For the last few years, the “hot topic” in asylum has been the backlog–the very long delays caused by too many applicants and too few adjudicators. I recently wrote about the backlog at the Asylum Office and what can be done to expedite a case. One commenter suggested that I write a post about expediting cases in Immigration Court, and since I aim to please, here it is.
The first thing to note is that the backlog in Immigration Court is huge. According to recent data, there are over 542,000 cases pending in court (not all of these cases are asylum). The average wait time for a case in Immigration Court is 677 days. The slowest court is Colorado, where wait times average 994 days. That’s a long time, especially if you are separated from family members while your case is pending. For what it’s worth, I have previously written about some ideas for reducing the wait time in Immigration Court (you will be shocked to learn that EOIR has not yet contacted me to implement these ideas!).
Second, advancing a case is not easy. The Immigration Court Practice Manual, page 101, specifically notes that, “Motions to advance are disfavored.” The motion should “completely articulate the reasons for the request and the adverse consequences if the hearing date is not advanced.” Health problems or separation from family may good reasons to advance. I discuss these and other possible reasons here (the post relates to affirmative asylum cases, but the same logic applies).
Third, expediting a case in Immigration Court is not as straightforward as expediting a case at the Asylum Office. There are different approaches that you can take, depending on the posture of your case. For advancing a case (and for the case itself), it is very helpful to have the assistance of an attorney. Indeed, according to TRAC Immigration, 91% of unrepresented asylum applicants in Immigration Court have their cases denied (whether they get other relief, like Withholding of Removal, I do not know). If you can afford a lawyer (or find one for free), it will be to your benefit in expediting and winning your asylum case in court.
OK, before we get to the various approaches for advancing a court case, let’s start with a bit of background. A case commences in Immigration Court when the Notice to Appear–or NTA–is filed with the court. The NTA lists the reasons why the U.S. government believes it can deport (or, in the more bowdlerized parlance of our time, “remove”) someone from the United States. After the court receives the NTA, it schedules the alien for an initial hearing, called a Master Calendar Hearing (“MCH”). At the MCH, the alien–hopefully with the help of an attorney–tells the Immigration Judge (“IJ”) whether the allegations in the NTA are admitted or denied, and whether the alien agrees that he can be deported. In most asylum cases, the alien admits that he is deportable, and then informs the Judge that his defense to deportation is his claim for asylum. The IJ then schedules the alien for a Merits Hearing (also called an Individual Hearing), where the alien can present his application for asylum, and either receive asylum (or some other relief) or be ordered deported from the United States. Depending where in this process your case is, the procedures to expedite vary.
If you have the NTA, but the MCH is not yet scheduled: In some cases, the alien receives an NTA, but then waits many months before the MCH is scheduled. In this case, the delay usually lies with DHS (Department of Homeland Security), which issues the NTAs and files them with the Court, rather than with the Court itself. The Immigration Court has an automated number that you can call to check whether your case is scheduled for a hearing date. The phone number is 1-800-898-7180. Follow the prompts and enter your nine-digit Alien number (also called an “A number”). The system will tell you whether your case is scheduled and the date of the next hearing.
If the system indicates that your “A-number was not found,” this probably means that the NTA has not yet been submitted to the Court. Contact the local DHS/ICE Office of the Chief Counsel and talk to the attorney on duty. Perhaps that person can help get the NTA filed with the Court, so the case can begin.
If your A-number is in the system, but there is no MCH scheduled, contact the Immigration Court directly to ask the clerk for an update. If the Court has the case, it may be possible to file a motion (a formal request) to schedule the case. However, if an IJ is not yet assigned to the case, such a request may disappear into the void once it is filed. Most lawyers (including me) would generally not file a motion until a Judge is assigned, as it is probably a waste of time, but maybe it is possible to try this, if your lawyer is willing.
While you are waiting for the Court to docket your case (i.e., give you a court date), you can gather evidence and complete your affidavit. That way, once the case is on the schedule, you will be ready to file your documents and ask to expedite.
If the MCH is scheduled: Sometimes, MCHs are scheduled months–or even years–in the future. If your case is assigned to an IJ and you have a MCH date, there are a couple options for expediting.
First, you can file a motion to advance the date of the MCH. If the MCH is sooner, the final (Merits) hearing will be sooner as well. Whether the IJ will grant the motion and give you an earlier appointment is anyone’s guess. Some IJs (and their clerks) are good about this; others, not so much.
Second, you can request to do the MCH in writing (in lieu of attending the hearing in-person). Check the Immigration Court Practice Manual, pages 70 to 72, for information about filing written pleadings. If the Judge allows this, you can avoid attending the MCH and go directly to the Merits Hearing. Just be sure that your affidavit and all supporting documents are submitted, so you are ready to go if and when the IJ schedules you for a final hearing.
Many attorney, including me, do not like filing motions to advance the MCH or motions for a written MCH. The reason is because they often do not work, and so what happens is this: You prepare and file the motion, call the Court several times, and ultimately have to attend the MCH anyway. When lawyers spend time doing extra work, it is fair for them to charge the client additional money. So don’t be surprised if your lawyer tells you that filing a motion will cost extra.
At the MCH: Typically, when you go to the MCH, the IJ gives you the first date available on her calendar for a Merits Hearing. But there are a few things you can do to try to get the earliest possible date.
One thing is to complete the entire case (the affidavit and all supporting documents) and give them to the IJ at the MCH. That way, if there happens to be an early opening, you can take the date (and sometimes, IJs do have early dates–for example, if another case has been cancelled). Many lawyers (again, including me) don’t love this because it requires us to do all the work in advance, and it often does not help. Don’t be surprised if the lawyer wants to charge extra for getting the work done early (many lawyers–and other humans–prefer to put off until tomorrow what we do not need to do today).
Second, you (or your lawyer) can try to talk to the DHS attorney prior to the MCH to see whether any issues in the case can be narrowed (usually, it is not possible to talk to DHS about the substance of the case prior to the MCH, as they have not yet reviewed the file). If that happens, maybe you will need less time to present the case, and you can tell the IJ that you expect a relatively short Merits Hearing. It may be easier for the IJ to find a one-hour opening on his calendar than a three hour opening (normally IJs reserve a three-hour time slot for asylum cases), and so you may end up with an earlier date. Even if you cannot talk with the DHS attorney, you can tell the IJ that you expect to complete the case in an hour and try to convince him to give you an earlier date, if he has one.
Third, if you have a compelling reason for seeking an earlier Merits Hearing, tell the IJ. If you have evidence demonstrating the need for an earlier date, give it to the IJ. Maybe the Judge will not have an earlier date available immediately, but at least he can keep the situation in mind and accommodate you if an earlier date opens up.
Finally, if you simply arrive early at the MCH and get in line, you may end up with an earlier Merits Hearing date than if you show up late to the MCH since IJs usually give out their earlier dates first.
After the MCH, but before the Merits Hearing: Waiting times between the MCH and the Merits Hearing are very variable, depending on the Immigration Judge’s schedule. Assuming that the IJ has given you the first available Merits Hearing date (which is normal – see the previous section), there is not much point in requesting an earlier date immediately after the MCH. Maybe if you wait a few months and if luck is on your side, a spot will open up and your request will be granted. Or–if the Judge has an effective clerk–you can file a motion to advance, and the clerk will save it until a spot opens up for you.
