These days, I feel a bit like a broken record: Delay, delay, delay. It’s all I seem to write about (and what I spend much of my work day dealing with). But it is the big issue with asylum cases, both in the Asylum Office and the Immigration Court, and so it is on everyone’s mind. Today I want to talk about delay at the Asylum Office and what can be done about it.
Most recently, the Asylum Office changed its policy and is now interviewing old cases before new cases. This means that new cases will probably take one to two years before the interview. Previously-filed cases will be interviewed in the order that they were received by the Asylum Office. Our oldest backlog cases–filed in April 2013–have just been scheduled for interviews, so we are starting to see the effect of the new policy.
Anyway, let’s get to it. If your case is delayed, what can you do about it? There are several actions you can take to try to get a faster interview date. None of them is guaranteed to work, but–depending on your circumstances–some may be worth a try.
Short List: You can put your case on the “short list.” The short list is a list of people who will be contacted for an interview if another case is canceled. In my local Asylum Office (Virginia), there are approximately 250 cases on the short list. The Asylum Office interviews about 10 such cases per month, so the “short list” is not very short or very fast. When your name is called, you may not have much notice before the interview (for example, the Asylum Office could call you today and tell you to appear for an interview tomorrow). For this reason, when you put your name on the short list, your case should be complete and all documents should be submitted. This is particularly crucial if your Asylum Office–like mine–requires all documents to be submitted at least one week prior to the interview.
Once your name is on the short list, the Asylum Office will eventually contact you for an interview. In the event that you are called, but cannot attend, there is no penalty. However, your name will go to the back of the line, so probably you will not be called again for some time.
The bottom line here is that the short list may be a way to get an earlier interview date, but it is not all that fast. So it is certainly not a perfect solution. On the other hand, there really is no downside to putting your name on the short list, so if you would like to move your case faster, this is a good first step.
Request to Expedite: If you have a medical, family, professional, or other emergency or need, you can ask the Asylum Office to expedite your case. We have had mixed luck with this option. We’ve tried to expedite for several people where they had family members overseas who were facing problems. For most of these cases, the Asylum Office did not expedite, but for a few, it did. We were able to expedite a case where the client had cancer. We’ve also had luck expediting a case where the client needed to obtain status for professional reasons. In short, our success at expediting cases seems to have little relationship to the seriousness of the client’s problem.
If you want to expedite your case, you need to contact the Asylum Office and ask to expedite. You need to explain why you want to expedite and include some evidence–such as a doctor’s note–about the reason you want the case expedited. Again, we’ve had very mixed success with getting our clients’ cases expedited, but there really is no down side to trying.
Congress: You can contact your local Congressional Representative to ask for help with your case. You can find contact information for your local Representative here and for your state’s Senators here. Generally, in my experience, this option has not been effective at getting a faster interview date, but there is no harm in trying. If you have a U.S. citizen friend (or church group or other group) who can make this request for you, it may be more effective.
DHS Ombudsman: You can inquire with the DHS Ombudsman’s office about your case. This office exists to assist people who have problem cases. The Ombudsman’s website is here. I have a high opinion of the Ombudsman’s office, and they do want to help, but I think their ability to make cases go faster is very limited. I doubt they will be able to help make a case faster under ordinary circumstances. But perhaps if you have tried to expedite due to an emergency, and you have not had success, they could assist you.
Mandamus: You can file a Mandamus lawsuit against the Asylum Office. In a Mandamus lawsuit, you sue the Asylum Office and ask the Judge to order the Asylum Office to do its job (process your case). I have never done this, but I have heard about some applicants successfully suing the Asylum Office. Generally, the Asylum Office will not want to waste resources fighting Mandamus suits, so they might agree to process the case rather than fight the lawsuit. As I see it, the two downsides to this are: (1) There is not a strong legal basis to force the Asylum Office to process a person’s case. The regulations generally require asylum cases to be processed in less than six months, but there are broad exceptions to this time frame, and the Asylum Office can rely on those exceptions to process cases more slowly. Although the suits may not be very strong legally, they can still succeed where the Asylum Office would rather interview the applicant than fight the lawsuit; and (2) It can be expensive to hire an attorney to process a Mandamus lawsuit. For applicants who can afford this approach, however, it might offer a way to make things faster (though it will surely not enamor you to the Asylum Office).
To learn more about your options, you may want to contact your local Asylum Office. Contact information about your office can be found here. There is no magic solution to delay at the Asylum Office, but I hope that some of these suggestions will be helpful. If you have had success with these or other ideas, please let us know.
Hi Jason
I received a letter from USCIS (Chicago office) on June 1st 2018 indicating that my name has been included to the list of cases to be expedited . Its over a month now and the reason I requested to expedite is getting worse. Can I request for shortlist? what do I do?
You can email them to remind them, but there are many people seeking to expedite, and they may just be doing the cases as interview slots become available. You can find their contact info/email if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Just wanted to ask the procedure for getting your self on the waitlist.
Thanks!
There is a short list, which not all offices have, or you can try to expedite (or both). Contact the asylum office to ask about the procedure for either. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have been trying to check my affirmative asylum application, carefully typing and double-checking my receipt mumber it always comes out that my number could not be recognized. Does that mean that my application is not yet on deck? I files my application with Arlington office last April 2 and had already been through the biometrics but up to now, I haven’t received notice for interview.
