Last week, President Trump announced a new travel ban on foreign nationals from 19 different countries. Here, we’ll look at the effects of the ban, with a particular focus on asylum seekers and asylees.
According to the White House proclamation, twelve countries are subject to a complete suspension of immigrant and non-immigrant visas: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Seven more countries are subject to a partial ban, which affects mainly tourists (B-2 visas), business visitors (B-1 visas), and students (F, M, and J visas): Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. In addition, “in light of recent events” (a reference to the attack on a pro-Israel march by an Egyptian national in Colorado), the government will review “the practices and procedures of Egypt to confirm the adequacy of its current screening and vetting capabilities.”
The ban applies to foreign nationals of the designated countries who are outside the United States and who do not have a valid visa on the effective date of the proclamation (June 9, 2025). So if you received a visa prior to June 9, you should be able to enter the U.S.
Some categories of people from the banned countries are exempt from the ban and are still able to come to the U.S. These include (1) lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders), (2) dual nationals who enter the U.S. using a passport issued by a non-banned country, (3) certain diplomats, (4) athletes and their entourage coming to the country for the World Cup, the Olympics, or other major sporting event, (5) immediate family members (i.e., parents, spouses or minor unmarried children of U.S. citizens) who are immigrating to the United States, as long as they have “clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (e.g., DNA),” (6) adoptions, (7) Special Immigrant Visa holders from Afghanistan, (8) certain government employees, and (9) “immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.”
There are also exceptions for humanitarian immigrants—
This proclamation shall not apply to an individual who has been granted asylum by the United States, to a refugee who has already been admitted to the United States, or to an individual granted withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of [sic] Punishment (CAT). Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the CAT, consistent with the laws of the United States.
(emphasis added). I suppose this is good news, or at least, it makes the bad news less bad. It means that asylees and refugees can travel and return to the U.S., though they would need a Refugee Travel Document.
It is a bit odd that the proclamation also exempts people granted Withholding of Removal or CAT, since they are always ineligible to travel and return to the U.S. If they leave, they are not coming back, ban or no ban.
The quoted language also makes clear that the ban does not affect people in the U.S. who are seeking asylum, Withholding of Removal or CAT.
It’s less clear whether the ban affects people seeking refugee status, as those people are outside the U.S. However, since our refugee program seems to have been killed (except for a few lucky Afrikaners), this concern is probably moot.
What about family members of asylees and refugees who are outside the United States and seek to join their relative in the U.S. (using form I-730)? The Trump Administration previously attempted to ban I-730 beneficiaries of refugees (as opposed to asylees), but that ban was blocked by a court order. We will have to see how the current ban is applied to I-730 beneficiaries of asylees.
What about Advance Parole (AP), which allows people with a pending case to return to the U.S. after overseas travel? While people with AP have generally been able to return to the U.S., the current proclamation provides no guidance about this, and so again, I think we will have to wait to see how the rule is implemented. Until we have more clarity, if you are from a banned country, it is probably a bad idea to leave the U.S., even if you have AP.
The main effect of this ban—aside from further isolating our county and indulging our xenophobia—will be to block visitors, workers, students, and some immigrants from the targeted countries. We will see how it works in practice, but based on my reading, I think (and hope) the ban will have a fairly limited impact. That’s cold comfort for those who are affected, and we must all keep working to reverse this ban and protect innocent immigrants from further harm.