Another possibility is to talk to the DHS attorney to see whether issues can be narrowed, which might make it more likely that the case can be advance (see the previous section).
Some words of caution: Keep in mind that the Immigration Court system is a mess. Judges come and go. Priorities shift, which sometimes causes cases to be moved. It is quite common for court dates to change. Even if you do nothing, a far-off date may be rescheduled to an earlier day, or an upcoming hearing might be delayed. If you successfully advance your court date, it is possible that the Court will later rescheduled your case to a more distant date (this happened to us once). It is difficult to remain patient (and sane) through it all, but maybe being aware of this reality will somehow help.
Also, remember to make sure that your biometrics (fingerprints) are up to date. If not, you may arrive at the Merits Hearing only to have it delayed because the background checks were not complete.
Finally, do not give up. Immigration Judges are human. If they see a compelling reason to expedite a case, most of them will try to help. Explain your situation to the Judge, or let your lawyer explain, and maybe you will end up with an earlier date.
Thank you so much for this article. It brought a lot if clarity, however, I can’t seem to find anything out there to help me understand if my husband, father of my 4 kids, would be detained during the months or years it takes to get his asylum case heard? He went to the border with a cover letter from our lawyer, and i589, and a slew of other documents. His A number is found on the 800 number you listed but nothing is scheduled. He is not a defensive asylum hearing I don’t believe since he approached the border voluntarily? But he has previous deportations. He had lived here since age 12. I’m ashamed to say I am no longer working and having trouble paying our lawyer. So I feel stuck to find out what happens next on my own. If his hearing is two years out, does he sit in Miami Krome until then? (Was just transferred from TX). Sorry so long. Any feedback would be beyond appreciated.
Just to clarify- aylum request is due to being kidnapped, threatened, physically injured, electrocuted, etc by local cartel members. And his Christian faith preventing him from heeding their requests to assist in kidnappings and so on. Attempts to relocate unsuccessful for economic reasons.
If your lawyer advised your husband to go to the border and present the I-589, and if the lawyer told you that your husband would get through, I think the lawyer gave wrong advice. Your husband will have a reasonable fear interview here he needs to show why he fears return to his country. If he “passes” the interview, he will then go before a judge. It may be that he is ineligible for asylum due to the prior deportation orders (in which case, he may still qualify for other humanitarian relief like Withholding of Removal or Torture Convention relief). He will likely remain detain during his court case, but if he is lucky, he could be released. When a person is detained, the court cases are usually faster – less than 6 months usually. A lawyer would be very helpful. If you cannot afford one, I did a posting on September 22, 2016 that may be helpful. Take care, Jason
Wow, thank you so much Jason! I am headed over to that blog right now! I just told our lawyer I can’t afford him going forward. And, YES, he did pass the interview and also received a letter a few days ago that stated there is credible evidence and reasonable fear and he will be seeing a judge….
I can’t find any court date using that 1-800 number or the ICE online system yet.
I feel I understand your postings and comments far better than I ever understood the lawyer. He is fairly young. Thanks again.
Unfortunately, I am no longer fairly young. If you call that 1-800 number every week or two, eventually, the case will be in the system. The court should also send written notice, but it is a good idea to check the phone number also, as sometimes, written notices get lost in the mail. Take care, Jason
You are correct! He has court tomorrow morning and I have not landed a pro bono lawyer yet. Thank you for clearing up much confusion and I will keep looking into lawyers and also what you said about how his case may possible be transferred here. Thanks again. Very much appreciate it.
My boyfriend became a US citizen at 10 years of age he had a DUI 10 years later and 5 years later he decided to cross his drunk friend from Tijuana to the US with out papers. He was just picked up from work by ICE on June 5 and still at the Adelanto facility what are his chances of getting released or deported. He does have 7 kids and is still legally married to his born US citizen wife. Can she help in his case?
I can only assist with asylum cases here, but it sounds to me like he needs a criminal law attorney (and maybe an immigration attorney if ICE thinks he is not a US citizen). Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I have a question, in Brief I got married to my spouse and overstayed the visa while trying to gather required documents for AOS then got picked up by ICE in 2015 and was put into removal proceedings in New Jersey, My MCH is oct 2018, However I moved to California, And would like to know is it better to apply for a motion to change venue Hoping to get the same date or earlier, or should i stick with my previous state? I am in fear of being assigned a much later date, as i have already spent enough time wasted. Also another question is how do i know which jurisdiction Immigration court is the city i am in in California and will be assigned to if i change venue, as you know there’s multiple courts in California with Different waiting times.
Thank you so much in advance!
If you go to the MCH in NJ and tell them you live in CA, they will likely move your case to CA and give you a new MCH, so that will be much slower. You can file a change of address (EOIR-33) and a change of venue now to move your case to CA. As for which court you will be in, that is a good question and I am not sure. Maybe you could call the court where you think it will be and ask the clerk, but the clerk may not even know. Anyway, you can try that, as I am not sure where else to get that info. You can find the court’s contact info if you follow the link at right called Immigration Court. Take care, Jason
I got picked up by ICE 5/12/16, got released with an ankle monitor, then ended up with a fear Interview 9/2/16,
The officer Refered me to an immigration judge, but at the time of the fear act Interview, ICE took ankle
Monitor off, now my first master hearing Is 12/12/2017
Can I get a work permit mean while, or why does it take so long lo get the first MHC, is there like a time limit thatyou are supposed to be seein by the court?
Thanks
If you have not filed your asylum application, form I-589, you should do so. First, because of the one-year asylum bar (you are supposed to file within a year of arriving here). Second, because it will start the “asylum clock,” which allows you to get your work permit. If you have already filed the I-589, you can check the clock by calling 1-800-898-7180 and entering in your Alien number. If you press 2, it will say how many days have elapsed on the clock. If it is more than 150, and it is still running, you can file for the work permit. If the clock is not running, but you have more than 180 days, you can file for the work permit. I recommend you talk to a lawyer about this, as you will need a lawyer for the court case, and the lawyer can also make sure your application is filed and the clock is running. Take care, Jason
Hello jason…i have a question i applied for asylum before 1 year me and my son in US and my elder son with his dad in 3rd country but of course they are included in my asylum case,i tried for expedite because of my son psychological issue but no reply ..my question what if we able to bring my son in some kind of visa what is the consequences since i didnt grant asylum yet ..i mean to change his status from that 3rd country to US and do him fingerprint….how to do all that should we contact the Uscis , will this affect the case waiting?my son is 10 years old
I think it will be difficult to get a visa for him if he does not have one already, but if you can get him to the US, there is a procedure to add him to your case, so he can have asylum-pending status (and an EAD and SSN) while he is here. Good luck, Jason
Also, you may want to consider trying to expedite again, as it sounds like you have a good reason – get some evidence if you can, like a letter from his doctor or his father, or others who know about his health problem. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I just finished reaching your blog regarding motions to advance.
I will like to consult with you regarding a motion to advance I need to draft.
Pleasr advice when is time and way to reach you for a brief chat.
Thank you.