If you received the receipt and biometrics, you are fine. Asylum cases cannot be checked online. Take care, Jason
I filed in March 2017 and I applied for shortlisted interview given the new regulation in March 15th 2018 but no reply yet. I want to find out how this new regulation will affect me given that I filed March last year. Also you made mention about ‘expediting cases on March 30, 2017”. Does that affect me in any way. Lastly as at now what can I do if I have to do anything and I filed in Houston Office
I wrote a blog post on March 30, 2017 that talks about ways to expedite – that is what the date refers to. No one can tell you when a case from March 17 will be interviewed. Maybe others here who have cases in TX might mention when they filed and when they were interviewed, but the Asylum Office is not giving out such info. It has been 2 months since you asked to expedite, so you might want to contact the asylum office to follow up. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. If they refuse to expedite, you can try again, but there is not much else you can do. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason pls can someone change from asylum status if getting someone to marry
What you need to do depends on the case – whether it is with the asylum office or in court, or somewhere else. Talk to a lawyer about the specific situation for some help. Take care, Jason
Dear Sir, the processing of my asylum case has been delayed, As I am an religious scholar and a religious institution wants to sponsor me on R-1 visa. Is it possible to change my status and bring my family here soon? Hoping for guidance!
MH
If your only status in the US is asylum pending, you would probably have to leave the US to change status to R-1, and this may or may not be possible, depending on your case. If you have some other status here that is still current (B, F, H1b, etc), then you may be able to change status to R-1 without leaving. Talk to a lawyer about whether you can do it. Take care, Jason
Hero sir! Sir if a asylum seeker buy a busness in usa can america give him the green card or and can he permission to temporarily move the another country can he come back to the usa.. ??
It may be possible to get a GC that way, but it depends on the case – you would need to talk to an immigration lawyer who does business immigration. If you leave the US with asylum pending, you normally need Advance Parole to return here (I wrote about that on September 11, 2017), but again, it depends on the case. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
I’m applying EAD I-765 C-8 category for renewal.
I’m in Seattle. Last time my lawyer did for my. But now I want to apply with my self. So I’m not sure about address, where to file EAD. can you please send the address.
Thanks
Sorry, I cannot give specific info like that – if you go to the form web page at http://www.uscis.gov and check the direct filing addresses, you will see the address. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
I have filed my asylum applicant on April 2014, and it’s been pending wince due to the policy change that you mentioned in your post(in the order: older to newer case). According to the uscis bulletin on Jan 2018, uscis was scheduling interviews for people who filed on Jan 2014, so I was 3 months away from being interviewed. Unfortunately I just learned that the policy has changed couple of days ago and now uscis will interview the newer cases first, that means my case will be delayed again, not sure for how long. Thinking that I was so close to get my interview after 4 years of wait and I might now have to wait another couple of years, I am so desperate and heartbroken. Do you think there is something I can do to get an interview faster? Will uscis take into consideration the 4 years that I have been waiting for an interview? Please help me. Thank you
We really do not know how pending cases will be affected, or if they really will interview newest to oldest. I will write more about that when I have more info (hopefully next week), but the system to expedite is still in place, and so you can try that – I wrote about expediting cases on March 30, 2017. I would urge you not to lose hope, as we just don’t know enough yet. It may end up that things will be moving faster for cases like yours since they have re-arranged the priorities. Take care, Jason
hello every body
please do have any news from this catastrophic USCIS policy!?
I filled my application in March 2015 in Tx, my interview supposed be in March 2018, I folow the procider to expedate my case specialy I have an emergency, because my mother is sick(bilateral osteoarthritis) she can’t move without assistance, and I’m her only son, but they told me that the expedition process is blocked, the only solution for you is the short list, I accepted, but after 7 months i didn’t receive nothing,… additional to that this now USCIS policy killed me…
It’s too soon to know how the policy will work, but certainly if you filed in 2015, you will have a long time to wait if you cannot expedite or do the short list. I do not know a lot about the TX office – we have short listed someone there, and we also tried to expedite her case, but they were non-responsive (so far). I am surprised that they do not have an expedite process, as my understanding (from the director of the Asylum Division) is that all offices have an expedite process. I would try to clarify this with the TX office, but if they cannot help you, maybe you could try moving to another office that does have an expedite process. That will take time, and there is no guarantee that a case will be expedited, but you could try. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
my mother has her asylum application submited by Jun 2015, Houston office is still processing 2014 cases.
recently my mother was diagnosed with cancer and trying to get treatment, with her pending case is almost impossible to get any health plan. to make it even worse, medicaid granted her a plan, and when she started her chemotherapy, medicaid realized that she cannot have such plan as she is on a pending asylum case. so they revoked it!
now we are trying all the above-mentioned suggestions as stopping her medication and cancer plan is currently life threatening more than her fleeing from her country.
we contacted the Congress and sent a request for expedition.
any suggestions for immigration or even health institutions will be much appreciated.
many thanks
I wrote about requesting an expedite request on March 30, 2017. If you already submitted the request (with evidence of her health issues), contact the asylum office to follow up, or go in person to ask. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. If they denied the request, you can try again. We once had to try three times before the asylum office agreed to expedite. Take care, Jason
My application have been queued for scheduling since I filed it in Apr 2015, the Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin shows that Newark Asylum Office was -in December 2017- dealing with cases filed between March and September 2015. My wife is negotiating a job offer at the moment and the job requires traveling abroad, if the case is not finalized soon she might lose an opportunity she has been looking for a very long time. Do you think this is considered as a professional reason to ask for expediting the processing of my case?