Hi Jason, Me and my two daughters are asylees and green card holders from Iran. We can apply for citizenship next year but in the meantime I was wondering if it’s a safe move to apply for my daughters to get iranian passport while we are waiting for our travel document and citizenship in future. I’m not even sure if they can obtain the iranian passport since they were 8 years old leaving the country but they have a study abroad opportunity in college and thinking about anything that can get them to travel with their college program. I want to make sure this move doesn’t ruin our case after waiting 13 years.Thanks,
If they were dependents on the case, it would not normally have any negative effect if they got their passports. However, if the principal applicant indicated that the government sought to persecute everyone in the family, it might look suspicious if they renewed their passports and if the government allowed them to renew. I wrote a bit about this issue on May 25, 2022. Take care, Jason
Mr. jason
Please shed some light on this. My embassy here is not helping me to renew my passport hence i havr contacted my husband country and mum country are the same ( third world) to help me to get a travel document to get to that country. I do have a birth certificate from the country where my mum is born and the country where my husbans is born. So now ministry of foreign affairs is telling me they can go ahead and help me to renew my passport through diplomatic channels, and help obtain my passport for the original citizenship i hold ( my dads country)
I do not want to give out too much information to them ( asylum application in 2017) when they asked me what is your status i said i have a work authorisation and drivers license which is renewed periodically and left it to that. Do you think they will find out eventually if i asked to send a copy of the work permit?
Do you think they will find out that at first when my passport was sent for renewal i did mentioned to the first country that i do hold asylum application that is pending and that is why they rejected my applicatio. Although they should not becoz im not the main applicant? And it is my husband who is the main applicant?
Do you think they will make an issue if i did not let them know at the first instance?
Will this become an issue? And how can it become an issue? I wish i could mentioned countries here but i dont want to be too explicit? Please Jason, i once previously wrote to you and i learnt a lesson not to give out too much information more than needed as you said. They dont need to know anything of what we hold here in US. But since i had truly mention it on my first passport application? Will they get to know about it?
I am just worried and if they do what are the steps from
Here to just tell them that was not necessary to know all of it? Does applyin for asylum take away my right not to apply for passport? I wont be coming back to US.
I want to just go back to my parents who are sick and one is in ICU?
If you have a pending asylum case, your work permit has a code on it, c-8, which indicates it is based on asylum pending. If they know the code (or Google it), they will see that the work permit is for a pending asylum case. Whether that will be an issue for your home government, I do not know. Maybe you can just use the birth certificate and not give them the work permit. Alternatively, maybe you can explain that you do not fear the home government, but instead, you fear non-state actors, such as terrorists, if that is the case. Take care, Jason
Hi
My name is Samah Ibrahim, and I am originally from Sudan. I am writing to seek legal advice regarding my current immigration status and my eligibility to file Form I-485 based on my selection in the Diversity Visa Lottery 2025.
I was selected for DV-2025, and my case number is now current. I am currently residing in the United States and was granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in July 2024, which is valid until April 2025. I applied for TPS re-registration and extension in January 2025, but the renewal is still pending and has not yet been approved.
Given that my TPS is currently pending, I would like to confirm whether I am eligible to file Form I-485 at this time, or if I must wait until the TPS renewal is officially approved.
Really appreciate,
Your eligibility depends on different factors and I think you need to have a lawyer review the situation. I do not recall whether filing to renew TPS automatically extends the current TPS. If so, you may be eligible, but without more info, it is difficult to say and it would be worth discussing with a lawyer, as you do not want to miss this opportunity to get a GC if that is possible. I did write about the DV Lottery on October 5, 2015. I am not sure there will be much in that article to help in your situation, but it may be worth a look. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your informative posts. I recently arrived in New York for a conference and was admitted for 6 months with B1/B2 visa. I come from a country where violence is the norm and people get kidnapped in broad daylight by gangs/rebels and sometimes with the assistance of gov’t entities. There are multiple news source that report this. Hence, I’m exploring options to stay legally in the U.S. Since I’ve been reading your blog for a while, I thought I’d ask if you or your firm provides consultations in NYC, if so can you please let me know how to book one? Thanks!
We can do that – our firm has an office in Newark, NJ. If you would like a consult you can contact the firm directly through the website or email me (Jason@MurrayOsorio.com), though I am in DC and not NJ. Take care, Jason
Thanks Jason. I have sent an email to the address you provided.
Hi Jason,
It has been almost a year that I filed my green card application based on asylum. The status of my application has not changed in the past 283 days. The current state shows that My Case was Updated To Show Fingerprints Were Taken”. I read that the new administration paused or slowed down the processing of green card based on asylum. Do you have any latest updates regarding the processing of green cards? Whether the processing been paused or slowed down?