You can email me and I will send you info about how to do a consultation: Jdzubow@Dzubowlaw.com. Take care, Jason
Hi jason
I referred to detroit imigration court in 2015 till now i have the mch on nov 29 2019 if i moved to las vegas for work and i will trasfer my case to the new courtmy question is the las vegas court give the mch with in months or like detroit with in years? And its better to move it there specialy if im from iraq ?
The November 29, 2019 is not a real date, it is just a holding date (I wrote a post about this as kind-of a joke – you can Google “Asylumist November 29, 2019” if you are interested). You can file a change of address and a motion to change venue to Las Vegas and you should get a new court date for the new court. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I am under category C08. I applied for EAD renewal on April 6th. My EAD expires on Jun 29th. Am I eligible for 180 automatic days renewal?
Regards
It should tell you on the receipt notice if your EAD was automatically extended. Otherwise, I did an article with some links about this on January 25, 2017 – maybe that would help. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
I’ve an asylum case referred to immigration court for a MCH. I’ve to go back to my home country due to an urgent cause. I’m deciding to return & face whatever challenges at home than waiting the long court hearings. I’m not interested to return back to the United States. My question is, done I need documents from USCIS other than my valid passport? I don’t have time to process them. My B1 visa has expired. What happens both at the US airport & at my home country airport?
Thanks!
I cannot say what happens at the home country airport, but asylum is confidential and the home country should not know about it (though if you have an EAD, there is a code on it that indicates asylum). As for the US airport, you should just be able to leave with no problem. If you want to come back one day, you should try to get voluntary departure, which allows you to leave without a deport order. It may be possible to get that after you leave, if the judge wants to be nice, but you would need a lawyer to attend the next court hearing for you, or file a motion with the court for you (also, this may not work, as normally, you have to be in court to get it). If you do not care about returning, you can leave. You will eventually have a deportation order that gives you a 5 year bar to returning, and other bars may also apply. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
My name is Dilya, I am an asylum aplicant in USA. In December I had interview and I was sent to the court. I have a sick daughter back to my country and she will have surgery soon not in my country, question: am I eligible for travel document now? Before while waiting for the interview I was approved for 1 year Advance Parole with multiple entries because of my sick daughter.
I will be apriciate if you will answer my question.
Thanks,
Dilya
My understanding is that if you travel now using the AP, you will not be allowed to return (leaving is considered deporting yourself). However, you (or better yet, your lawyer) may want to contact the DHS attorney in the case and maybe they would be able to give you some type of permission to return. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called DHS Office of the Chief Counsel. Good luck, Jason
Thank you! It is really helpful
Hi Jason,
One more question I have, my passport is expiring in September 2017, Can I contact my embassy to extend it or order new passport as I am asylum applicant? Will it effect my asylum status here in US as I contacted my embassy?
Thank you,
Dilya
It could affect your asylum case – if you are fearful of your home government (as opposed to a terrorist group in your home country, for example) and you renew your passport, the asylum office may want to know why and how you got a new passport from a government from a government that wants to harm you. Then you will need to explain and (hopefully) satisfy them. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Last month I had my interview and they sent me to the immigration court in NYC (but I haven’t got any hearing date yet)
My three questions are,
1) What if I transfer my case to San Dieago court,how long does it going to take to finish a case? And also what are the approval rate in SD.
2) do I have to wait first, until I get the letter from NYC court to transfer to San Diego?
3) I haven’t seen my family for almost 4 years now, is there any way, that I can go to a different country to see my family?
Thank you Jason for the help, your doing for people like us.Words are powerless to express my gratitude!
1 – It usually takes several months to transfer a case, and you cannot do that until you actually move to SD. As for approval rates, it depends more on the individual judge than the court, but Google “TRAC immigration” and you can find some info about this. 2 – I think so; otherwise, the court may not yet have your file. You can call the court to ask about this though – you can find their number if you follow the link at right called Immigration Court. 3 – I know of no way to do this. If you leave, it is normally considered that you have been deported, and you cannot return. It may be possible to negotiate with the ICE attorney for a way to travel, but it is not something I have done for a client, and so I do not know. Take care, Jason
Hi jason
Blessing to you.
I have questions regarding withdrawing the aaylum application.
1. Can any one seek an asylum to another country if he went back to home courty while pending asylum case in USA.
2. What will be the effect of withdraw the asylum application.
What do the immigration authortiy questions at port of entry when you exit the country.
3. Is this effect to travel to other countries.
4. Do they cancel my valid visa at Exit point.
Thank you and God bless you
1 – I do not understand the question. 2 – If you withdraw the case, you should be able to leave the US without a problem. 3 – I doubt it, as they would not know about your asylum case (maybe Canada would know, but no other country should know). 4 – I do not think so, but you may have trouble returning to the US even with a valid visa. If you arrive here, and they think you will file a new asylum case, they could refuse you entry. If that happens, you will have to ask for asylum, and probably be detained and then apply for asylum from prison, or you will have to leave the US immediately. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have a question for you. And i know you can guide me in a proper way. I applied for asylum in November 2015 in Arlington VA asylum office. I check affirmative asylum bulletin every month and I am noticing that the date is not proceeding since last eight months. My friends living in New York also applied asylum with me in New York office. I they received their interview date.
Can I transfer my case to New York or not.
Arlington is now advancing, but if you move to an area within the jurisdiction of NY, your case will be transferred to NY. In other words, to move the case, you have to move to a new address that is covered by the NY asylum office. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
thanks for all your kind helps. I have applied for the asylum in summer 2014 in VA and I haven’t been put on interview schedule yet. My question is, What if I married a green card holder? My girlfriend and I planning to get married and she is a green card holder, so what is going to happen? and what should I do? I came here in F-1 visa but It should be expired because I haven’t gone to school since Dec 2015. So can you please tell me what’s going to happen?
best regards,
Mohamed
If you marry, she can file for you for a GC, but there is a waiting period (almost 2 years) and you would probably need to leave the US to get your GC. Once she is a US citizen, she can file for your GC and you can probably get it without leaving the US. In most cases, the latter approach is better, meaning you will need to do your asylum case and she can give you the GC as a back up plan if asylum fails, but you could try the first approach. If you do that, talk to a lawyer about the specifics of your case first. Take care, Jason
Hi.EAD renewal application should be sent to uscis 90 days before or 120 days before expiry of work permit?
I recommend 120 days before the old EAD expires, but I believe the I-765 instructions now indicate you can send the renewal 180 days before the old card expires. Take care, Jason
?
Hi Jason,
For renewal of EAD, do i have to separate fees for I-765 $410 and biometric services fee $85.00? USCIS rejected my renewal application for incorrect fees because I sent a check a total $495.00 for one check only. I appreciate your prompt reply. Thank you so much.
Typically, our clients sent $410 for the renewal fee, and that seems to work. Take care, Jason
Thank you sir!.
Hello Jason , is it recommended to have the asylum affadivit 13 pages or is it better to keep it shorter ?
Thanks and God bless
There is no recommendation. Our affidavits range from 4 or 5 pages to 40 pages. Ten pages is about average for us, but it depends what you need to say. Take care, Jason
If I am a derivate from an asylum application from my Wife who applied for asylum before our visitor status expired, an I able to change my status for an EB5 as an investor? (Our case is pending with USCIS) Thanks in advance.