You can try – I wrote about that issue on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you so much for offering us an incredible source of reliable information in times of uncertainty!
My spouse and I applied for asylum on July 2013. We both are Ph.D. students in a valid status till 2020. We did all what we could to expedite our case but nothing happened until March 2017 when we had our interview at the Boston Asylum Office. The interview lasted for 6 hours. It’s been more than 10 months since we had our interview and more than four years and six months since we filled our application and we are still without any decision!
I am not sure about our next step (filing FOIA or Ombudsman, or Mandamus). Next year we both will be in the job market. We are Syrians and according to the last version of the travel ban, Syrian and North Korean nationals are banned outright, so no work or student visa will be issued.
Without a decision, we continue to live under uncertainty and instability and we might lose any future academic opportunity because of our status. Furthermore, our passports are expired now and we are so tired as we miss our families (we did not see them since 2012 and they US embassy denied their visa application).
I am not sure if we should start considering Canada, but we don’t really know what we should do or how to proceed amid this uncertainty (especially now)? (our lawyer’s advice is always: ” you should wait”)
Over the last 4 years, we placed 6 congressional inquiries. Last time was on November and the response was slightly different as they added a new sentence “…USCIS is committed to adjudicating immigration benefits in a timely and efficient manner while also ensuring public safety, national security and compliance with all relevant directives. While the processing steps for most applications are completed quickly, a small percentage of cases involve unresolved issues that may result in adjudication delays.”
I know from your previous posts in the past, that this language could be generic, but it’s different from their response to my previous inquiry on July (after the interview) in which they confirmed that the “case is being reviewed and is pending a final decision at this time” but nothing was about security or public safety etc.
Any advice is highly appreciated!
Thank you
I can tell you that we recently had a Syrian family’s case approved after a fairly long wait (I can’t remember how long, but it was probably between 6 and 18 months), so there is still hope. Also, you should check with a lawyer, but I do not think the travel ban would block you from changing to a new status in the US (for example, H1b, EB1 or EB2). You can inquire with the USCIS Ombudsman – a link is at right. I think they are not great, but there is no harm in trying. Only after you do that, can you try a mandamus lawsuit, so you may want to do the Ombudsman in query in anticipation of a mandamus (talk to a lawyer about the mandamus). Finally, I think the language is boilerplate – we see that too on some inquiries, and I think they added it to show how security conscious they are being (though, of course, that is BS – I have talked to several asylum officers and everyone tells me the background check process is the same as always). Good luck, Jason
Thank you so much for your prompt response, Jason! I will take your advice and consider a Writ of Mandamus as a last resort. I might do a FOIA request first to get all the information that all immigration agencies have on me, then Ombudsman, and finally a Mandamus.
You can try Ombudsman without getting the FOIA result, as FOIA may take several months. If you get some relevant info, you can always present it to the Ombudsman later. Take care, Jason
Thank you, Jason!
UPDATE/ A New Congressional Inquiry (Feb.5)/
Hi Jason.
I just received an email from my Congressman’s representative who also called the Asylum Office yesterday trying to get more substantive information.
The language is different once again, the part about “ensuring public safety, national security etc” (my previous post) was replaced with “The case is under supervisory review and may require a more extensive review.” I am not sure whether this is a good sign or bad one. Does that mean I might expect another interview or does the new sentence mean the security background check is done? What do you think? Should I try Ombudsman or I have to wait a bit? Thank you so much!
I think you can’t read to much into these responses – they essentially all mean that there is no decision yet. I see no harm in contacting the Ombudsman, though I doubt that will get you a satisfactory response either. However, it is a necessary step if you are moving towards a mandamus lawsuit. Take care, Jason
Thanks a lot Jason! I will contact the Ombudsman.
Hello, I had my asylum interview for I-589 March 10,2017. I have not receive anything! I applied for Employment card in December .. I was denied because I am not eligible under the category (c8) . It goes on to telling me according to their record my asylum was approved on March 10,2017 ! So I don’t have a pending case . What should I do?
Hopefully, it is good news. Contact your local asylum office and ask about the case. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thanks mr jason, my question is how long does it take to get a notification when you apply for Asylum
You should have the receipt in 3 or 4 weeks from the time you mail it. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I did reschedule my interview because i was waiting document part of my case, it has been more than 3 month i ididn’t get any mail about for how long it is rescheduled…what do you recommend me.
Contact them again. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Normally, a reschedule request only takes a month or two. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have got a warning letter that I didn’t show up for my interview in the asylum office. Actually I didn’t receive my interview letter and when I asked in the post office they told me it has been lost. The warning letter says I should send a good reason why I didn’t come or they will send my case to the court!