I am also considering submitting a FOIA request for my green card application. What is your suggestion, should I submit a FOIA to find more information about my green card process? Would it be helpful? Thank you!
I have not heard anything new and supposedly they have paused the GC process, but we do not know who is affected or for how long. Also, I have heard recently about some people getting GCs based on asylum and so some cases may be getting through. I do not know that submitting a FOIA will get you any insight into the delay, but it should not cause additional delay and so I think you can do that if you want. Take care, Jason
Hey jason,
Thank you for all your efforts for asylum community. I have a question i received GC based on asylum and the date on card is 07/2021 so i am up for applying for citizenship in 04/2026. I am not sure what shall i expect in the interview. Will it include question from my asylum case/story so i have to review it since it ha been more than 10 years on this?
Second, i am not sure if this may have an effect on the citizenship process, when buying my home in 2023 we offered to buy a home and went into contract and then canceled due to sellers failing to disclose important issues about this home that we discover after inspection. We backed and sellers sell their home for less money (15000); they sued us for damages in civil county court. We ended up to settle the whole thing and we paid them less money to avoid legal fees/waste of time and effort. It was settled before any hearing. Would this affect the naturalisation process. Shall i apply in 04/2026 or do you recommend waiting?!
1 – USCIS normally does not ask about the asylum case, or asks very little, though that may change as they are giving more scrutiny to I-485 cases based on asylum. I did a post about the GC process on December 2, 2020, and maybe that would help. 2 – Unless you were charged with a crime, this would have no effect on your GC or your citizenship case. Take care, Jason
I repropose my position, that immigration and asylum advocates should stop taking sure-win or sure-lose cases. Because we need to conserve resources for people more in need, for people that having a lawyer actually makes a difference. The elimination or sure-win and sure-lose cases can free up 2/3 legal resources.
For example, marriage cases are typically very straight forward. It should not take more than the consultation to have these cases resolved. These are the sure-win cases I am referring to.
An example of sure lose cases are like those who have criminal issues ( and who should not be helped any way in my opinion) and those who have asylum been denied by IJ. It’s very rare for IJ’s decision to be overturned by BIA or federal courts…I mean if a lot of IJs decision are overturned by BIA or federal courts…then that means EOIR is incompetent, and we know it’s prob not the case. Since EOIR in the overwhelming majority, make decisions that are ultimately affirmed. Then people’s appeal process should stop there and no more legal resources should be wasted on that applicant.
I just believe immigration advocates shouldn’t just take every legally recognizable case. The legal resources are limited and should be preserved for people where the legal support can actually make a meaningful difference.
In my experience, there are strong and weak cases, but no “sure win” cases and few “sure lose” cases. Take care, Jason
Is it possible to prioritize cases in the order, ranking from how much of a difference a lawyer can make vs the order these people come to you ?
For example, those marriage cases, I mean they can wait a little bit…right ? People who have an EOIR hearing in 2 weeks cannot wait and need your support right away. So, if a client with normal marriage case comes before a person with urgent EOIR hearings…does the immigration advocate work on the marriage case and make the EOIR hearing person wait ? or work on EOIR hearing case first and then … turn around to work on the marriage case ? I am just curious about the process as I am sure it’s a common scenario for people who have non-urgent cases and in better position come to your firm before people who have urgent, critical cases.
I have no idea. We get cases and we do them as best as we can. If we do not have capacity to do a case, we try not to take that case. Take care, Jason
My friend filed form I-485 adjustment of status in 2023 and he submitted all the required documents including the medical..in May this year they requested another medical claiming the one he submitted has expired..and they said for them to make a decision he should do another Medical which he did and submitted.so how long does it for them to need a decision after receiving RFE?
Thank you.
It used to be pretty quick (maybe a month or two), but lately, it is not predictable, and so I do not know how long it will take. Hopefully, it will be soon, but a wait of several months seems pretty normal these days. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason. Thank you so much for the info you share. I have 2 questions about affirmative asylum.
First, are the 21 days in LIFO business days or calendar days?
