If you have a case pending with the Asylum Office and you move, you are supposed to file a change of address (form AR-11) within 10 days. It should be that easy, but of course, these days at the Asylum Office, nothing is easy.
The first problem is that if you move and you file a change of address, it could affect your eligibility for an Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”)–a work permit. Once your case is received by the Asylum Division, the “Asylum Clock” starts to count time. When the Clock reaches 180 days, you are eligible for an EAD (you can mail your EAD application after 150 days, but unless the Clock reaches 180 days, you will not receive the EAD). The problem is that if you do anything to cause a delay in your case, the Clock will stop and you won’t get your EAD, at least not for a long time. [Update 04/12/2017: Moving your case to a new Asylum Office should not stop the clock; this rule was changed by USCIS].
The Clock stops if you fail to appear for an interview or a fingerprint appointment, or if you move your case to a different Asylum Office–all these things are considered applicant-caused delay. Therefore, if you move, and the move results in your case transferring to a different Asylum Office, you may lose your opportunity to get an EAD (to see whether a particular move will cause your case to transfer to a new Asylum Office, you can check here).
In theory, the solution to this problem is easy: Don’t move until after you receive your EAD. In reality, it is not always so simple. People who file for asylum often do not have stable addresses in the United States (they’re refugees after all), and so it can be difficult to maintain a permanent address for long enough to receive the EAD. If at all possible, you should find a long-term address and use that address when you file your case. This will potentially save you a lot of trouble down the line.
For those unlucky few who must move their case to a different asylum office, you have to make a choice: Change your address–as the law requires–and likely lose the EAD (if less than 180 days have passed on the Clock), or violate the law by either keeping the old address (assuming you can still get mail there) or using another address within the jurisdiction of the original asylum office. If you choose to violate the law, you will probably get the EAD, but you could be subject to civil and criminal penalties (a fine and up to 30 days in jail), and it could affect the outcome of your asylum case (“So, Ms. Asylum-Seeker, you lied to us about your address. What else are you lying about?”).
Another problem for people who change Asylum Offices is that the transfer can cause delay (though I’ve seen examples both ways – usually a move makes the case slower, but in other cases, it seems to make the case faster). It may also put you far away from the lawyer who initially prepared your case or other people who are assisting you. There is not much you can do about these things, but they are good to think about before you file the case.
A third problem occurs when you move for a temporary period of time. I see this a lot: People move to a new city for school or work, but they do not change their “permanent” address. In this case, it is sometimes difficult to know whether to file a change of address form. If you change your address again and again, you will potentially bounce around between different asylum offices and never get an interview. On the other hand, the Asylum Officer might be suspicious if you list your home address in one city, but you are working or studying in a distant city. When my clients make a “temporary” move, I advise them to keep as much of their documents at their “permanent” address as possible: Driver’s license, tax documents, bank accounts, etc. Even so, it is unclear whether we are violating the law by not informing DHS about the temporary move. Indeed, the law itself (INA § 265) provides little guidance. At least in my experience, the Asylum Office is fairly lenient on people who make temporary moves, as long as there is evidence that they have maintained the permanent address.
As a lawyer, of course, I cannot advise anyone to violate the law by not filing a change of address form. But I would offer that if you are thinking about violating the law in order to get your EAD or keep your case from being transferred, you should talk to a lawyer first about your specific case. It may seem easy enough to not inform USCIS of an address change, but I have seen this play out at asylum interviews, and I recently almost had a big problem for one client who failed to inform USCIS about his change of address (let’s just say I was chastised by the Asylum Officer, which made me feel kind-of bad (Jewish guilt and all that), but fortunately, the client received asylum).
In the end, the best way to avoid a problem is to file the asylum application using an address where you can remain for a while. In the days before the backlog, when cases only took a few months, this was not difficult. But now, like everything else related to asylum, it ain’t easy.
Sorry i mean I do want to go to school so bad!!
Hello Jason. First of all thanks for the articles tou have been posting! This means a lot. I am an asylum seetker and got some questions. I came to us with f1 status in january 2015 and filed for asylum and my count down began on june 2; which is like 125 days from now. I am informed i will apply for EAD after 150 days from the countdown day. But my question is from what I can see cases from 2013 are being interviewed now and which means my case is also going to take 2 more years or even more. I did not go to the university where i am accepted at because of some reasons. My question is what are my chances of going back to school in US? When and how? I dont want to go to school so bad. But is there any benefit for me if I go to university? What are my chances to get financial aids or anything to get back to school? Thank you so much!