I just sent to them more than 1 week ago, through mail and email, about what happened to me and I heard nothing back.
What do you recommend Jason? Should I ravel to the office?
Make sure that they have your updated address – using form AR-11, available at http://www.uscis.gov. You can also email them and tell them that you did not receive the first letter and that you plan to attend the interview. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason for your reply,
I just got an email from the asylum office saying that the interview will be rescheduled in the future when their resources permit!!
this was similar to their regular reply to my previous emails when I was trying to expedite my case. I am afraid that it will take long time again to get me an interview. I was waiting for this interview because an urgent situation I have and they accepted my expedite but unfortunately things didn’t go in the right way!!
do you recommend me to travel to the office and try to explain the situation for them again?
When cases are rescheduled in this manner, usually, it is only a few week delay. It is up to you – you might want to wait a few weeks to see if you get a new date. Normally, going there does not help, but it shouldn’t hurt either, so it is up to you. Good luck, Jason
Thank you Jason, If it usually takes few weeks I can wait.
Again, Thank you so mcuh
Helo sir
Immigration transfer my case in immigration court NY immigration court giving date 19 months.. How many hearings in immigration court NY. And how many processing time for dicision.. I applied asylum after 3.5 years
In most asylum cases in court, there are two hearings – a Master Calendar Hearing (mostly a scheduling conference) and an Individual Hearing (where the judge hears your case and makes a decision). Sometimes, people have more than two hearings, but it depends on the case and the judge. The time frame really depends on the judge – it could be a few months or a few years. After you go to the first hearing, you will have the date for the final hearing. Take care, Jason
HELLO Jason
i applied for asylum in Beijing and the UN OFFICE there granted me asylum.i got admission in Canada to continue my studies.according to Canadian immigration in respect to what i search online, i need to be refereed by the UN OFFICE here. when i emailed them they told me they have no issues pertaining to further my career in Canada. what exactly can i do now? im really confused. i have family in Canada so i don’t know if they can invite me?
I am in the US and do not know about this – you need to talk to a lawyer in Canada. Take care, Jason
Hi jason2 days ago I was in immigartion court ,individual hearing ,and my case was approved ,I got cancelation of removal ,fortunatly .my question is how can I apply for my green card now?
And my case is belong to 2103 ,does my green card will issue to that date or not ?
Thanks
They should have provided you with instructions about the next step at your hearing. If you have a lawyer, you should ask the lawyer. Otherwise, you can try to ask the DHS Office of the Chief Counsel – a link is at right. Take care, Jason
Hi, I have a asylum pending application. I filled for asylum from Florida, I have moved to Chicago, where should I send ar11. I am confused, which service center should I send it?
You can report a change of address online at uscis.gov website https://egov.uscis.gov/coa/displayCOAInitForm.do
Also, call to a Florida asylum office to make sure they transferred Your case.
Good luck, Maryna!
Please email me if You speak Russian. I would like to chat with You. I also want to move to Chicago after 4 years of waiting for my interview in Miami. Just have a couple of questions about how’s everything in Chicago comparing to Florida.
Thank You!
My email is armlusine27@yahoo.com
You can file it on line. You can also send it directly to the Miami office by mail or email, if that was your old office. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
I’ve been waiting for my asylum interview almost 4 years. Miami, FL office is the slowest one. They still reviewing June,2013. It’s unacceptable. Is it any way I can go out of the country to visit my parents somewhere? Because, US embassy refused to open a visa for my parents several times. Thank You
You could apply for Advance Parole – I wrote about that on September 11, 2017, and that posting might help you. Take care, Jason
Jason,
Thank you for the incredible work you’re doing.
I hope you can share your professional/personal opinion on my matter.
We were on a vacation in Florida when the war started in Ukraine. Our house was captured, we had nowhere to go back, and we consulted an attorney and filed for asylum. It’s been almost 3 years now, still pending. In the meantime, I see that ‘officially’ the situation in My country has gotten much better, they reformed police, got closer affiliated with Europe etc. this leads me to thinking that our case is no longer sufficient since the conditions in my country have changed.
1. Is this at all something Asylum Officers look at/consider when making a decision? I.e. “go back home, nothing threatens you anymore”.
2. We need to make some kind of a decision shortly, the whole not knowing seriously affects our child. We will sign up for the shortlist etc., BUT what if we move our case to a different office (we’re ready to relocate). Is there a chance we’ll get an interview faster (New York for instance). I’m asking as I head changing an office will take us to the very END of the line.
3. If we decide to drop our asylum case, file appropriate affidavit and return to our country- would we still be able to apply for a regular B1/B2 visa just to travel – how big are our chances of refusal?
Thank you immensely.
1 – Yes, they look at current country conditions. 2 – If you move to a new office, you keep your place in the queue, but there is some delay while the case is transferred to the new office. My guess is that if you are relatively close to your interview date, you are better off staying put, as moving does cause some delay (at least a few months). 3 – Whether you can come back if you do that, I do not know. It depends on whether the embassy thinks you plan to seek asylum again or otherwise violate the B visa. Other visas – such as the H1b and L – may be easier to get, as they do not care whether you plan to stay permanently in the US or not (even though they are temporary work visas). Take care, Jason
Thank you for the response!