Second, if my affirmative asylum case is not approved, my understanding is that my case is then sent to immigration court. How long would it take until my immigration court date?
Thank you.
1 – My understanding is that they are calendar days, but I do not recall whether the time frame is 21 days or 45 days or something else for a case to still be considered LIFO. Most new cases are getting interviews quickly, and so if you are filing a new case, you should be prepared for an interview in the coming months. 2 – I would guess the first hearing is usually scheduled for a few months after the case is referred to court, but this varies a lot and I have seen everything from a month to more than a year. Take care, Jason
Thank you for your response! Another question for you: in reading and researching I am now worried because I don’t have medical or police reports, just my witness affadavits and my declaration. Would it be worth it for me to get a psychological evaluation to add to my case? Do asylum officers take those seriously? If so, does it matter if it is a pyschologist or LCSW doing the evaluation and report? Thank you for any insight you have!
You are required to get evidence that is reasonably available and if there are no medical or police reports, then failure to get those should not have a negative effect on the case. Instead, you can get letters from people who know about the incident. You can also get a psychological evaluation. Whether it is helpful depends on the situation. If you have suffered trauma and are getting regular treatment over a period of time, that is better than a report where you meet the therapist once or twice and the write something, but either way, it can be helpful, depending on the case. Take care, Jason
Hi all,
I was hoping to get some insight on the process of interpreter/language services at ports of entry for passengers that don’t speak good English, given the difficulties/uncertainties of the current administration The individual in question is elderly but will have a valid tourist visa. Thank you.
I think that if they do not have someone present who speaks the language, they will call an interpretation service by phone. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I’m sure you’ve heard about the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” currently moving through Congress via the budget reconciliation process (simple majority, filibuster-proof). I’ve heard it includes major changes to asylum and work permit policies — such as imposing a $1,000 fee for asylum applications and a $550 fee for each EAD based on pending asylum, parole, or TPS, with validity limited to just six months.
The bill has already passed the House, and the Senate version being debated contains the exact same text (https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/mopayxrwopa/reconciliation_-_senate_judiciary_committee_-_final.pdf)
I wanted to ask: do you think applicants with initial or renewal EAD applications currently pending would be subject to the new rules once the bill is enacted? Or do you think we would be grandfathered in under the old system? Alternatively, is it possible that we might avoid the $550 fee but still receive EADs valid for only six months?
Thanks so much!
I have not read the bill and my sense is that there will be changes before it becomes law, but whether that will make the immigration provisions easier, I do not know. I would expect that work permits that are pending would not be affected by the bill, but I do not know that for certain and we won’t know until/if the bill becomes law. Take care, Jason
The current administration is rolling out damaging policies left and right.
What have the asylum advocates been doing in response ? Any congressional meetings ?
There are a lot of advocacy efforts, as well as many lawsuits, from non-profits and others. In some cases, these are helping, especially with lawsuits. However, the advocacy efforts are less effective, as the Administration is interested only in deporting people and showing how tough/cruel they can be. Take care, Jason
Thank you as always, Saint Jason.
Are there good sources to follow that can clarify how this ban (and the new one announced 3 days ago) will affect I-730 FTJ cases for asylees? I know people who really need to know. Clear and reliable information is hard to come by!
I have not seen any sources about that or any info. I think the US government has not clarified this, which is a big problem, and it is unclear whether they will ever inform us about it. Maybe we will just have to wait to see how things operate. There are many non-profits that work on immigration (including some listed at left under Blog Roll) and they may have info about that. If I hear info, I will try to post it here. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you for all you do.
I have a question on I-730 based on the current immigration atmosphere.
I was granted asylum by IJ in October of last year. I filed for my wife’s I-730 in November of last year. She is currently on H1-B. In March we got a status update that the case was transferred to the local field office.
My questions are
1. My wife had a speeding violation back in 2015 which was disposed as a minor misdemeanor. Do you think given the current atmosphere, we could have issues with her I-730 approval?
2. If she is called for an interview, do you think this can cause issues like some of the horror stores we have been hearing?