Once you get the EAD, you can probably attended school if you want. If you do not want to go to school, that is up to you – you can stay here while your asylum case is pending, which hopefully will be less than 2 years, but no one really knows. As for financial aid, that is difficult to get with asylum pending, but you should talk to the school, as there are many financial aid programs and scholarships, and maybe some are available to you. Good luck, Jason
Hello, Jason. First of all, I’d to thank you for all your help. I have two questions:
I came to US as J-1 student. I have applied the asylum case in April, 2015 in NY. I sent I-765 form for first time and waiting for recite. I did mistake in Social Security paragraph (wrong number). Can you please give me some advice that should I do to fix it? Should I send to USCIS a letter with explanation?
I have an opportunity to move in San Francisco in December after I get my EAD. My question is: If I move to SF will they interviewing me as I applied in NY in April 2015 or a date when they get my case in SF? Thank you.
If you move to SF and file a change of address form (as you are required to do if you make a permanent move), they will interview you in SF. The move may cause additional delays in your case. As for fixing the problem on your I-765, I am not sure. I suppose you can send them a letter with the correction. Be sure to include your receipt number from the I-765 and your Alien number. Good luck, Jason
Need your advice please !!!
I arrived the USA . November 2014, (Illegally) I filed for asylum and my asylum application was received on Dec 8,2014,
after 150 days, in May, 2015 i applied for Employment authorization document – EAD
i requested my asylum case status with my Asylum Office and got a mail in June ,2015, stating that my case is still pending.
and on July, 2015, i received a Denied decision to my EAD application.
the reason being that my Asylum processing time was stopped on a 161 days and has not been restarted.
i wrote my asylum office for my case status and got a mail , they said due to the change of address that i did, my case clock was stopped. and had not been restarted .
i dont know what what to do .
since my asylum application was received its been morethan 280 days, i have not be called for biometric or interview.
i am so worried and confused on what to do…
Please help.
This is very unfortunate, but I think there is not much you can do. If you move and that move causes your asylum case to transfer to a different asylum office, the “asylum clock” stops. If the clock has not yet reach 180 days, you cannot get an EAD. The clock should restart at your interview, but that probably will not be for a while. I have listed some ideas for trying to expedite a case in a posting I did on February 26, 2015. The asylum clock is really awful, but it is part of the law, and so we are stuck with it. Good luck, Jason
Dear Jason,
I filed for Asylum on April,2013. Then I had my first interview in Boston Sub office on August, 2014 and Second interview in Boston sub office on March, 2015 and I did not get any update from USCIS office yet. And I have to move for studying to another state which is under Chicago office. Do you think changing my address will affect my case? Do they ask me to re-interview in Chicago office again? Is it good idea to contact the asylum office and explain everything to them so they can review my case faster as I still have couple months staying in Boston area? Also my sister will stay in my apartment so I can get any mail easily. I am confused and do not know what to do.
Thanks in Advance.
Technically, you are supposed to change your address if you move, so unless the move to Chicago is temporary, you should file a change of address form. I do not think this will affect the case in any way (and it is very rare to receive a third interview, but it is possible). If your move is “temporary” and your sister will be in your apartment while you are gone, maybe you can avoid filing the change of address. If you are not sure, you can always consult a lawyer, but I think either way, it should not affect your case. Take care, Jason
I really appreciate your response, I do have one more question unless I will move for more than two years for school to Chicago if I change my address, do Chicago office will start over my application from the beginning and they need to interview me in Chicago office again?
Thanks in Advance
If you were already interviewed, moving should not affect the case. But if you were not yet interviewed, moving will probably slow the case down. Take care, Jason
Thank you Sir,
Hi Jason,
I just got my Asylum Approval and I want to bring my parents to USA. What is your advice to bring them to USA?
I read about Priority 3 but I did not understand that, and I read about filling Affidavit of Relationship (Form DS 7656).
Your help will be appreciated
Only a US citizen can petition for his parents. You can invite your parents and they can apply for a visa, but you cannot petition for them. I do not know about “Priority 3”. Maybe you want to consult with an immigration lawyer to explore your options. Good luck, Jason
Hi Sir
Hope you doing well i really appreciate your response and its a great help for viewers,
I have one question about my Asylum case its about to move to other state i filed my case in New York and soon i will get my EAD and then i have decide to move on Oregon near Portland i want to know is Oregon has a fastest system as compare to NYC?
And how much Asylum case acceptance ratio in this state?