We submitted our case Feb 2015. Our Miami office is looking at cases of May 2013, which means we are roughly 2 years behind. In New York hoewever, they’re looking st the cases of August-September 2015. Do you think us relocating there would hace us grt kur interview faster?:) sorry if this seems like a stupid question, I understand it may depend on different things…but generally – we can relocate within a month, would that help?
If the difference is that big between the two office, you might get an interview faster in NY, but of course, there is no way to know for sure. If you try it, let us know what happens. Take care, Jason
With all do respect, as an asylum applicant, I don’t understand why you want to drop your case and return your country? Haven’t you submitted your asylum because of fear of returning to your country? Thought it affect me as well, sometime I understand why Trump want to tightening the asylum process, because people like Anna, are playing they system and of-course playing with life of people like me who face danger on returning home. The sad part is she talking about it, like it is ok.
Sam, I would appreciate if you haven’t treated someone you don’t know as if they are cheating or ‘playing’ with the system. I do not want to go into details, but I personally have family emergency that needs MY presence, I’m hoping this can be resolved outside our country but I am looking at all kinds of options as I cannot ignore the emergency.
My mistake, I shouldn’t comment at the first place, what was I thinking.
You are right, I don’t understand your situation, so sorry for judging you. It feel angry, when i see people write that they want to return their country and write it as it is normal. I am sure the asylum office are monitor this site, can you guess what they thinking when they see people thinking returning home. It give bad image to all of us whose the safety of our life depends on it. Once again, sorry, I judge you without knowing the fact.
I have to agree with this. Sometimes, people do “play” the system, but other times, circumstances change and emergencies arise necessitating that people return to the home country, even if it is not safe. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I got in trouble with my EAD, I sent my application for 180 days but its status still is “case was received ”,by the way this is my third time to renew it. I called them several times and even asked help with Congressman but only got official answer …
We are seeing EAD renewals take 4 or 5 months or more. If you are outside that time frame, and the calls did not help, you can make an Info Pass appointment at http://www.uscis.gov and go in person to ask, and you can contact the USCIS Ombudsman for help – a link is at right. Good luck, Jason
hi jason,
how can i put my name in a short list ?? please help im staying in irving near dallas (TEXAS) and my receipt is ZHN…..which is HOUSTON SERVICE CENTER .
KIND REGARDS
Not all offices have short lists. You can contact your local office to ask about that. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Is it a must that an asylum hires an attorney to help file with USCIS?
No. I wrote about this issue on July 7, 2017 – maybe that posting would help you. Take care, Jason
Hi.
I searched for the post on July 7 2017 but couldnt find any.
Sorry – July 7, 2016. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have two questions regarding my long pending case.
1st Q: I applied for asylum in 2013, have done 2 interviews last one in may 2017 with no decision so far. What do you recommend in situation?
2nd Q: I have EAC valid until Nov 2018, if for some reason my EAC renewal application rejected or delayed, do you I have 6 months grace period after my EAC expiry date ?
Thanks for your help.
1 – There is not much to do. You can contact the asylum office and inquire about your case status. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. 2 – There is no grace period. There is an automatic extension of the old EAD once you file the new EAD, and that would permit you to keep working legally for another 180 days after your current card expires. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I applied for asylum,in March 2017,I have been interwied in May 2017,since then I didn’t get a answer yet.
Now they are new element about my case.my father I have been arrested again back home,and they are articles on the internet talking about it,they even talk about it at the radio in my country.
What can I do with this new element?
Hi can you please tell me where you did the interview which office? Best regards
you are really blessed you had your interview within 2 months woooooooowwww, which office is that please tell us .
kind regards
The Arlington office ,Virginia
How can it be. I have applied July 2015; tried short list and expedite( medical reason) , still waiting. I don’t understand it, what did you do to get such quick interview.
You can print the articles, and write a letter to the asylum office explaining what happened and tell them that there is new evidence in your case, and then you can mail, email, fax or hand-deliver it to the asylum office. Make sure that your Alien number is clearly written on the cover letter. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, my attorney told me that there are some cases in which people have obtain asylum without an interview… is that true? thanks
It is not true, except for certain dependents, and even most of them (except young children) have at least a short interview. The interview process is written into the regulations and is required for all principal asylum applicants. Take care, Jason
Ok thanks!
I need your help. I am so concerned about my case. I applied for asylum in September 2016 and got fingerprinted within a few weeks. However I still haven’t received any notice for the interview itself. I filed my case in Minnesota. My husband is still there in the country where I belong and his life is same in danger as mine. How can I expedite my case and bring him here forever. Please suggest me.
I think you will be interviewed in Chicago. You can see the schedule there if you check the Asylum Office Scheduling Bulletin – a link is at right. I did a post about expediting cases on March 30, 2017 – maybe that would help. Take care, Jason
Hi,
First of all I admire your dedication to your website and following up with questions quickly and efficiently.
My question is, I requested for asylym on Feb 2014 in Cleveland OH and still waiting for an interview and I am sick of it so I am planning to move to San Francisco hoping to get interviewed quicker, do you think this is a good idea or this will back fire on me and get delayed instead? Thanks in advance!
