds like you should receive a decision soon. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason,
In case; i get denial on my asylum case, can I apply for change of status to student or business visa, being in US?
Unless you are in status (and asylum pending does not count – it would have to be an F visa or H1b or some other status that is still current), you would need to leave the US and your new status at an embassy overseas. This may or may not be possible – you would have to talk to a lawyer about the specifics of your situation. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason!
I applied for EAD card for the second time in June 2017, the expiration was August 31, 2017, but still did not receive the new card! the USCIS extend the old card for 180 days after the expiration date and my due date will be done in 2 months! is it normal to pending EAD card for 5 months after expiration date?
Unfortunately, this is becoming normal for renewals of EADs. You will probably get the new card soon, but you can call USCIS and inquire. You can find their number at http://www.uscis.gov. Take care, Jason
I got my card on January 14th.
Hi
My friend interviewed 18 months ago and no decision yet .
But two weeks ago they send him by mail that they need translation for one paper in the application what does it mean please
Maybe he forgot to translate the document, or maybe the translation is wrong. He should do what they ask and submit it. Hopefully, he will get a good decision soon. Take care, Jason
My interview July 2016. No decision yet till now. Recently I discovered a breast mass. I am depressed and extremely concerned not knowing what the future holds,can I write the local asylum office a letter explaining my psychological status? (my case is in headquarters review ).thx
Contact the local office and tell them. I suggest you also give them a letter from your doctor about the health problem. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thank you, dear Jason, for your legal supports,I had my asylum interview 7 months ago and did not get the decision! the government that I fear from is near to be overturned! my base for asylum was political and social! by changing the government my political base for asylum will be overed! if I be granted asylum in the near future and before the incident! will USCIS cancel my granted asylum an even if I granted green card USCIS will return me to my country?
You can contact the local asylum office to inquire about the status of your case. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Theoretically, if the government changes, the asylum office might want to re-interview you to determine whether you still need protection. In practice, they may not, as they may not be paying attention to changes in your home government. But of course, it would be better to get a decision sooner, if possible, so you can contact them and inquire. Take care, Jason
I did my asylum interview 7 months ago in Chicago. The officer told me that the result will come by mail. I’ve been waiting but unfortunately nothing has filtered so far. I’m wondering what is happening but I noticed that the interview was good
This is pretty common. You can email them or contact them by phone or in person to ask. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I had my asylum interview on January 5th, 2017 and I am still waiting for my decision. Today I received a letter from San Francisco asylum office in which they request all my original documents. What this suppose to mean, I will receive my decision or something is bad?
Thank you
At least it means they are working on your case. Maybe they have some question about a document, and they want to see the original. Hopefully, it is a good sign. Take care, Jason
Hi..
I had my asylum interview on October 2016..
And I had rescheduled for another interview on September 2017.. but 3 days of the second interview my lower had called me and told me that the asylum office has called her and told her that they had canceled the interview.. and they may make the decision within 2 week.. It’s been 3 months and I didn’t hear anything so far.. is that normal to the asylum office to make a cancellation for an interview by phone like that?!
Thank you
It could happen, but that is unusual. Maybe contact them (or better, have your lawyer contact them) and ask about the case status. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,thanks for your help,my friend is Syrian and she had an interview few days ago,she is out of status, and they gave her a mail out notice.As far as I know that they give a 14 days pick up notice if the person is out of status and sometimes they change it later on to mail out notice..So she is wondering why they gave her a mail out notice from the beginning? One more thing,do you think that if they want to deny,why they have to finish the security checks?In my opinion,if I want to deny someone,no need to do the security checks because it want change anything and it is just a time consuming for no reason. I appreciate your help.Thanks.
It is common to get a mail out notice from the beginning, especially for people from Muslim countries, and it does not indicate anything good or bad about the outcome. As for denials and security checks, you are trying to apply logic to the government process, and that rarely works. I do not now whether they complete the entire background check for someone who will be denied, but they might – and there could be a good reason for that. If the person is a criminal or terrorist, it would be good to know that whether or not the person is granted asylum. Take care, Jason
I had asylum interview about a month ago, but I did not receive the answer. In the interview, they told me to not come back to their office and they’ll mail me the decision. Is there any way to contact them so, I can check the status
Such delays are common, and I think it is not helpful to contact them too frequently – maybe once every 3 or 4 months. You can call, email, fax, send a letter or go in person. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have done my interviewed 3 months a go and no decision til now, but the officier gave me a document that says I will not come to the office and inquire my decision!!!! He also asked me to sign all the answered that I have mentioned with my intatition. Therefore, what do you think?
Thank for your help
I have seen people sign their interview notes in some cases. Usually, it is for people who were in the military or who have some human rights issues (maybe they belonged to a group the US does not like, or they were a prison guard, for example). I have not heard of officers giving the applicant a paper telling him not to inquire about the case. That is strange. Anyway, inquiring about the cases is not very useful, but if you feel the need to do so, maybe it is safer to show the paper to a lawyer before you do, just in case there is some problem. Take care, Jason
Hello,
I did my interview on 4/5/15 and still did not receive a decision, I am really in need to know because I have two kids I am taking care of.
You can contact the asylum office to inquire. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. If that does not help, try the USCIS Ombudsman – a link is at right, and it is discussed above. Finally, you can try a mandamus lawsuit – talk to a lawyer about that. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I came to US under J1 visa, then after few months I applyed for asylum. Now I got my granted asylum and waitting to apply for GC. My J1 status end while I am still pending asylum long time ago, do I need to apply for J1 waiver or the granted asylum will remove the 2 years return home , since the reason for my application at that time was I cant return home.
Thanks
I do not know if there is an official regulation about this, but in the past, we have had a number of J-1 visa holders win asylum and then get their GC. They did not need the J-1 waiver. USCIS has been getting more strict and trying to block people from getting immigration benefits, and so it is possible that this will change. But as far as I know, you should not need a waiver. Take care, Jason
Hi,
I had my interview about 3 months ago and still waiting for the decision. DO you recommend me anything to do or just be patient. Is there anyway to predict how long it will take to hear back the decision.
Thanks
There is no way to predict the wait time, but you can email or go to the asylum office to inquire about the case. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi,
I had my asylum interview,the interview didn’t went bad in my opinion , but the asylum officer told me I will get the decision by mail,she didn’t tell me to come and pick up after 2weeks as usual, when i asked her ,she told me to not worry about if that take time,that does’nt mean automatically a bad thing .
. Since right now I’m not in lawful status, is that an indented of denial? What should he except?
In my experience, this has no meaning in terms of the result. Whether it is a pick-up or mail-out, you cannot predict whether it will be a grant or denial. Take care, Jason