Thank you
I do not know about asylum acceptance rates between NY and Oregon. I think that Oregon is a sub-office of San Francisco, and you can see processing times for NY and San Fran here: http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/asylum/affirmative-asylum-scheduling-bulletin. This may not help you too much, as Oregon is a sub-office, and the chart does not give info on sub offices. Probably Oregon will be slower than San Fran. Good luck, Jason
Dear Jason,
Thank You for your help, i really appreciate it! As I am an asylum Applicant and While i prepare Forum i-765 (EAD) to apply for a work permit after 150 days passed, I found a tiny answer i put it by mistake in the Asylum application (i-589) that i have already filed in the Department of Homeland Security (Q18, C: The date of last entry to United States instead of day 12 i put 1). Do you think that mistake may affect negatively the decision to grant me and my wife a work permit? Is there a way, process or anyhow to correct this mistake?
I do not think so, and when you have your asylum interview, you can correct the error.
Good morning,
I received a fellowship opportunity in a university based in New York and they are trying to help me move from Alabama within a couple of weeks. However I stumbled upon this article that suggests that no change of address be made unless I get the work permit. Do you think that moving at this time will negatively affect the decision to grant me and my wife a work permit which I can apply to it this month 17th sep? Another option would be to not officially move until I get it and travel there back and forth so I don’t miss this opportunity. What do you think?
If you file a change of address form (AR-11) before 180 days have passed since the date you filed the asylum application (and this date can be found on your receipt), you likely will not receive a work permit. I would delay the move until at least 180 days have passed, and if you really want to be safe, wait until the work permit is in your hand before you move. For me, it is better safe than sorry.
Hi Jason,
I really appreciate your help. I have a question
I want to move to another jurisdiction area( from Chicago to Arlington office) after I have received my first EAD( ie after completion of 180 days).
Will this change of jurisdiction area delay my subsequent renewal of the EAD?
No – once you pass the 180 days, even if you move, it should not affect your EAD renewals (but don’t forget to file a change of address).
Hi Jason,
I filed for asylum on August 6, 2015 and still haven’t received any notification by mail. I changed my address within the same jurisdiction since filing and even sent the AR-11 form but as yet haven’t received anything. I am a little worried still as to the whereabouts of the receipt number from USCIS that I was supposed to receive. I called USCIS and they told me to write to the Arlington Asylum Office to get my receipt number. I want to know how long does it usually take to get a receipt number and accompanying documents?
Usually we get the receipt in less than 4 weeks. I do not know how you could file a change of address before you got the receipt – you did not have an Alien number yet. You can email the asylum office or go there any Wednesday morning to inquire.
Mr. Dzubow ,
Would be as so kind to advise me about changing address for asylum applicants. I am an asylum applicant and I live in Houston city. I have recently changed my address within the same city. I filed the AR-11 form and sent to the USCIS by mail and online. However, I put the current status in the US as an international student as I am a student at the UH. Do I need to submit another application of AR-11 as an asylum applicants. Appreciate your reply.
Regards,
Alex
I am not sure what the problem is – you did not say that you were also seeking asylum? I do not think that would be a problem.
hello jason, applied asylum from one address and moved before 180 days to another and still got the ead, but now i am having to move to a different address for few months and i will have to move again. but all these three addresses will be under same uscis jurisdiction. does it gonna affect or give any problems during interview?
A move within the same jurisdiction should not affect EADs or your case; you should be fine. But if you have a permanent mailing address, that might be safer.
hi and thanks for this great info,
i filled my asylum in august 2013 in arlington,VA but after that i moved to kansas city where i stay go to school and work until i received my interview letter 3 weeks ago.my case was denied and after going through your info,i m thinking that may be the reason why the deny my case can have some to do with the fact that i failed to inform them about the change of my address.now my case is been placed on immigration court and i just wanna know what i can do now.do i ve to file a change of address and have my case transfer to where i live?
You are supposed to change your address if you move. I doubt it would cause your case to be denied, but it is possible (“So asylum seeker, you lied about your address, what else are you lying about?”). If you really live in KC, you should probably change your case to there. However, Arlington, VA is a good court, so you might want to think about moving back here so you can stay in that court. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason, I granted asylum in April 2014 and I moved from LA to NY in June 2014.I applied for green card in April 2015 and last week my application for green card was transferred from TSC to Anaheim asylum office again, they transferred my case because I moved out from LA (is that effected my case)or are there any other reason?
The move should have no effect. When you move, you are required to file a change of address (AR-11 form) and maybe if you did not, or if you used an old address on the form, they would send the case to your old address. The fact that your green card is being processed in CA is, I think, normal (they have different offices all over the US to process different applications). Hopefully, there is no problem, but keep an eye on the USCIS website to track whether there is any action in your case and make sure you receive any mailings.
Thanks for posting such helpful information.
I hope to move before long after receiving EAD. My application for EAD is pending now. The move will take me to another asylum office region. I notice that on the website it says you must file change of address for any “recently approved applications.” So if I get EAD granted, and then I move, do I have to file a notification specifically for my EAD application? And if USCIS knows that I moved right after EAD was approved, will that affect my EAD?