If you move to a new office, your case should be interviewed as if it was originally filed in the new office – there should be little or no additional delay (normally). Once you change your address (using form AR-11, available at http://www.uscis.gov), you can email the old and new asylum offices to make sure your case was transferred and that you keep your place in the queue. You can find their email addresses if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
hi
quick questions
i was interviewed on San Francisco office and at the end of interview she gave a receipt to sign and come back after 2 weeks to take a answer but before 2 days asylum office called my attorney and informed him not to come they will mail me the decision .is this normal ?
and how i can follow up with them ? and i want to make sure my address is correct
It is very common for this to happen (it occurs in over 50% of our cases where the officer initially indicates that the person can pick up the decision in 2 weeks). You can contact the asylum office and ask about your address, and also inquire about your case (though you should coordinate all this with your lawyer). You can find the asylum office contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
I really appreciate if you can share your timeline for san francisco
Hi,
I had my interview on March 24,and the asylum officer told me that she will recall me for another interview and kept my original birth certificate,told me that she Will return me that a the second interview.
I send the Arlington office a email to ask about the reinterview,and they told me that my case is pending for a decision,and the Will mail me the decision.
Now I don’t have any proof that I was at the interview because the asylum officer didn’t give me anything that prove that she interviewed me,now I have to file for my EAD.
Can that complicate my case?is it normal?
You should have your asylum receipt, and maybe your first biometrics receipt. Also, normally, at the end of the interview, the officer gives you a paper about how you will get your decision. Also, you have the email they sent you. All these could potentially be used when you apply for the EAD. Take care, Jason
Hello jason
I have a quick question to ask. I was recently granted an asylum and i am thinking of moving to ohio. Do i need to make change of address now.? Secondly, how do i change my restricted SSN? Do i need to make change of address prior to applyin for ssn? Can i applt for my unrestricted ssn in ohio? Please any help you would give me is helpful
Thanks
You are supposed to make the change within 10 days of moving (after you move). Use form AR-11, available at http://www.uscis.gov. As for the SSN, once you have the EAD (work permit), you should be able to change that. I suppose you can apply for the SSN wherever you are. It is federal and it should not affect whether you are in Ohio or some other state. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
If i am an aylum alicant in united states and go to another country never come back to united states,what will happen to my case?
thanks in advance!
Jean Roody!
Eventually, you will get a deportation order, which will make it much more difficult for you to ever return to the US. If you want to try to avoid that, contact the local asylum office and ask them to cancel your case. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thanks a lot Jason!
Hi Jason,
I need your help. I am so concerned about my case. I applied for asylum in April of 2014 and got fingerprinted within a few weeks. However I still haven’t received any notice for the interview itself. The office with jurisdiction over my case is Los Angeles. Could it be that my case got lost or because I never tried to expedite it, they might take a few more years to process it? I have applied for extending my EAD several times already. Please, advise…
LA is the slowest office in the country. You can see if you check the Asylum Office Scheduling Bulletin – a link is at right. My guess is that you still have some time to wait. You can ask to expedite, and I did a posing on March 30, 2017 that might help with that. Take care, Jason
Hi! I have a question. I applied for asylum in 2014, I’m still waiting for my interview, but my question is i moved from Seattle to Houston, that means my jurisdiction has changed , the thing is that I did not changed my address with the asylum office, I kept my Seattle address on file but I changed my address with uscis for EAD purpose. The reason why I kept my Seattle address is because San Francisco office is one of the best. Would that be an issue? Or is that conflicting? Thanks
It certainly could be an issue. If they think you are lying about your address, they might think you are lying about other parts of your case. Also, they might refuse to interview you and send the case to Texas. You are required to change your address if you move (using form AR-11, available at http://www.uscis.gov) and if you do not do that, it could have negative consequences for your case. Take care, Jason
I have filed an asylum application 3 years and 8 months ago, been interviewed for the first time after 7 months, inquired with ombudsman’s office, requested to expedite, contacted the congressman, and the result was I got a second interview after 2 years and 4 months from the first one. Recently I requested the FOIA from USCIS. There were two ” referal notice” among the papers in my FOIA , none of them was signed or dated. I didn’t receive any referral notice officially yet.
What are the options available to me right now ?
Interesting. You could file a mandamus lawsuit. You might also consult with a lawyer to look at the FOIA documents. Maybe if you can understand the problem with the case (from the asylum office’s point of view), you can submit additional evidence in order to convince them to grant. If not, at least you will have that evidence if you go to court. Take care, Jason
Hi,
I filed my asylum application with my daughter in September 2016 from Amherst Massachusetts.
My question
1. I don’t know under which jurisdiction is my asylum pending.
2. I want to short list my application. Don’t know how
3. If I leave states since it is taking a long time then will my daughter and husband be able to come to states in future for good.