3. Do you think it would be good/helpful in this and future immigration cases for her to get this record expunged?
Your advise is much appreciated. Stay blessed
1 – I think it will have no effect, but she should have a copy of the disposition (final outcome) if that is needed. Normally, a traffic ticket is not a misdemeanor, and so if she is not certain about this, she should talk to a lawyer. 2 – I do not, but again, I am not sure why this would be a misdemeanor and if it is, talk to a lawyer. 3 – It will not make much difference for purposes of immigration, but if she wants to get it expunged, it certainly won’t hurt. She will still need to report the issue on USCIS forms if it is a criminal issue, even if it is expunged. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you so much for your response. I was just looking online and it is, I think, listed as criminal and the disposition category is M3 and listed as a speeding ticket as it was a speed of 88 on 65 from what I see on the ticket. It says disposition category as community and fines applied.
Should there be a concern with these details?
It was filed as a “general” minor misdemeanor and the Judge reduced it to a City/Town Violation M3 which is also a minor misdemeanor
All this depends on state law, and I do not know about that – you have to review the state law to see how (if at all) it impacts immigration, and to do that, it is helpful to have a lawyer who knows immigration law and is familiar with the criminal laws of the state where you had the misdemeanor. Take care, Jason
Maybe it is some type of reckless driving conviction? I really doubt it would cause any issues for immigration, but I think you need to be extra careful these days. I would recommend you talk to a lawyer to review the conviction (if that is what it is), just to be safe. Also, maybe you want to have available some evidence of “rehabilitation”, such as taking a driving class. Again, this may be over cautious, but these days, you never know. Take care, Jason
Thank you very much Jason. Will reach out to my attorney.
Hello Jason, my individual hearing was closed admin since I have tps but today my attorney told me that DHs submitted a form to request the judge to put it back on calendar. How long does it take the judge to decide this?
Thanks
You can try to oppose that if you do not want the case back on the calendar, but if the judge puts that case back on the calendar, I expect the court will let you know in a few weeks. When the next court date will be, I do not know, as that varies by judge. Take care, Jason
I am an asylum grantee applying for naturalization. In my country of origin, I was once detained by a college security officer—not by law enforcement. Do I need to disclose this on the naturalization application (Form N-400)?
After I left my country, government security officers threatened my father and warned him of retaliation if I spoke out. They also accused me of being an organizer of a banned religion. Since this was only a threat and not an official investigation or charge, do I need to report this on the naturalization form?
Also, can I request my full A-file through FOIA via email? How long does it typically take to receive it, and will it be sent to me by email?
I think you should provide a consistent statement with your prior forms (I-589 and I-485, and maybe other forms, depending on your case). If there is a change, you need to explain that. In terms of the college security officer, that does not sound like an arrest to me, but I think you should also consistent with prior forms and provide an explanation in your application if you think that is needed. To get the FOIA usually takes a few months. Take care, Jason
Hi
IRAP is a pro bono lawyers they are free lawyers. I don’t have their email address.
Does IRAP help refugees from Africa?
What is their email address?
1.Legal assistance from IRAP
International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) how to request help from IRAP?
I hope a reply
I do not have that info, but our refugee program has basically ended, so I do not know that they can help bring people to the US (though maybe if the person is coming to join a family member who is already here, they can help – I do not know). They can also maybe help people immigrating to other countries. There are many organizations that help refugees, though there is still much more help needed than they can provide, and so you might look around for other organizations that can assist if you cannot reach IRAP. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I had a pending asylum case for 10 years. I moved from the MD area to CA and I updated my address on my USCIS account. I recently saw on my case status that I had an interview in August last year but never received a notice. I then requested for a rescheduling at one of the CA field offices cause I’m assuming my case is with them. About a month later, I didn’t receive any correspondence from them. I checked my case status again and it says case closed and that they stated the reason in a notice sent. I didn’t receive the notice. I even went to reupdate my address again on my account when I saw the missed interview notice online. My A number isn’t on the EOIR website. I sent a message to reopen at the VA/MD office but in the meantime how do I proceed? Do I refile and where? I don’t want to lose anymore time.