Thanks again very much.
The AR-11 form tells you where to send it, and so you can send it to that address and give a copy to the asylum office. That should be enough. I do not see how the move would affect your EAD. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Interesting and very informative stuff.
Many thanks for the great work
I applied in October 2013 in San Francisco, had a move of address to LA before the EAD, luckily it didn’t affect the time frame.
Shortly after I moved to Massachusetts for health reasons, I was there for 6 months but didn’t change my address.
My excuse was it was a temporary move and my LA address is more reliable for any correspondence.
I am now back in the west coast , however not in LA for economic reasons.
My question is do I have to change address, and if I do since my mailing address stays in LA, is there a way I can make a distinction between my physical and mailing address and maintain same local office.
Also do you have an idea when cases from October 2013 might get interviews.
Do you have any tips on expediting the process or is it simply a waiting game.
Thanks
It is very difficult to expedite – I discussed some ideas in a post dated February 26, 2015. You can check your new address here (https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=offices.type&OfficeLocator.office_type=ZSY) and if it is still the LA office, there should be no affect on your case. However, you are required to give them your physical address and if that results in another change of offices, it will cause more delay. If possible, maybe you can continue with the “permanent” address. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason,
1. thank you so much for your valuable infos.
2. I have to change my address because of my school. I already have the EAD and SSC, should I still need to file a change of address document ?
3. I live in Fairfax,VA. I filed my case December14, 2014. I am still waiting for interview. Do you have any idea around when my case will be interviewed ?
You must change your address if you move, but since you have your EAD, it should not cause any problems. Arlington is interviewing cases filed in August 2013, so you still have some time to wait. Good luck, Jason
I appreciate it.
I had a question again about change of address. My case was filed in jan 2015 and is pending and i recently received my EAD. After receiving it I have moved from VA to NC. I filed my change of address with USCIS by filling the online AR11 form and got a confirmation email also and also sent the same AR11 form to the Arlington Asylum office. Do I need to send anything else to the asylum office and would i receive a confirmation from them about my change of address. Your help in this regard is much appreciated
IT sounds like you did everything you had to do – they do not send a confirmation when you change your address.
Hi,Jason. I live in Charleston,SC.I applied for asylum in June 2013.My asylum office is Arlington,VA.However in September 2014 I was interviewed in Atlanta,GA.Now it’s been almost one year since I had an interview.I need to move to NYC and do not know how changing of address will affect my case.you said it causes delays with EADs and interview processing times,but what if I already had an interview and got my EAD renewal?Can you give me an advise?what kind of problems can I face if I change my address?and what are my chances of getting a decision soon if I stay in Charleston?thank you
Since you have your EAD and have already been interviewed, the move should not affect your case. You do need to inform the asylum office about your new address so you can (eventually) get your decision.
Case filed January 2015 in Los Angeles. Would moving to Arlington out of the slowest office speed up the process or would it not make any difference?
It is not clear – sometimes a move speeds things up, and sometimes it slows things down. Given that LA is so slow and you only filed 8 months ago, my guess is that moving to Arlington would make your case faster, but really it is just a guess. Good luck, Jason
Hiiii i applied in chicago office after that i made adrers change to CA SO IS THAT TRUE that if we moved to another city our case will automatically move to the coty we moved?????and dies the adress change affect our case ????tank u
The first problem is that if you move and you file a change of address, it could affect your eligibility for an Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”)–a work permit. Once your case is received by the Asylum Division, the “Asylum Clock” starts to count time. When the Clock reaches 180 days, you are eligible for an EAD (you can mail your EAD application after 150 days, but unless the Clock reaches 180 days, you will not receive the EAD). The problem is that if you do anything to cause a delay in your case, the Clock will stop and you won’t get your EAD, at least not for a long time.
If you move, you are supposed to inform the asylum office. Some moves will cause your case to change asylum office, and this could affect eligibility for a work permit. They will not automatically know whether you moved, however, and you are required to file the change of address.
Hi Jason!
Thank you for all your help. After reading this I know that I have to change my address. So I have a few questions for you. Is that form the only doc I need to file? Or do I need to add more info? Do I need to file one form for each person on my application? Should those go on the same envelope? Where do I send it?? And after that, should I stop by my new local asylum office to make sure the change was done correctly?? Thank you so much!!
If you are near your asylum office, you can drop off the form AR-11 with them. Bring an extra copy with you and they will stamp it so you have proof that you changed your address.
Jason,
How are you doing? Do you have any idea or information about the interview notice time in Miami Office? I submitted my application for asylum on May 26, 2014 but no interview notice yet..