Thanking you in advance for all the replies
1 – You can find the asylum office if you enter your zip code on the Asylum Office Locator – a link is at right. 2 – Contact the asylum office and ask to be put on the short list – you can follow the same link to find their contact info. 3 – I do not understand this question. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason ,I did my interview in San Francisco on June 5 and I still didn’t get a decision,recently my mom diagnose a cancer and she is in third countrie , how can I expedite decision? I’m so confused sometime I think leave and going to see mom please give me some advice how can I get my decision fast.thank you
Get a letter from your mother’s doctor about the cancer, and contact the SF asylum office to explain the problem. Maybe they can expedite the decision. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. You can also file for Advance Parole using form I-131, available at http://www.uscis.gov. That allows you to leave the US and return, but it may take 6 months to get it, and if your case is granted (or denied) in the interim, the Advance Parole will be useless. Take care, Jason
Hello
I’m 18 ,I field my asylum application when i was 17 ,on March 24,and got an interview on May 24 at the Arlington asylum officer, I didn’t have a lawyer ,only a interpreter because I’m not really fluent in English ,my interview was very long ;but I did my best to answer all the millions questions,I was really tired.
My mom was here before me,and she hasn’t been interviewed yet,but I don’t live with her, the asylum officer kept on asking me why I don’t live with her,but I’m already 18,is it a problem?
The asylum officer who interviewed me kept my original birth certificate and told me that my interview wasn’t finished,the office was closing, so,she Will mail me a new appointment for another interview and she will give me back my birth certificate at the second interview , but now it’s been almost July and I didn’t get anything yet is it normal? What can we do?
You do not have to live with your mother; that should not affect your asylum case. Also, “minor children” (under 18) are interviewed on a faster schedule, so that is why you got a quick interview date. I would go to the asylum office in-person or send an email to ask about finishing the interview. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hello jason
I have quick question to ask. After waiting 6 months after my second interview, my asylum office informed me that my case has been completed and that i will get a mail in a week or two. When i checked my asylum case using ZAR # today, it says as follows:
” We reveived your case and have waived the fee for your i765 form……”
Does that mean my case is granted? And one more thing i currently have a valid ead. Will they mail me another ead card with ZAR receipt number on it?
Thanks
Hi, Ben
Congratulations you are granted Asylum and you will get your grant letter, I 94 and EAD soon in the mail,
Welcome to ?? USA, Enjoy your freedom,
Regards,
I really appreciate if you can share your timeline,
Thanks
Thanks Maza. I really hope so. Here is my timeline:
Applied asylum: Feb 23 2013
First interview: september 17 2013
Second interview: january 5 2017
Asylum status changed to ead production: july 21, 2017
Regards,
It may be a good sign, but you can’t know for sure until you get the decision. If you are granted, they will send you a new EAD, but it should have your Alien number, not your ZAR number. Take care, Jason
Hi sir
I applied for asylum at January 23rd 2017. please I want to know when we will be called for interview.
Thanks very much.
Helen O.
No one knows that, but you can get an idea about it if you check the Asylum Office Scheduling Bulletin – a link is at right. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I literally learned about the shortlist and it worked for me.
But unfortunately, I totally missed it as they emailed it to my junk folder. I just found it today.
I remember that you mentioned that they would not give me a penalty. But, they would just put me back in line. When you said back in line, does it mean that my case will be further delayed that the initial wait duration before I was called to fill in the short-list?
Is it really true that there’s absolutely zero penalty for me to miss this four months ago?
I am also moving to New Mexico soon next couple of weeks so I guess I would not have the chance to be called in for the short-list (I believe it’s for those who lives locally near the office).
Would my move delay my case even though New Mexico is under the jurisdiction of Houston Asylum office?
Sorry but I just panicked after realizing that I totally missed out on the opportunity to be interviewed earlier.
Here’s the excerpt of the email they sent me to invite me for the “Short-List” interview:
We have one open interview slot available on 3/10/17 at 7:30 AM, at the Houston Asylum Office. Please advise no later than 10:00AM Monday morning (3/6/17) if you are able to accept this date and time.
Thank you,
Houston Asylum Office
16630 Imperial Valley Dr., Ste. 200
Houston, TX 77060
281-931-2100
Hi GT, I hope you find an answer with Jason, and I am sure you will. I have a question please, how much does it take since you sent to them asking for short list till you got that email?
Hi Alex, there’s no extra fee to send in a letter to ask for a short-listed fee. Please refer to your lawyer how to send it or perhaps Jason would probably know as well.
Thank you GT, I meant how many days does it take since you sent asking for short list till you got that email about interview?
It wasn’t days, it was about nine months.
To clarify, I filed the Asylum application on Feb, 2016.
Send a letter to request to include me in the short-list around June 2016. Got my EAD card in August 2016.
Got the short-list interview in March 2017.
Does that make sense?
I think you should email them and explain what happened. Maybe they can keep you on the short list and you can try again. It should not matter where you live. If they cannot (or you do not want an earlier interview any more), you can just continue waiting and be interviewed according to the Asylum Office Scheduling Bulletin – a link is at right. There is no penalty for missing the short list interview. Take care, Jason
Thank you for your help, Jason. Last night, I emailed them this. I hope it’s sufficient for me to be in the shortlist.
Good evening,
Literally, I just found this email in my junk mail a minute ago. I am apologize that I didn’t get the memo on time and get back to you.
Please keep me posted on the next possible interview opening slot.