Probably, but it would require you to leave the country and collect your green card overseas at an embassy. This may or may not be possible depending on the specifics of your case, and it may even be possible to do it without leaving the US (but that is pretty rare). You would need to talk to a lawyer about the specifics to know for sure. Take care, Jason
Hi. Everybody is asking if flying domestic is safe or not with pending asylum application. I want to say “yes”. I flew just only with driver license. Please don’t let some specific examples scare everybody here. There are some problems but not everything is bad.
That is true.
I wrote a blog post discussing this yesterday – maybe that would be helpful. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
It is 39th day that my interview was rescheduled at San Francisco Asylum office. I emailed to inquire and got the reply that they will schedule my interview when resources permit. I wonder if they put me on any backlog?
Thank you
Hey,
Sorry to hear that XY.
Eventually they will reschedule the interview and mail a new receipt. I know, it’s hard to be patient but that’s the best we can do.
The more we overwhelm AO, the slower it gets for us.
Hope you get your interview rescheduled soon.
Thank u T for the nice words.
Tom*
Good bless u
Hi, XY
I’m also waiting my asylum interview date. It is also in rescheduling list because the first interview letter was not delivered to me. My case is in Chicago office. It’s been almost one month since I’m waiting. No news yet. Hope we will be rescheduled soon
Hi Asylum Seeker,
Thank you. Hope we hear from USCIS soon. keep us updated when u hear from USCIS, plz.
I highly doubt it – my guess is that you will be interviewed soon, but maybe follow up in a month if there is no news. Good luck, Jason
Thank u Jason
Today I got notice for interview reschedule. I really appreciate your support on this blog for we asylees.
Very good – Good luck (and maybe get a hotel room next to the asylum office for the night before!), Jason
Hey XY,
I hope your interview gets rescheduled soon.
If I may ask—when did you apply? I have been waiting for over 2 years for my initial interview in the same office.
Take care,
Hi Tom,
Here is my dates.
Came to us. July-2014
Applied for asylum: Feb-2015
Did first fingerprint: March-2015
Initial interview : -22-Mar-2017
But I was late to the interview and so was Rescheduled
Second fingerprint: 28:Mar-2017
Today I got reschedule notice for 18-May-2017
Hope it helped and wish u good luck with your case. Put if u have any other question, I would be happy to share my experience.
Note: I am in San Francisco, and I can tell u that USCIS scheduling bulletin is an accurate predictor.
Thank you very much XY.
Good luck at the interview and I hope it goes well!
Hi Jason,
USCIS received my initial I765 application March 22nd. I check the status everyday and on April 11th, it said it was updated. Nothing has changed since. Is this normal? Should I worry? Thanks in advance
This is initial work permit application based on pending asylum. I’m not from one of the “banned” countries.
It is too soon to worry. Initial EADs usually take 2 to 4 months, so if you have the receipt, you should be fine. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Hope you are doing great. I lost my appeal with BIA and was given a month time . What options do I have now since I don’t have enough money to appeal to a high or district court. If I move to Canada, will this denial affect my asylum case there? And is it even worth trying to move there?
Best Regards.
Hello ali i am sorry to hear that you lost ypur appeal with BIA. If you dont mind i needed to ask you few questions as it will help me alot please:
– Did you have a lawyer when you appealed to BIA? If yes, how much did it cost you?
– Which state you live in?
– How much will it cost you to appeal to higher courts?
– How many years since you filed asylum affirmatively?
Thank you again and i wish you all the success and hopefully winning your case here in the US.
Thank you so much Jason for your prompt reply.
The answers are here:
– yes, i had a lawyer when i appealed to the BIA. He charged me 5000 for the individual hearing. And 3500 for the appeal.
– I have been living in Massachusetts for the last eight years, and for more than ten years in the US.
– i have heard the higher courts cost around ten thousand and it doesn’t take long for them to decide.
– i filed defensive asylum after i was caught in a raid in 2013. In my individual hearing, the judge denied my case on past and future persecution thing, but in the written decesion, she wrote that she heard the case as affirmative asylum as i successfully established changed country conditions. Plus she observed i am of good moral character. But these things didn’t help.
– It is heartbreaking to leave after living here for so long.
Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks again.
Hi ali khan. Thank you for your responses. I am not Jason, i am concerned asylum seeker living in california. I hope Jason will respond to you soon and help you, but my sincere advice for u is pls if u love this country u must fight till the end. Jason is a wonderful lawyer and there are other great lawyers who are experienced and can give u honest expectations after assessing ur case completely and they’ll tell if u have complicated case or a winnable one, wither its worth to appeal again or not. sometimes there are clients who are real victims and have real fears but they need good lawyers that will present their cases in a way that’ll help them win, some real asylees lose their cases for having incompetent lawyers or not having lawyers at all to explain to them their rights and options for relief. Pls seek another opinion. Dont lose hope. Appeal. Best of luck to you and be safe.
Thanks Dear (A) for your kind words and encouragement. God bless you!
Feel you brother. I hope it all turns around for good for you.
It may be worthwhile to have another lawyer evaluate your case, just to be sure the first lawyer did not miss anything. You should do that soon, though, as you have very limited time to reopen (maybe 30 or 90 days after the BIA decision). Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason for all the extremely useful advices. Is it true one can be detained even before the passage of the 30 days period the BIA allows one to either comply or appeal the decision? And how long does it take for the federal court to decide an appeal? And the approximate fee?
Wishing you the best!
If you lose at the BIA and “appeal” (technically, it is not an appeal, but a petition for review), you can be detained and deported while that appeal is pending. Normally, ICE would not do that, and they would allow the appeal to finish, but under Trump, that may be different, especially for aliens with criminal convictions. If you are in danger of deportation, you can ask the federal court to issue a “stay of removal”, which would protect you from being deported until your case is done. But that does not protect you from being detained. I have not seen or heard about people being detained quickly after losing a BIA appeal, but it is possible (actually, aliens can be detained at any stage of the process, but the government generally does not do that, and there are limits to the government’s ability to detain aliens). Appeals to the federal court (at least where I normally practice) usually take from 5 months to a year, and the fee to file a case (at least in my local court) is $500. Take care, Jason
Thanks a lot, Jason.
Hi Ali
I am sorry t hear that.
That is not the end of the world. You can move to Canada. Keep in mind that Canada and US has a agreement which let asylum seekers to apply in first arrived country. I researched on that agreement. Here is some points I want to let u know.
1. Based on that agreement, you can’t apply for asylum in Canada’s borders and airports, if u first arrived to US. no matter if u applied for asylum in US, did not apply, your asylum is rejected or accepted.
2. If you have uncle, aunts or siblings in Canada then that agreement does not effect you.
3. If you enter Canada illegally, then you can apply for asylum and inside Canada they dont care about that agreement.
3. If you are caught in border, they will deport you back to US and if you ask for asylum, they will reject you asylum claim.
4. If your asylum is rejected in Canada border, you can’t apply for asylum in Canada for the rest of your life.
.
And my own advice, leave US. Search for a save port of entry in Canada border and cross the border.
your life would change. Canada government treats immigrants so respectfully. I am also thinking, once I am dine with my asylum interview and got decision.
If you dont mind, which country you are from?
Thanks a lot Tina and XY for your kind words and guidance. I am from Pakistan.
Best Regards.
Hi Ali Khan
They didn’t gv u the reason of the deniel.