Thanks
Miami is interviewing cases filed in about March 2013, so you probably still have some months to wait. Good luck, Jason
Dear Jason, good day to you!
I got two questions. You gave some insight into which cases are currently being processed in Arlington and LA.
1) Do you have the same info for Newark and Rosedale? Are they still interviewing 2013 applicants? If so, what month they’re at?
2) Which of the above offices is faster in your opinion?
Filed my I-589 in Sept. 2014 in Rosedale.
Many thanks in advance!!!!!
Stan
Newark is interviewing cases filed in about January 2013 and New York is interviewing cases filed in about February 2013. The fastest office in the US is currently Texas (interviewing cases filed in April 2014), but that is not necessarily the easiest office.
hi Jason thanks so much for your help
i want to ask you this i applied in early 2015 and still waring for interview or EAD
with all of this is going on i have a brother want to apply for F1 visa to study will my case or me applying for asylum denied him getting the F1 visa from the embassy as he applied Online for school here and got the I20
thanks
I do not know if your asylum case will make it more difficult for your brother to get a visa. We have had some problems like this for our clients, though usually it is a spouse, not a sibling. Hopefully, he will get the visa.
Jason,
What month cases are being heard in Arlington now? I applied in mid Oct 2013. Please let me know. Thanks!
August 2013, so you should be pretty soon. Good luck, Jason
Hi, Jason, thanks for your blog always keep us updated，and thanks for answer our questions.
just FYI, I want to let you know, one of my friend who was filed his asylum case in LA office back to July 2012， he just got his interview notice in mail (interview date is 07/20).
I hope it will give some idea for the people who still waiting for their interview by LA office.
Thank you – that is helpful. Take care, Jason
thanks!!
Hi Jason,
I’ve submitted my application in LA 2 years ago and heard nothing since then, only logged my fingerprint and got EAD after 180 days, that’s all. I’m considering transfer my case to another office, my wondering is, would the interview still be arranged according to the date of the application, or it will be just inserted to the tail of the local list and start another meaningless and endless waiting? Been waiting for so long and my loved ones got cancer, It tortures me day and night, however I see no hope in LA office. I called the office and the answer is just to wait, for ever and ever.
I do not know the answer. It seems sometimes that transferring the case makes things faster, but usually, I think it makes the case slower. LA is currently interviewing cases filed in 2012, but I do not know what month. We did have a client move to Texas and she got an interview about 6 months after the move. Houston, TX is currently the fastest office. I really do not know what is the better option for you. Maybe if you told the asylum office that your relative has cancer, and give them a doctor’s note, they would expedite the case, but that is uncommon. I listed some ideas to make a case faster in a posting I did on February 26, 2015. Good luck, Jason
One person just wrote and said his friend filed in LA in July 2012 and he has now received the interview notice.
Appreciate it Jason!
Jason, I checked your blog on Feburary 26, 2015, it really helps me a lot! However, I heard there are thousands of people on the short list of la, given the fact that few people will give up the precious chance of interview today, it seems hard to compare which side to stand: the majority of 10+ thousand people that being scheduled in order of time, or the short list that has thousands people crowded together…
If you are on the short list, you are still on the regular schedule, so you basically have two paths to the interview. Maybe the regular process will be faster than the short list (which is not short at all), but there is no way to know which path is faster, so you might as well try both. Good luck, Jason
Thanks to your fast reply Jason, It seems like there is no way to check how many people are in short list officially, could you tell me approximately how many people from the short list your office would probably interview per month recently? if 10 per month and there are over 1000 people, the one on the tail would have to wait 100 months to be called …
I have no idea about LA. In Virginia, they interview about 10 people per month and there are over 200 people on the list, so it’s not so fast. But there is no disadvantage to putting your name on the list.
Hello Jason ! Thank you so much for a great job that you are doing for us ! I have submit my case June 14,2015 in Texas And I had finger print after a week ! Today I tried to check my case Status online it is says “”My Case Status does not recognize the receipt number entered “” . So Do you think is an error and should call the office or it is still early for them to post something on my case ? Thank you !
You cannot check asylum cases on-line. If you had your fingerprints, it means the case is in the queue and you just have to wait. Texas is currently processing cases from about May 2014, so you have some months to wait. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason.
I truly hope you can give some guidance.
I submit my application last february in Miami, and now I have just apply for my EAD. The address in my application is my uncle’s, but i lived with my brother in New Jersey for the last 6 months. I have had my suspicious, but reading your article now I am sure that this may come up in the interview, thus my first question: What to answer to the officer? the truth is that my uncle couldn’t host me and my wife for so long, being a asylum applicant himself.