Thank you,
[private contact info]
7-10-2017
If you do not hear back from them in a week or so, email again, but hopefully this will work. Take care, Jason
Sorry, I don’t get it, do they inform you about expedite request through email not mail. I thought all information from USCIS are through mail?
For expedite requests, usually they send the notice by mail, but sometimes, they call. Take care, Jason
Jason,
Quick ques, I am waiting on my second EAD. For some reason I am unable to check the status of EAD card online. I was able to check it in the past like when I applied for my first EAD under asylum. Is it a new thing that we can’t check our EAD online anymore just like our Asylum application. My receipt # starts with SRC
Thanks,
Jeet
I am not sure why that is – you should be able to check. Maybe call USCIS (their phone number can be found at http://www.uscis.gov) and ask someone about that. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, Thank you for all help. I have 2 questions:
1- how can I put my case on short list? is it by calling the office or send a request to them by mail?
2- In request to expedite, what do you mean by professional emergency?
1 – At our office, we do that by email, but maybe you can call, file by mail or go in person. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. 2 – You can give any reason to expedite, but you would need to provide some evidence. Maybe you will lose your job unless your case is approved; that might be a professional emergency. Or maybe you are a doctor and need to do the whole “match day” thing. Unless you have status, maybe you cannot match. Do remember – if you ask to expedite or short list, you should make sure to submit all evidence and documents to the asylum office, so you are ready to go if they call you. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
1- I send to the office for expedite request by mail since 2 weeks, should they respond to me by mail also if it’s accepted or not? when should I expect this response?
2- I sent to them also fr short list by email, and they answered back saying “interview will be scheduled in the future as soon as resources permit”, does it mean that my application is in short list now?
1 – Typically they respond by email or phone, but they could respond by mail by just scheduling an appointment. You can email them or go there to ask about the status of the expedite request, but we are seeing it take up to a month for a response. 2 – I am not sure what that means. Maybe you can email them to confirm that you are on the short list. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason so much,
I did emailed them to confirm that I am on the short list. Thank you for all help
hi Jason,
it has been more than 2 months since I sent for an expedite request, for and an urgent situation I have, and each time I send to the office asking about the status of my request, they send me back “your case is still pending”.
I want to ask you about the Ombudsman link you posted above, which option should I choose on this page to contact them, Help with pending application or petition, or Submitting a request for case assistance?
Thank you for all help
I am not sure it matters – maybe a request for case assistance. The Ombudsman is not all that helpful in a situation like this, but you can try, and if they do not help, you might consider a mandamus lawsuit, which may very well help. Unfortunately, all this takes time, and so the “expedited” process is not all that fast. Good luck, Jason
Hello Jason,
When your asylum case is pending and you have 150 days, then you apply for EAD, after applying for the work permit, how long do we have to wait to receive it?
Thanks in advance Jason!
We usually see people wait 2 to 4 months, though lately it is closer to 4 months. Take care, Jason
Hi jason thanks for your usual response, Myself,husband and a kid applied for work permit after 150 days pending assylum,and when we checked the status online,my husband status has changed to CARD WAS MAILED TO ME.While myself and my kid’s own is stil CASE WAS RECEIVED.is there anything we need to do because am worried as we applied together
I do not know why cases filed together are processed differently, but this is very common and I think there is no need to worry. EADs normally take 2 to 4 months, so if he gets the EAD and you and your child are still waiting after 3 or 4 months, you can call USCIS to inquire. Their number can be found on their website – http://www.uscis.gov. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason
After applying for asylum, i know you will get access to apply for work permit after 150 days. My question is about the 150 days, i want to know if it is 150 business days or if Saturday and Sunday are included in the 150 days?
Thanks in advance for the answer!
The 150 days includes weekends. So if your asylum case is filed today, June 27, 2017, you can file for your work permit on about November 27, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
thanks you very much for the answer!
Hello Jason,
I want to know if you have to pay when you first apply for the EAD after the 150 days? if yes, how much?
thanks in advance Mr Jason!
For an EAD based on asylum pending, you do not have to pay for the first EAD. You do pay for renewals (second EAD, etc.). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thanks for always helping us on different sets of matter regarding Asylum, I have question regarding my sister in law as she applied for asylum two & half years ago and recently she has been called for finger print and will get interview soon in Helena, Montana.
As her case has been handled by a lawyer up to now but due to her financial situation she can’t be able to take the lawyer for interview as it may cost her too much. Now the question is
Can she make appearance before judge without her lawyer?
Does this will have any negative impact on her case as up to now the lawyer is handling her case?
What other consequence it may have?
Your response will be highly appreciated.
Regards,
She can go without a lawyer and it should not affect the case (though some cases need lawyers more than others – I wrote about that on July 7, 2016). The lawyer does not do much at the interview (usually), but the lawyer can help a lot preparing the case and practicing with the person before the interview. I did a blog post about what happens at the interview on September 8, 2016 – maybe that would help. I also wrote about finding a free lawyer on September 22, 2016). Take care, Jason
Help Sir i applied emergency motion in newyork how many processing time for answer the judge and how long processing the case
There is no set time. You can call the court and try to talk to the Judge’s clerk about the motion. You can find the court phone number if you follow the link at right called Immigration Court. Take care, Jason