I would not re-file, at least not yet. You may want to talk to a lawyer to see if they can reach out to the asylum office for you. You can also email both asylum offices with evidence that you changed your address and an explanation that you need to reopen the case (you can find their email address if you follow the link under Resources called Asylum Office Locator). You can also reach out to a Congress person’s office for help. You can find contact info if you follow the links under Resources called House of Representatives or Senate. You can also file a request to get a copy of your file using the link under Resources called FOIA USCIS. This should contain any interview notice or notice that the case is closed. I would get that before trying to re-file, so you have a better idea about what happened to the prior case. If all else fails, you can re-file, but I would talk to a lawyer first so they can look at the specifics of your situation, just to see if there is anything else that you can do, or that you need to know, before you file again. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I was checking the status of my approved I-730 (for my son) online using the CEAC portal and his NVC case number/invoice ID. The portal gave me this message:
“Summary Information
To process your case, please schedule an interview with the U.S. Consular Section or USCIS office. If you have already scheduled an appointment for an interview, please prepare your documents as directed in your appointment letter and appear at the consulate on the appointed date and time. Otherwise, please wait until you have been notified of your interview appointment. Additional information about how Immigrant Visa interview appointments are scheduled can be found at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/interview/interview-prepare.html
”
Should I wait for the interview appointment (will they schedule it for me?) or should I call the U.S. Consular Section and make an appointment? I haven’t received the welcome letter from the NVC yet and the I-730 petition was approved on May 21, 2025.
Thank you!
Hello Mr. May I know when you applied for I-730 for your family and how long did it take to be approved?
Hello,
I applied in February 2018. It took a very long time for us to get this approval but I’m very grateful that it finally happened.
We are seeing USCIS complete the I-730 process in about a year to two years for most people. Consular processing usually takes several months. Take care, Jason
I think you just have to wait. It often takes a couple months after asylum is approved, and then they contact you about next steps, including the interview. I have never had to contact the embassy to get the process started, and I expect you will hear from them in the next month or so. If not, you can inquire through the NVC website or ask for help from your Congress person, but I think for now, it is a bit too soon for that and hopefully, they will contact you soon. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Can a pending asylum holder in the US qualify for Parole in Place due to the war in their country?
People with asylum pending are not deportable, and so I do not know how PIP would be applied to them, or that it would really help them even if they could somehow get it. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I’m a green card Holder through asylum from Iran. As you know, there have been war between Israel and Iran recently which may eventually result in Government change in Iran. Do you think our status as a Green card holder would be in danger in that kind of situation?
Thanks
I can’t say I think a regime change is likely, but who knows? If that were to happen and a benign/good government took control, it should have no effect on asylees who now have a green card. However, if that happened, people who have asylum could potentially lose their status as it would (theoretically) be safe to return to Iran. Take care, Jason
People are dying in our country and you are worry about your green card, shame on you.
It seems a reasonable question to me. Just because the person is worried about his own situation does not mean that he is not also worried about others. Take care, Jason
Regime change is not going to happen through this war. It didn’t happen in Iraq or Afghanistan, even after many years of war. It is not going to happen in Iran, which is even larger than those countries. Russia and China are already supporting Iran, and Putin is acting as a mediator for peace talks and a nuclear deal. The U.S. wants to make a nuclear deal with Iran. If anything, Iran will be forced to make a nuclear deal, which is a more diplomatic and far less costly option for all parties involved.
Hi Jason,
My son’s I-730 was approved by the USCIS and transferred to the Department of State for visa processing on May 22, 2025. I received an email from the NVC today stating his case number and invoice ID after submitting Public Inquiry Form online. I used the case number and invoice ID to check if there’s anything at https://ceac.state.gov/IV/Login.aspx but got a message stating:
“Please be advised that the case that you have attempted to access is not eligible for further processing by the National Visa Center at this time. Please contact the National Visa Center if you believe that you have received this message in error.”