My second question is about moving. Is I said, I just applied for my EAD, but, here in florida I have no place to stay for a long period, I can only stay until the EAD and SSN are processed, and my plan, before reading your piece, was to move to Houston, where I have friends that can help me to get a job faster. So, how’s that going to affect my asylum application?
Finally, my lawyer told me that since most of the asylum cases from my country, Venezuela (including my brother, who is a asylee-green card holder himself) are being processed and interviewed here in Miami, officers are more aware of the country’s situation than officers in other states… is that true? or even possible?
Thanks Jason, you are an asylum encyclopedia.
In terms of the address, I think you just need to explain to them the situation. The problem will be that if you live in Texas and work in Texas, it is difficult to explain why your case is in Florida. If you do not have a good explanation, it might cause problems for your case. Also, I have no idea why it should matter that Florida is more familiar with Venezuelan cases. In my experience, when an office has a lot of cases from one country, they tend to view those applications more negatively. In other words, if I had to guess – and it really is a guess – I would say that if Florida sees lots of Venezuelan cases, it is not a good office for you, as the officers may be very cynical about Venezuelan cases. On the other hand, if your lawyer does a lot of Venezuelan cases and has good success in Florida, then that is more significant. Generally, though, I do not think it matters which office your case is in (but Houston is the fastest office, so maybe that is an incentive to transfer your case there if you think you might live in Texas). Good luck, Jason
Thanks for the answer Jason, it helps a lot getting this kind of info.
I applied for the EAD last Thursday, July 2nd, but I find there’s mixed information as to how long it should take to be processed. The lawyer’s office (It’s a pro-bono lawyer with hundreds of cases) told me that it should be 3 weeks for fingerprints, then another 3 weeks for the approval, then another 2 for the actual EAD card to be delivered. Is that right? That would be more than 180 days, if I file a change of address before those time frames but after the 180 days, will that delay the EAD?
Thanks again, it is priceless what you do.
If you can avoid changing your address until you get the EAD card, that is safest. In our experience, it normally takes between 1 and 3 months to receive the card in the mail. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason.
Quick question: how long does the USCIS take to update one’s info after a change of address has been filed?
Thanks!!
Hello Jason
Thank you fot your continuous effort and updates,we have filed our asylum case in July 22 2014in VA,and we moved to Houston May 1st, I have asked my lawyer back in VA to update my address when I moved, which he confirmed that he did,but when I went to Houston office, they told me the address they havr in file for me is my VA address, the lady in the office then changed my address in the file yo Houston address , amd told me now we have to wait for the file to physically come, I am abit worried that this process is not bei mg done correctly and afraid that my case could get lost in between, what would you advise me to do to ensure my address is the correct one, any my file is in Houston physically, also will my case be dated as if I just filed it in houston because of the move,or will it be treated as A July 2014 case regardless of the address change. If its the latter then my interview ahoild hopefully be soon ?
Thank you ver much
Fyi we moved to Houston May 1st 2015
Hi Jason, I am supposed to move out of my current apartment next week and I am still waiting for the EAD. I am not sure whether to file for a change of address yet because I am not sure when they will send it. I have no choice about moving since the apartments where I live are being demolished. I am staying within the same area only a different place. Do you think this affects my chances of getting it and would having a forwarding address enable me to still receive it?
If you have already applied for it, you might have a problem. You can do a change of address on-line, that is the first step. After that, you can call USCIS and tell them that you’ve changed your address. Also, you can ask the post office to hold your mail, rather than forward it (which I think will not work). That way, if it comes to your old address, you can pick it up at the post office. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason,
I live in Seattle , WA. I filed my application for asylum at the SF office in April 2013, I haven’t heard from them since then, tough I got my EAD. Any estimates regarding when my interview can be?
Thanks
According to the info I have, the San Francisco office is interviewing cases filed in May or June 2013. Seattle is a sub-office of San Fran, and so they are probably slower. I do not have any info on Seattle, however. You may want to email the San Fran office to see whether you have been skipped, but my guess is that Seattle is just slower. Good luck, Jason
Thank you Jason.
Do you think you could give an estimate for an interview date for a case filed in September 2014 in LA? Do you think it may take 2 years at that office?
No one knows. LA is the slowest office, and last I heard (at a meeting in May 2015), they were still interviewing cases filed in 2012, though they did not say what month. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason,
You doing a gr8 job. God bless you and thank you for doing this.
I have my asylum case pending at miami office for interview since Sep2013 and i have my wife and kid in my home country. I cant explain in words how hard it is for me to wait for the interview without them. I just wanted to know is there any hope that I will be interviewed anytime soon since my address in florida also comes in circuit ride category. Any idea which month and year miami office is interwieving pending cases now a days and anything from my part that i can do to get my interview schedule faster. Plz help. Thanks and appreciate it again.