U applied with ur family or individual. It was political asylum or religious
I would also recommend that you talk to a lawyer in Canada before you try to go there, so the lawyer can advise you about your case. Take care, Jason
salam are you from the seven canaries ?
so sorru ali understand i hope you will find a good cantry for you
As a muslim you know asa an takrho shayaan w ho khayron lkm
its main dont feel bad for some action maybe its good for you from allh
dont worry brother allh will be with you
You can take your case to a federal appeals court, and you can ask for a fee waiver and do the case yourself, but all this is very difficult. If you decide to go to Canada (or any country), talk to a lawyer there is make sure you are eligible to go, as you could be rejected at the border and then detained when you are sent back to the US. Take care, Jason
Thank you for all your effort in helping us. I recently moved from Boston to Seattle and send the address change form as per the instruction how do I check if my file is sent to Seattle office? It has been more than a month since I sent the address chnage.
Thank you!
Contact your old office to ask whether the case was transferred, and/or contact the new office to make sure they have your case. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thank you jason for you respective help for the asylum seekers ,i had my interview in july 2016 ,and still waiting, my EAD expire in 15 may I applied to renew the EAD three months ago and still waiting .i took my reciept from USCIS and went to DMV to extend my driving license the 180 days that given by USCiS to The expired AED cards luckily they told me that am permitted to indefinite renewal of driving license and they check my immigration status it was asylee employment authorized my question.does that mean that my case changed from asylee seeker to asylee knowing that I didn’t receive any notice yet
Approved. Congrats! Pray for us.
Tank you i pray for all of us the system said am ander the code AS1 is that mean am approved
AS1 means approved primary Asylee. Congrats once more.
You should contact your local asylum 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
It could mean that, and I have heard about cases where the status was changed before the applicant knew about the change. I suggest you contact the local asylum office to ask whether there is any update. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thank you
actually am totally confused now my Lawer(who i dont know him and have been changed three times after i made my interview 9 months ago ) called me today and told me that the Metairie office need to talk to me again before they make a decision . It is not the same procedure like last intreveiw they didnt send letter they just told the Lawer we need to talk to him next week before we make a decision .
Sometimes, the Asylum Office wants a second (or third) interview. It is not that uncommon and there are many reasons – maybe the asylum officer quit and the case was not finished, maybe the Officer’s supervisor has more questions, maybe the security check raised an issue. Hopefully, it will be something small and you will get a good decision soon. Good luck, Jason
Dear Mr Jason,
I’d like to ask if aslyum applicant wanna cancel his application ..how can he do that? & what could be the consequences in the future? & after how long he can travel, immedialtly or should wait until get responce from USICS?
thank you.
You can send the asylum office an email to tell them that you want to withdraw the case, and maybe after you leave, you can send them proof that you left the US. The asylum case could make it more difficult for you to return to the US after you leave. You can leave the US at any time, but again, it may be very difficult for you to return. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I have a question. I am being called for the third interview. The asylum office has indicated that “the TRIG issues were not fleshed out ” what does it and what to expect from the asylum officer?
I would highly appreciate your comment on this .
TRIG is “terrorism-related inadmissibility grounds”, which can mean lots of things (I did a blog post about it on June 24, 2016; maybe that would help). Typically, they will ask about whether you gave money to any terrorist group, even if it was inadvertent or coerced. This can be the basis for denying a case or for long delays. If you can afford it, it may be worthwhile to go over the specifics of your case with a lawyer so you can be fully prepared for their questions. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason. I did read your article. It was really informative. Also, thank you for your response. It looks like I have a great lawyer who knows a lot about my country conditions. He is well-educated about the organization on the basis of which I applied. At this point, I and my lawyer are wondering what is something that they want to know. They simply indicated that “TRIG issues were not fleshed out.” It looks like both asylum officers asked such questions ( lot of questions like this). Both interviews went really well. Is there anything else that you want to recommend? I am just totally shocked that they are calling me for the third interview. Is it normal?
It is not very common to get a third interview, but it is not so surprising when there is a TRIG issue. My guess is that the officer interviewed you, and then sent the case to the supervisor or headquarters. They then came back with additional questions. I think you will basically just have to wait and see what they ask, but I doubt it will be a whole lot different from the previous lines of questioning. Good luck, Jason
Can you please share your nationality? Usually, recent visit to middle east countries such as Turkey triggers additional security questions and checks. I hope you got approved soon.
hi Jason
thanks for the help
Does somebody need to bring the whole family listed on the I-589 to collect the decision of the affirmative asylum interview.
Thanks
I do not think so – I believe only the principal applicant needs to go, but I am not sure, and it may vary by asylum office. I would email your office and ask. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Thanks Jason for the reply.
It’s Arlington asylum office.
Hi,
I am thinking of traveling outside the US and I got confused regarding Refugee Travel Document and Advance Parole.Mu asyulm got approved in feb 2016 and i just filed i485 in feb2017.i already have RTD which is valid for a year . What do I need? Do I need a RTD or an Advance Parole document? I tried to read about it on the USCIS website, but I got more confused.
Prabin,
How long did it take to get your RTD?
And may I ask if you are one of the “banned countries”?
Thanks!
It took me 6 months to get my RTD and no i am not from banned countries
Thanks for replying!
6 months isn’t that bad.. Good luck on your I-485! Hope you get approved soon!
Am from one of banned countries the RTD take me 8 months to recive it
8 months is a bit long 🙁
Have you yet applied for Adjustment of Status? I’m curious is anything has changed in terms of waiting time for those from the “banned” countries.
Thanks!
You should use the RTD since you already have asylum. By the way, if your RTD is expiring and you want a new one, you should be able to use the receipt from the I-485 to avoid paying for the new RTD. I am not sure whether that will work once you have the GC, but when you paid the fee for the GC, you were entitled to also get a new EAD and RTD included in the cost. Take care, Jason
Thank you for the reply Jason!! So i dont need advance parole , though my i485 is pending right
If you have a valid RTD, you do not need advance parole. Take care, Jason
Hi,
I am an asylum seeker with pending case and I have received my EAD. When I want to travel from one state to another state in US, should I have my passport or EAD is enough?. For how long my passport should be valid? My passport is getting expired in few months.
thanks.
Also, what documents are necessary for travelling. Is the stated ID enough?
It does not hurt to have both, and a driver’s license, but you should at least have the EAD and your asylum receipt to show that you have a pending case and are lawfully present in the US. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
Can I travel to U.S. Virgin Islands with my pending asylum case or no ?! Thanks
Hey Salem,
I shared a story last month about a guy with a pending asylum case who got detained by ICE coming back from the US Virgin Islands.
Take care,
I would not – you have to go through customs if you go to the USVI, and you could get stuck there. It would be safer to get Advance Parole (form I-131, available at http://www.uscis.gov) and use that to travel. Maybe it is not needed, but I think it is far safer. If you do not want to get AP, talk to a lawyer to check before you travel. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason!) Could you please help me with my situation. What will happen to my case if I move to San Francisco which asylum office is now interviewing cases from February 2015 and I applied for asylum in December 2015. Will they send me an interview invitation as soon as possible or my case is going to be in the end of the line? How does it work if you’re passed the time frame of the schedule bulletin? The move is necessary because of the job offer that I got.