I’m thinking maybe it’s too early to check the status of his visa using the CEAC portal. Would you please let me know what kind of correspondence should I expect from the NVC or the USCIS next? So far I only received an approval notice about I-730 from the USCIS. I believe, I should receive a welcome letter from the NVC in the mail. This letter should have instructions on what I should do next. How long does it typically take to receive this letter from the date my I-730 was transferred to the DOS?
Thank you!
The most recent such case we had took a couple months (I don’t remember exactly) between the I-730 letter and the NVC letter, which came by mail and also we had an email notice. So in your case, I think it is too soon to expect anything just yet, but hopefully, it will not be much longer. Take care, Jason
Jason, My embassy is not issuing me a passport. It has been a difficult year they are saying since u applied for asylum here and now want to go back we will need you go to thru enquiry verifcation for 8 months. The report takes that long to come. How ever to file for a passport application I need to provide civil Id of two relatives that live back home. I have no one who lives back home. It is next to impossible.
I do not have the first step with me. Then even if I find two Id of persons i dont know then they are going to ask me to wait for 8 months for enquiry verification to be completed. It is not even a sure method. Keeping mind I have not gone back home for 15 years. I have no idea what are they verifying.
I now went back to my mums home country they said to me that if I process a birth certificate of that country i will be able to get a emergency travel document and go back to my mothers home country.
I did process the birth certificate as they said it took another 4 months. Now they changed their word because the consular general is not knowledgable enough to between the lines of a english sentence.
I am lost !
‘I need go back home urgently it is the country my husband’s country too.
I am so lost I am not getting a passport for the nationality I hold and the consulate.
I am not getting a travel document from the consulate my mother holds the nationality from.
What can I do in this case to leave the country.
Is there any solution.
I am so tired for the past year and 6 months, fighting for my right as a citizen, with governement with the ministry of foreign affairs, and the immigration office back home.
Please give me a solution how can i get this travel document.
Thank you
If you have status in the US (such as asylum or a green card), maybe you can get a travel document from the US government. Otherwise, I am not sure what to do, as I only do immigration law for the US. Maybe you need to talk to a lawyer from you country or your mother’s country to see if they can assist. Take care, Jason
But people keep not listening. Nothing can be done
IDK about the situation in your home country. However, traveling to the country that you claimed you fear prosecution of may result in denial of your case (if it’s pending) or get sent to an immigration court (if your case is approved).
Hi jason do you know why work permit cases are taking so long? I got mine but my husband did not.
I don’t know, but it is common to see renewals take different periods of time – sometimes, they are fast; other times, they are slow. It seems arbitrary to me, but the whole system is a disaster and so such delays are not surprising. We are not seeing people being denied, and so hopefully, he will get the card soon. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason you are just an angel to all of us stuck in different situations.
Jason i applied for work permit with my husband and I.
I got my card his case is still pending.
He has got his approval even ( standalone approval)
Do we need to be worried. Why is it taking so long we are worried becoz of all that is going around us.
Please help.
I am not sure what you mean when you say he got his stand alone approval. However ,if he got a receipt and if he filed before his old card expired, he automatically gets the card extended by 540 days, and he can use that to work or get a driver’s license (at least he should be able to get a license – some DMVs are more difficult). It is common to see family members apply at the same time and get a decision at different times, and so that is not really a worry, unless maybe he has a criminal issue that could effect eligibility for the card. Otherwise, as long as he has the receipt, he should hopefully receive the card soon. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I have a question regarding ICE arrests and raids, does ICE detain asylum pending people if they come across them during raids? I saw a couple of posts from different people saying they were detained by ICE during car stop, or on the street. Have you heard anything like that?
We don’t have a very clear picture of what is happening, but so far, whenever I have heard about asylum-pending people getting detained, there are always other circumstances, such as a criminal history or some prior immigration issue, such as a deport order (or maybe an unlawful entry, though I do not recall hearing about that so far). As far as I can tell, people with an asylum case pending at the asylum office are generally safe, and hopefully, that will not change. Take care, Jason
Hey Jason,
I came across this article:
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/small-business-owner-says-ice-detained-a-third-of-his-employees/3634370/
It reports that several individuals were detained by ICE on their way to work, and it seems they were picked up solely because they had pending asylum applications, with no criminal records.