I have no info about the circuit ride interviews, but Miami is currently interviewing cases filed in about March 2013. My guess is that circuit rides are even slower, but I do not know. It is very difficult to expedite a case, but I have listed some ideas in a blog post I did on February 26, 2015. Your situation is very difficult, and I wish you good luck, Jason
Hi Jason.
Thank you for all your help. Your post made me make the decision of changing my address from Miami to Houston. A filed for asylum on 2013 and I know Texas is interviewing cases from 2014. What would be my place on the queue? What’s going to happen with my case??
I really do not know how the move will affect your case or where they will put you in the queue. All we know is that Houston is interviewing cases filed in about May 2014. Hopefully, they get to you quickly. Good luck, and please let me know if you get an interview so we can tell other people what happens. Take care, Jason
Thanks for this informative website , I sent my case on June 10th this month to Arlington office and didn’t receive any notification that they received my application till now, what should i do ?
It’s probably still too soon. However, in general, if you are filing a case in Virginia, you actually mail the application to Texas (unless this is not your first application, in which case it goes directly to the Virginia office in Arlington). If you sent the application to Texas and do not have a receipt in another few weeks, you might want to contact your local office (Virginia) and ask them how to proceed – they should know if the case has been filed. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jazon,
Is Arlington office interviewing case filled in 2014
They are currently interviewing cases filed in August 2013.
Hello Jason,
Thank you for your efforts, they’re really appreciated!
Talking about the long wait, do you have any news about the TPS results for Syrians? and can you please advise if a work permit (C19) holder can attend a one-year university program using his/her work permit only while having a pending TPS case with USCIS?
A person with a work permit based on TPS (or based on anything else) should be able to attend university. Some schools are better about this than others, so you do need to check with the school itself, but we have many clients attending different schools with only their EAD and asylum pending and/or TPS. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason for your reply, God bless you !
Dear Jason
You really addressed such an important point for asylum seekers. I really appreciate your work. My side of story is that I just filed my case last month. I am a student living with my brother in Virginia. Meantime i get a new job offer from newyork. I don’t really want to change my permanent address. I just want to move temporarly and receive any official correspondences using my Virginia address. I don’t have any plan to get driving licence or any government document from newyork. Do you think i can maintain my existing address, doing my job over there, without breaking the law and make USCIS know about my situation? Thank you sir
I’m not sure. Many of my clients face the same problem. If you have your driver’s license in VA and you spend a lot of time in VA, maybe it is ok. The problem is that if you are never really in VA and are working in NY, the asylum office will be suspicious if you are interviewing in VA but your job is in NY. There really is no definite answer to this question, but if I were you, I would try to keep your case in VA. It is a faster office and probably has a better approval rate than NY. Good luck, Jason
Hello Mister Jason thank you for your blog really THANK YOU.
I have a question for you:
My wife and I are filing our EAD aplicattion (c) (8) in the question 10 wich Alien number must put my wife? The Asylum’s alien number or her fingerprint’s Alien number?
Thank you
If she is your dependent on the asylum case, she should have received a receipt and fingerprint notice with her own alien number (probably it is the same as your number except for the last digit or two). She should use her own number. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I had my interview 2 weeks ago, (after waiting since May 2013, NY office) and yesterday I got the results as only to find myself referred to court. I’ve previously told you that I don’t trust my attorney and you’ve advised me to seek another one. Now I have 2 Qs
How long does it take to be presented in front of a judge? (NYC)
and As I’m out of money, and trust of my lawyer, I want to use these free of charge attorneys, Should I wait to be notified of the court date to seek lawyer help, and how should I notify the USCIS of my attorney’s change??
Thank you
If you want a free lawyer, you should start looking now – they can be difficult to get. Try this website (page 3 for NY City), and good luck: http://www.justice.gov/eoir/pages/attachments/2015/01/29/freelglcht-ny.pdf
Thank you
Mister Jason THANK YOU for your blog really THANK YOU.
I have a question for you:
My wife and me are filing our EAD aplicattion (c) (8) in the question 10 wich Alien number must put my wife? The Asylum’s number or her fingerprint’s Alien number?
Thank you
Each of you should have your own alien number, which appears on your receipt and your fingerprint notice. Take care, Jason
Hi,
I am applying for asylum since july 2014,
Then I get married and now I am pregnant and going to give baby birth.
My question:If the baby get US citizen ,can I get green card?or any type of residency?