Thank you!
If you move, you should keep your place in the queue, meaning that if your case was filed before the date on the Scheduling Bulletin, you should get an interview relatively soon (it takes time for a case to move from one office to another. I believe cases are moved by donkey, so it takes a few months). Contact the old office to change your address and make the case is moved, and then contact the new office to make sure they received your place and you keep your place in the queue. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Please write something detailed in a blog post on recent ICE arrest and overall asylum weather.
Thank you
I will be looking into it, and I will try. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason this happened today at the Miami Asylum office:
Marco Coello, a young Venezuelan man who fled political persecution in Venezuela was arrested by U.S. immigration officials when he showed up for an asylum hearing at the offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Miami on Wednesday, according to his lawyer and family members.
“He’s being detained,” his mother Dorys de Coello confirmed to Univision.
Coello, 20, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents before he was due to begin an interview to assess whether he had a “credible fear” of persecution if he returns to Venezuela, according to his lawyer Elizabeth Blandon
The ICE officers alleged that he overstay his turista visa.
http://www.univision.com/univision-news/immigration/you-cant-send-me-back-to-venezuela-begs-marco-coello-an-alleged-torture-victim-detained-wednesday-during-an-asylum-interview-in-miami
It means almost every immigrant is targeted by ICE, unless you are a citizen. No peace of mind, even if you have a strong documented asylum claim.
I am not a lawyer, but whatever ICE is doing is systematic discrimination. That is another thing, if the media spread emothional messages about immigrants but dont go to the deep of the story. Discrimination does not have any magical defination. That is descrimination, when two people appears in a court, one appears because of a minor wrong doing and is detained and considered a national security threat just because he is an immigrant and another appears at the same court because of a major wrong doing and is let to go with proceddings, just because he is US citizen.
I dont like any person who do criminal acts, but I should say that we are all equally human beings.
Deport a person who does not eligible for asylum, but that is wrong when someone is seeking asylum and befor the court decide on his asylum case, is put on a deportation line.
I am shocked and saddened by what happend to this boy in Miami. Hoping it was a mistake and that he’ll be released soon. Being detained for overstaying his visa even with pending asylum case really? In that case who will still go to their asylum interview appointment if they are considering overstaying a visa is crime????
Looking to hear Mr. Dzubow’s opinion on this.
I was on vacation and I need to look into this. I think it is best to be cautious for now – many people are being interviewed for asylum and this is the only arrest I have heard about. Maybe he has a criminal record (here or in his country) or maybe he is considered a security threat. We need to remain vigilant for other examples, but I do not think there is reason to panic. If I can, I will write a blog post about his case. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason , hope all is well and hope you enjoyed your holiday in Florida .
I am currently finishing writing my case and I was wondering if 12-13 pages in my asylum case is too much ? I heard that the shorter the case the more effective ?
Thanks for your reply and constant assistance
If you are talking about your affidavit, 12 or 13 pages is pretty normal for us. We have done affidavits as short as 4 or 5 pages and as long as 40 pages – it just depends on how long it takes to tell your story. Take care, Jason
A good news is that the asylum seeker is released and the bad news is that it was a red light for all the other asylum seekers. Hope Jason would write something about it.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article147143099.html
He was released on a bond. Just like any criminal that would be detained. What if he was not able to afford the bond? Why was he arrested at first place? I think most asylum seekers are overstays due to backlog, does it mean we’re all subject to detention when we go to our interviews at asylum office??? So much confusion.
So far, this seems to be an isolated incident. We will keep an eye to see if it happens to anyone else. Take care, Jason
Thank you – I was away on vacation (coincidentally, in Florida), and I will take a look at this and maybe do a post on it if I have time. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason thank you for your input. It seems like more people than we thought are being detained when showing up for asylum interview i saw this question on avvo please investigate and inform us if this is correct. Thank you very much https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/pending-asylum-interview-and-detention-2956167.html
Thank you. I will look into this issue and maybe write something about it. Take care, Jason
Hope you enjoyed the vocation.
Thank you
Hi Jason,
Thank you so much for all your efforts! I applied for asylum back in 2015, and since then I have been checking the USCIS website frequently to follow the updates, however, for the past year or so, the scheduling in the Arlington office seemed frozen on January 2014 while many other offices have been making progress. I am wondering does anyone know about what is going on in the Arlington office? Any wild guesses? It is just extremely frustrating! Thank you.
I have emailed them recently and they are saying that they are interviewing cases from March 2014, though the Scheduling Bulletin does not reflect this, so I am not sure what is happening there. They have been doing expedited interviews and second interviews (also, priority interviews), so things are happening there. Whether we will start to see movement on the Scheduling Bulletin any time soon, I do not know. I do think it will start to move, but we shall see. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Thank you so much for helping people and answering questions. I have a pending asylum case. I have been in the US more than 3years on F-1 student visa. I just applied for asylum a few months ago. So far, I received USCIS application receipt and my finger prints done recently. The question is once my EAD recieved ( I assume in next 3-4 months), could I apply for advance parole and leave the US for a week to third country. How safe is it to come back without any issues? Or I shouldn’t do that? Although, I really needed to leave. I don’t have any criminal records and I was always in legal status, even I applied for asylum I still keep my legal status. Thank you.
You have to wait 150 days after you filed for asylum and then you can apply for the EAD. Anytime after you file (or at least when you have the receipt), you can apply for Advance Parole. You are supposed to have a “humanitarian reason” for the travel, but usually that is pretty easy to show. I have not seen people have trouble returning with AP, as long as you do not go to your home country. Of course, it is safer to stay in the US (especially if you are from a “banned” country), but many people travel and return safely with AP. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Thank you very much for all kind help.
I am an asylum pending case. I did apply in June 2014 and had an interview on May 10. The officer told me after two weeks they will send the result. I am here for more than four years and during these years I lost my brother. Now my father is sick and I really wanted to go and visit him in the third country. I don’t know anything about AP. I asked my lawyer he didn’t know too much about and he told it is so hard to collect some documents. Please please help me and explain to me what is AP exactly? And how can I get it? I really desire to see my father before something bad happened. I got depression and my son also is with me and depend on my case got depression. I am so worried. 🙁 Thank you very much in advance.
May 10, 2017. * was my interview.
AP is Advance Parole. You apply using form I-131, available at http://www.uscis.gov. It may take 3, 4 or more months to get it. You can then travel and return to the US. You need to give a “humanitarian” reason to get AP, such as that you want to visit your father who is sick (get a letter from his doctor to include in your application). One issue is that if you are granted asylum while waiting for AP, you will then not be able to travel using AP – you will need a refugee travel document instead (though maybe you could still use the AP – a lawyer would have to double check for you). If your asylum case is denied and you are sent to court, you will not be able to travel Good luck, Jason
Hello Jason, as I told after my interview I supposed to have the decision tomorrow but the official sent me an e-mail asking me for additional documentation. I’m wondering if you have any idea what can be? Is unusual? How long more is gonna a take? Anxiety is coming again.