Do you have any more information about this? Could this be a sign that people with pending asylum cases only are now being detained as well?
Thanks,
I don’t have info about this, but ICE is randomly detaining some people, and this could be related to those random detentions. However, if they have a pending affirmative asylum case, they should be permitted to continue that case, or maybe be forced to do the case in court. One problem is that we don’t have a whole lot of information about those people who are being detained, and so we don’t know their exact status or the reason for the detention. At least so far, it seems to me that affirmative asylum seekers who have been in the US for 2+ years and have no criminal issues are safe, but it is impossible to say that with complete certainty. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
When you said, “affirmative asylum seekers who have been in the U.S. for 2+ years and have no criminal issues are safe,” were you referring to the fact that they are not subject to expedited removal and therefore are unlikely to be detained by ICE?
If so, what about individuals who have been in the U.S. for less than two years but were inspected and admitted (e.g., entered on a visa), and then applied for affirmative asylum within one year of that entry? Would you consider them to be safe as well?
From what I understand, expedited removal generally applies only to individuals who entered the U.S. without inspection and have been here for less than two years. Does that align with your view?
Thanks!
Yes – I was referring to expediting removal, which generally applies only to people who enter without papers at the border. It can also apply to people who enter with a visa if they committed a fraud (or perhaps if they are accused of having committed a fraud). In general, I would consider people who entered with a visa to be safe from this, but given how the Trump Administration is seeking any way to expand the use of ER, it is impossible to say for sure. What I can say is that so far, I have not seen people who entered with a visa being subject to ER. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have an RTD and a green card. I’m from a country with a partial ban. I’m planning to travel to Canada in two weeks. Do you think it is safe for me to travel or do you think it’s too risky? I’m confused and unsure at this point.
Thank you!
According to the language of the ban, it should be safe, as the partial ban countries only block non-immigrants on certain types of visas (B, F, M, and J visas, I think). You can keep an eye on the news to see if any people from your country are having trouble, but as I understand the ban, it should be ok. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
Is it safe for LPR with RTD to travel abroad to a neutral country these days if their original country is Muslim majority but not on travel ban list?
If you have a valid RTD, you should be able to travel and return to the US. I have not heard about people in this situation having problems. Take care, Jason
Is it advisable though? That’s my question.
Everyone needs to make their own decision about travel, but I have no information indicating it is unsafe. If it were me, I might wait a month or two to see how the ban is being implemented, so I have a better idea, but according to the ban itself, people with an RTD should be able to travel and return to the US. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
My asylum case is closed administratively because of I have TPS too should I need to renew my TPS after it end. What is your advice?
If TPS still exists and you want to have that status, you can renew. If you prefer to continue the court case, you can ask the judge to put your case back on the calendar. DHS is moving closed cases back onto the calendar, and so your case may get scheduled whether you take ny action or not. Take care, Jason
Thank you for all the info. Can you please let us know when you hear more regarding I-730 Asylee FTJ?
If I have news, I will try to post it, but I imagine it will also be posted elsewhere. So far, I have not heard anything. Take care, Jason
Russia and China committed many human rights abuses and are undermining America. Why shouldn’t they be banned ? I feel that a lot of times, the govt only bans those small countries, doesn’t seem to have a big effect one way or another.
Or Saudi Arabia since most of the 9-11 hijackers were from that country. The choice of countries to ban has always been political. Take care, Jason
I feel that people like to say something as ironic as it is as if it’s some kind of excuse to legitimize the thing as it is aka status quo and invalidate my criticism.
If it’s political, then it’s not right and something should be done so that more countries who should be banned are banned.
Personally, I do not think any countries should be banned. Maybe nationals from some countries should receive extra scrutiny, but to blanket ban everyone from a country seems way too broad. We gain great benefits from being part of the wider world, though we are rapidly losing those benefits based on false claims and fear-mongering. Take care, Jason