If your husband is a citizen, maybe you can get a green card. Probably the baby will not help, at least not for a long time, but you need to talk to a lawyer to know all your options. Good luck, Jason
I’m a non-profit lawyer that exclusively practices asylum and the delays and change of address are causing even more headaches when a client moves far away. Do you structure your retainer agreements a certain way so that if a client moves, and their case transfers to a different asylum office, that you are no longer on the case? Our retainer we agree to assist in filing the affirmative application and accompanying the client to Chicago Asylum Office interview. Therefore, if it’s not in Chicago, we’re done? We have not had this situation yet, but I could see it in the future. I don’t want to discourage my clients from moving away, but I want them to follow the law and change their address.
I am (supposedly) a for-profit company and so getting paid is important. My retainer is specific to the Virginia asylum office, and if they want me to go to another office, the agreement will need to be re-negotiated. When I do cases that are not local, I reduce the fee and tell them that my fee does not include the interview. Now that cases take forever, all these issues, which were uncommon before, are becoming the norm. I have not yet changed my fee structure, but I’ve been thinking about it, as it is hard to do so much extra work for no pay. Ugh.
Hi, Jason!
We are here so appreciate your work, it’s soo helpful! I have a question – I applied case in the end of November 2014 in Miami, it based on sexual orientation. I really need to get decisions as soon as possible. I’m thinking about move my case to Texas or Arlington office, do you think it’s worth it or you should wait a decision here? Also, can I move just case and stay in Florida?
The case will only move if you move to a new state and file a change of address. I really do not know whether moving at this point will make it faster or slower, so I can’t advise you on that. Texas is the fastest office and they are interviewing cases filed in about May 2014; Arlington is probably the second fastest office and they are interviewing cases filed in August 2013. Good luck, Jason
Hello Jason,
I have applied the asylum case in May, 2013 in Florida. I am still waiting for my interview and don’t know how long am I gonna wait.:(
I was thinking about moving to Virginia and changing my address. I’ve read your blog, after that I understood that Arlington office is currently interviewing June cases. It means they already interviewed May, 2013 cases? If I change my address, how long do I need to wait for Arlington office interview?
Thanks
Often times, moving will cause additional delay, though sometimes it doesn’t. I think Florida is interviewing cases from 2013, so you should be interviewed soon. You may want to contact them again to make sure you are in the queue and nothing is wrong. That may be more effective than moving, which probably is more likely to delay things even more. Good luck, Jason
Hi,
Can you please tell us how the officer know that your client didn’t make the change of address in the above mentioned case?
In other words, what else documents can I maintain in the permenant address if I am moving temporary?
In my case, he changed his driver’s license to the new address, so it was pretty obvious. He also had a job in the new state.
Hi Jason,
Is there anyway to check my address on the immigration online?
Not that I know of. For an asylum case, you can email them or go there to ask whether they have your correct address. Or just file the form AR-11 with the correct address. It won’t do any harm to file the form, even if they already have your address.
Thanks for your input on this important subject. I had a complicated question. Its been just over 150 days since my asylum application and I have just applied for EAD. I will be changing my address at the end of next month. I am moving from VA to NC. Will this effect my case or EAD in any way in your opinion as NC is also in Arlington office’s jurisdiction like VA.
This is the question I did not address: If you move and stay at the same asylum office, will it affect the EAD. It should not, but I am not fully confident that USCIS won’t make a mistake. If you wait to move until 180 days have passed, you should be safe. Also, you are required to file the change of address within 10 days, so you could file it on the 10th day, which gives you even more time to make sure you reach 180 days. Good luck, Jason
I’m happy to see such a website which explains and helps a lot of people like me! Thank you Jason! I have a pretty simily situation, filed my application in san fran and there are only a couple of days to go before my eligibility of C8 work permit, willing to move up to the pacific northwest after holding my c8 in hand. I really wanna know do they have asyl offices in portland or seattle? does that sound necessary for me to coming back downtown sf to get my appointment done there? And of course the most important thing I would like to figure out is does the location change within the same asyl office have any negative effect on my appointment??Like delay on my appointment? and after successfully getting my c8 and ssn in Calif, should it be ok for me to get a driver’s licence in WAor OR?? I personally believe this issue is gonna be hot since generally the main offices are in big cities where the living costs are so damn high. Even the local residents are planning to leave.
I do not know about the sub-office for the San Francisco office, so I can’t tell you whether a move will send you to a sub-office. You should talk to a local non-profit in your new city (like Catholic Charities) and theta should be able to tell you. If you do move to a sub-office, they generally seem to be slower than the main offices. Good luck, Jason
Thank you Jason! I heard the applicant can apply for keeping the appointment in the main office (like SF),if not the main office will send the officers regularly to the sub-office, as predicted, it could make the appointment a little bit slower. Well I’m in such a dilemma, all I wish is God could give me sorta direction to follow! Thank you again and god bless us!