It is very common for that to happen. You certainly will not get a decision until you submit the additional documents. Then, they probably have to review it, which could take time. We have seen delays after the interview ranging from a few days to years. If you have given them the documents and have not heard anything in 60 days (or however long you feel like waiting), email them to inquire about the case status. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Great post. I do want to take up one point made, though, that: “[i]f the system indicates that your “A-number was not found,” this probably means that the NTA has not yet been submitted to the Court.” While I do not know the percentage of issued-but-unscheduled NTA’s are the result of DHS delay in filing, I will say that in a troubling number of cases, the fault lies actually with EOIR receiving the NTA and then simply not entering it into their system, whether because of administrative backlog, or, in many other cases, oversight.
I think your advice to call the local Chief Counsel’s office is spot-on, because if the NTA is not “in the system” for EOIR purposes, they will simply refer the call to DHS anyway. A critical question to ask once one gets on the phone with an ICE attorney is whether the NTA has actually been filed with EOIR, which DHS can verify if they physically have the file. In the event they have filed it and the court needs to be reminded of the prior filing (they will often have misplaced the prior copy), the Chief Counsel’s office can assist them by providing a new copy. Yet another red tape issue that could be eliminated by E-filing.
Sometimes the NTA was not filed in the bureaucratic shuffle after a positive credible fear, or it was and EOIR never put it into the system. Either way, some lawyers I have talked to filed affirmatively and then alerted the asylum office to the situation and the NTA was filed.
Thank you for that – It is helpful. Also, as much as I am a Luddite, I am all in favor of e-filing. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason, really liked your blog. I have a question. I am pending asylum case, and recently got my EAD and social security, I want to study and get admission in a college. Will I be able to go to the college with my pending case. And also what is my status right if I am waiting for the interview? The first question they ask is about status. Thankyou
Your status is asylum pending (unless you also have some other status). Most colleges accept the EAD and allow you to enroll, but usually you pay out-of-state tuition. You may want to ask the school whether there are any scholarships or fellowships for people like you. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Thank you very much for the time and energy that you put into this blog. We really appreciate it!
My friend and I have two different interpretations of the Affirmative Asylum Bulletin schedule.
See below the schedule for the New Jersey asylum office, for example:
Newark, NJ
1. March 2017: May – July 2014
2. February 2017: February – May 2014
3. January 2017: January – April 2014
I interpret the above schedule as follows:
The New Jersey office is currently interviewing three categories of asylum cases (Cat 1- March 2017: May – July 2014, Cat 2- February 2017– May 2014 and Cat 3- January – April 2014). In Category 1 (the unaccompanied minors who crossed the border) applicants are being interviewed in March 2017, if they filed between May and July of 2014; applications that were backlogged before the new scheduling policy took effect are being in February of 2017, if they filed between February and May of 2014; etc.
His interpretation is that ANYONE who filed between May and July of 2014 are being interviewed in March of 2017; between February and May of 2017 are being interviewed in February of 2017; and so on.
I highly doubt that his interpretation is right. I filed my application in December of 2014 (I am in the 3rd category (I am an adult and simply filed affirmatively in December of 2014). Based on his interpretation, I can expect that they are now in July and would soon get an interview, if all remains equal?
Thank you very much in advance for your response. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
-Shawn
The Scheduling Bulletin is only for category 3 cases. Other cases are given priority and do not appear on the schedule. I do not know why the NJ office gives a range of dates. It may have to do with how they stored cases (for example, maybe certain months are stored together and they pull files randomly from that range of months), but I do not know. If you filed in December, your case should be coming up relatively soon, so make sure you are ready to go. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you so much for your response. This clears up a lot.
Shawn
Dear Jason,
I thank you this window that your give us before the desperate hope that most of us live. I have written you on a couple of occasions during these 4 years I have been in the same status as “pending asylum”. On this occasion I am writing to you to know what you think about this process: I applied for a I-131 travel permit on 09/14/16 for the first time because a new position in my work requires me to travel, and I read in some opportunities in your post that it was possible to process this kind of permits, I sent all possible evidence (issued by the company I work for) and received a letter on Friday 04/21/17 where I am asked for more evidence. “Proof of asylee or refugee status”.
1) your form I-94 arrival departure record (that shows your current status as a refugee or asylee).
2) your I-551 permanent resident card (that show that you have been admitted or adjusted to lawful permanent resident bases on a refugee or asylee claim); Or
3) Passport pages, with biographic information (name, country of birth, date of birth) and the page (s) that your immigration status as a refugee or asylee.
But obviously my status is pending asylum, so I do not have any of the above.
What should I send in this case?
I would appreciate very much any suggestions you can give me would be of much help.
If your case is pending, you can only travel outside the US for emergencies. USCIS will likely deny your application as work travel is not an emergency. Even if you manage to receive this advance parole, coming back to the US is not guaranteed.
Hi May,
Thank you for take time to reply to my question. You can go back to this post and read more about the advance parole for asylum seekers. It’s not only for emergencies.
http://www.asylumist.com/2015/01/27/uscis-errors-compound-asylum-applicant-woes/
USCIS Errors Compound Asylum Applicant Woes
by JASON DZUBOW on JANUARY 27, 2015
“As applicant for asylum is eligible for Advance Parole. He can travel for any reason: To see a sick relative, to attend a wedding, to go to a professional conference. So why should USCIS need to see evidence that a relative is ill in order to issue the Advance Parole document? “
Well, we already learnt here that USCIS doesn’t really care what is right sometimes. Yes, in paper you may have the right to advance parole but I’ve heard from a lawyer that most advance parole applications are denied unless you provide a lot of evidence of the necessity of your trip.
And regardless of my point above, again, even if you get advance parole you might be turned around at the border since advance parole is not a guarantee of re-entry. Anyway, I wouldn’t risk it. Moreover on a regular basis. Especially when you don’t have a legal status except pending asylum (which is not really a status).
AP used to be more difficult to get, but now, it seems that most NY reason can qualify for a “humanitarian reason” and USCIS will issue the AP. There is no guarantee of re-entry (and you have to be extra careful if you are from a “banned” country), but I have not heard about people having trouble re-entering if they have a valid AP document. Take care, Jason
You are supposed to give a “humanitarian reason” for the travel, but most anything can qualify for a humanitarian reason. Take care, Jason
If you get Advance Parole, you should be able to return. You need to give a “humanitarian reason” for the travel, but often times, this can be work related. Take care, Jason
For some reason, USCIS thinks that you are applying for some other type of document. The form I-131 can be used for different things, so maybe that is the problem. You need to inform them (again) that your status is asylum pending and that you want Advance Parole, and you will also need to respond to whatever questions they have. You may need a lawyer to assist with this. Maybe your employer can pay for that, since the travel is for work. Take care, Jason
Jason,
Thank you so much for your reply.
Do you have an email were I can contact you? Or just by phone?
I would like to have your services on this but I live in Florida and I cannot make an appointment in person.
You can email me at Jdzubow@Dzubowlaw.com to schedule an appointment. I was out of the office this past week (in Florida), but I should be there next week. Take care, Jason
Dear jason
Am one of the six countries got my approved asylum last year and i got my travel documents i want to vist my wife and kids in thired country my quetion is how long i can stay out side US with travel docomend ?
I am not sure – I think you can actually stay out for the validity period of the travel document. However, if you plan to stay outside the US for 6 months or more, I recommend you talk to a lawyer before you go just to make sure there will not be any issues. Take care, Jason
I am living in USA from last 10 years legally. Just got asylum,can I apply for green card ?
or I have to wait for a year ? 9 months?
If you want a GC based on asylum, you can apply one year after you were granted asylum. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
A short question; usually how long it takes to get interview reschedule notice. It is almost one month that my interview was rescheduled in asylum office- San Francisco, because I was 20 minutes late to the interview. But I did not hear from asylum office yet.
Thank u
You can email them to ask. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. It normally takes about a month, so you should get the notice soon, but it depends on how busy they are. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you for all the great info you share with us on here.
If you check the affirmative asylum scheduling bulletin of Newwark, NJ (I think that’s where I should be looking since I live in Boston, MA and Boston is a suboffice of Newark, NJ), that calendar is moving faster than it used to months ago. It’s a good thing for people waiting, but would you say that it’s moving faster than before because the rate of rejection in higher than other offices? I know you work in the DC area, but do you have any information about Boston/Newark offices?
Many thanks!
It is really difficult to sat from this update. Newark office has been moving fast since Trump took office, this months, they is another big jump and we don’t know the reason. However, Arlington and Houston offices didn’t move since January. Los angles office is an anomaly this moths and it is showing 2011.8 – 2012.8, I don’t know what it means, maybe system error or maybe they are getting all the help from the returned refugee (from abraod) and asylum officers (from southern border).
Hi ,
I live in boston as well, but boston suboffice moves much slower than Newark offce (as fas as i know)
Also, the LA office is (I think) getting help from an office in Virginia that does credible fear interviews by phone. So maybe that is a factor. Also, it could have to do with how cases were handled in 2011/2012 in LA. Maybe many of them were already finished before USCIS switched to the system where they do oldest cases first (for example, in VA, many cases from 2014 were done in 2014; the “skipped” cases are still being worked on in that office). Take care, Jason
I suspect that cases will start to move faster because less people are coming here across the US/Mexico border. Because such people were coming and asking for asylum, and because they were detained, they would jump ahead of “regular” asylum seekers in line. This affected all offices across the US. But, last I heard, the number of people coming as compared to last year was down by over 60%. So maybe asylum officers are freed up to work on cases like yours. We have not seen cases being denied at the asylum office; in fact, we have had a number of cases recently granted (though I think most of those were at Arlington). Take care, Jason
Hello Dear Jason,
I have asyulm pending case in immigration office ,now k wamt to return to my home because of an urgent issue ,i received an acknowledgement of receipt from us citizenship and immigration SVCS from 5 month ago ,they told me you can remain bere until your asylum application is decided,if you wish to leave while your application is pending ,you must obtain advance parole from USCIS, so because of this factor I mentioned above i don’t have time to botain this parole ,if i go to the airport the custom or any person there allow me to go out side and return to my country with out this parole? ,i have a vaild passport and visitor visa but when i came to here the custom put a return date on my visa ,i had to leave usa before 4 month ago but when i applied for asylums ,the immigration let me to stay here .
I am very appreciate it if you could give me some information about that .
Yours faithfully
You can leave – that is not a problem. If you plan to return with the same visa and it is a B visa, this could be a problem, since they will know you have an asylum case. You probably will be able to return, but you may be rejected at the airport and sent home. You can claim asylum at the airport, but then you will be detained. If you do not plan to return here, then there should be no problem. I do recommend that you contact the asylum office and inform that you left so they cancel your case. This may make it easier for you to return should you want to do that some day. You can find the asylum office contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason thank you so much for sharing valuable information this is the topic i was interested as i my case has been pending a while. I filled motion to reopen with immigration judge aka sua ponte , the court recieved Novermber 12th 2105, its been pending since then. When ever i dial my A# it says the system doesnt contain information regarding future hearing date. How do i expediate my motion? I was thinking of changing my attorney and wondered if i hire new attorney how it might effect my case wheather it might delay further or expediate ? Pls can you provide any input or may be your experiance ?
If your case is closed and you filed a motion to reopen, it probably means you were previously ordered deported and now you (or your lawyer) is trying to reopen the case. You can call tat same phone number and press “3” to hear if there was ever any decision in your case. Also, you can call the court directly to ask the clerk about the status of your case and the motion. You can find their number if you follow the link at right called Immigration Court. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you very much for this valuable information. My husband and I filed our asylum application in May 2011. Long story short, after that, our individual hearing was deferred for many times, the very last time was on April 7,2017, our attorney was there, we were there but no one showed up in the court and nobody received any notice beforehand. Today, we received a call from our attorney saying the case had been rescheduled to 2020. We’ve been waiting way too long, and the hearing continues to be deferred. We are really desperate for your opinion on what we can do! Thank you so much!
Your attorney can file a motion and request an earlier court date. Given all the delays caused by the court, maybe they will consider that and give you an earlier date. At least you can try and see if it works. Good luck, Jason
hi Jason, thank you for the column.
just a simple question. Is the NTA served after the first interview (if it is denied)?
thnx once again.
If the asylum case is denied, and you are out of status, they give you the NTA when they give you the decision. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason very much for these valuble information. Was wondering if you can also provide data on case backlog for asylum offices?
I forget the latest numbers, but it is about 150,000 nationwide. You might also Google “asylum office quarterly stakeholder meeting” and you should be able to find statistics there. Take care, Jason
Hi sir thank you for your response. I googled and saw the statistics. I have a question please; there is a box/colomn for people who filed affirmatively but were reffered to immigration judge without being interviewed by asylum officers! How is this possible? How can anyone who files affirmatively be reffered to court without getting an interview first? Please clarify. I have filed affirmatively after i became out of status (LA office), will i get a chance to be interviewed in asylum office or will i be reffered instantly to IJ? Please and thank you.
Maybe those people did not show up for the interview. Everyone who files is supposed to be interviewed, and I have not heard about people being referred without an interview, unless they are no shows (and that is pretty common). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason. I’m back to ask a question. My wife and I filed for renewal of our EAD at the same time. How come her renewal is approved and there mailing her new card while my application is is pending. Is that really typical? Thank you very much and God bless you, Jason.
When did you and your wife file, please?
We filed 2nd week of January.
Thanks for the response. I filed 1st week in February.
Waiting times vary. Usually it takes between 2 and 4 months. If you are worried, call USCIS – you can find the number at http://www.uscis.gov, but my guess is that it is a normal delay. Take care, Jason
Thank you very much, Jason.
MY Ead process
Jan 11 filed i 765 with texas service center
Feb 3 transferd to potomac service center.
Apri 10 case aproved.
April 15 got new card.
Hopefully you get it soon too. Good luck.
Ead process:
Feb 22 i’ve sent all my paper work
March 8 receive a letter that my case was received on feb 27th and still in process.
April 18th case was approved
April 21th card was mailed to your adress
I m still waiting my card. I ve applied asylum since july 2013 and i ve never been call for an interview. Office Los Angeles
Hi Jason, thank you for the post.
If your case was sent to court and you marry a citizen before date is assigned to your case, can your spouse file for you? Will you have to wait for the court hearing date?
If you are eligible, your spouse can file the I-130 petition and you can usually put your court case on hold until that is approved. Then, you can ask the Judge to terminate proceedings so you can get your green card based on the marriage. Not everyone is eligible to do this, and so you might want to talk with a lawyer about that. Take care, Jason