Jason Dzubow is an immigration attorney who specializes in political asylum, immigration court, and appeals. He is a partner at Dzubow & Pilcher, PLLC, and his full profile can be found here.
Contact Jason Dzubow about an Asylum or Immigration case:
JDzubow@DzubowLaw.com
(202) 328-1353
Ive had this wuestion before, but i want to double check one thing…..
So i came to U.S. legally on J1visa(d/s). J1 was for 4 months and then closer to my 1 year deadline I’ve filled the Asylum. Asylum has been pending for several years now. Technically if you are out of status, only 2 ways how to adjust status in the US are:1)winning asylum or 2)marriage on US citizen.
You told us that sometimes it’s possible to adjust the status outside the US in ambassy. Bu as an asylum seeker you will be denied to come back in US without legal status unless your visa/interview was approved by ambassy?am i right? What if i will file ead with parole and than will try to go through counsiler processing in other country? Will it work? Or at least if they will denie my visa application, will it be possible to come back usinf parole? I’m trying to apply for GC through work, but I didn’t maintain any status but asylum pending. Can u tell me in what situationsuch a move(employer GC) will be possible…as i know if u in the US more than 180days without status u automatically face 10 year ban!?
Hi Jason,
I had fear from a family member, who recently died. I got GC a year ago. Now I don’t see a problem from that person anymore since he is died, and things are changed in my country. Can I go home country to resolve my educational affairs for few days? Potentially, things are better but how can I convey to asylum office, and how it will affect my return trip to USA or citizenship if I ever go back for few days only.
If you go back, you may need to explain the return trip at the airport and/or at your citizenship interview. You should be prepared to do that, if you are asked. Take care, Jason
You would need to talk to a lawyer about this because there are numerous exceptions depending on the case, and sometimes people in your situation can adjust status in the US (this is rare) and other times, such people are not eligible to get the visa overseas. In general, a person who entered, overstayed, applied for asylum, and who now applies for a GC based on employment, can obtain the GC by leaving the US and getting the GC at the embassy (not in the home country, as the person sought asylum from there, and going there might make the US government think that the asylum case was fake). For such people, if they are denied the GC at the embassy, they will not be able to return to the US. For that reason, if possible, it is a good idea to get Advance Parole before you travel (I wrote about this on September 11, 2017). That way, if the embassy denies the GC, you can still return to the US based on AP. Also, even if you have a 3 or 10 year bar based on unlawful presence, you can still return here with AP (though not with a green card unless you get a waiver – it is complicated and talk to a lawyer about that too). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason.
I want to know how long will it take to process I-730 (by USCIS and NVC) for my spouse according to recent waiting times? After how long will he join us in the US
I don’t know and the wait times seem very unpredictable. I think from filing to arrival in the US is probably between 1 and 1.5 years, but it depends on the country and the case. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Today I checked the status of my case and it says that My fees were waived for form I-765. What does it mean?
If you filed a request for a fee waiver (form I-912), it means that was approved. Otherwise, it probably only means that they are processing the case. Take care, Jason
But I didn’t apply for a fee waiver. They said they mailed out a notice explaining how they will process my case. Does this have anything to do with approval or denial?
I find it impossible to read their cryptic “updates” and don’t take them to have much meaning. My guess is that it at least indicates that they are processing your case. Maybe, if you paid another fee (for an I-485 for example) their update means that the fee was accepted for your I-765, but I really do not know. Take care, Jason
It means you’re approved congratulations! I saw the same thing and got my approval descion a couple of days later.
Hi
I aplied for Asylum with my wife and kids, so will my wife and I (both) could apply for and EAD? So each one of us can work.
The principal applicant and all dependents are eligible to apply for an EAD after the 150 days have passed. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
First of all thank you for all your hard work you doing trying to help Asylum seekers.
Here is my case, in December 2015 Me my wife applied for Asylum, we live in US undocumented for last 17 years without any criminal record and we have two daughters ( US citizens)
Our Lawyer told us we should have had our interview scheduled in May 2018 which is now almost 3 years since we applied. But we never received anything, no interview scheduled yet. I think this delay is a direct result of those system changes done in January 2018.
We are losing our hope to ever be called for this interview. Please is there anything we can do in order to speed this process up??
Thank you, looking forward hearing back from you soon.
David S.
You can try to expedite the case – I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
A friend of mine applied for asylum about 2 weeks ago, so I wanna know when should he expect to get the first reciept, and when he would be able to apply for EAD if it takes long to be interviewed. TIA
The receipt usually arrives in less than 4 weeks. He can apply for an EAD 150 days after the case was received by USCIS (the “received” will be on the receipt). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
Don’t know if you can help me here, I was granted an asylum with my wife and three young kids, after a year I applied for a green card with the family,six month after my wife and kids received a letter in the mail for the medical exam but not me even though I’m the main one in the asylum case originally, it’s been almost 45 days since and still didn’t get mine?is this normal?what should I do if I don’t get it anytime soon?thanks
My guess is that it is normal, and we have seen very unpredictable wait times for GC applicants. If you are worried, you can call USCIS to inquire. You can find the phone number at http://www.uscis.gov. It won’t hurt to ask them. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, hope you are doing great, thank you for your efforts in helping asylum seekers.
I want to ask you a question on behalf of a dear friend, she came to the US with her husband and 10 years old son, in Dec,2016, three of them (with B1/2 visa) were trying to cross the border to Canada, but got caught. The husband was detained, and was put in jail, they put 30K to get him out, I think earlier in 2017, after she submitted for asylum, her husband was out too, but passport was confiscated. In Feb 2017, she applied for asylum in the US, and her husband and child became joint asylum seekers in her case as well. The problem is, her husband is also in the Removal process, and he attended court hearing in 2017, and will attend an important hearing in Jan,2019, that is the hearing in Removal Proceedings immigration court. She wants to know, if she is not called for interview, will her husband be able to stay in the US after the hearing in Jan,2019? What will the court decide in her husband’s case? Will the immigration office deport her husband and leave her and her 10 years old son (Now she’s going to have another baby soon) here? She’s very concerned about her husband’s hearing, because her husband is the main breadwinner for the family now, they just got EAD, and they still owe a lot of money, because of the bail fee paid to immigration office. Please help! Thank you!
They really need to talk to a lawyer. Either the husband needs to also claim asylum or he needs something to present to the court in 2019. If he loses, he can appeal, but after the appeal, which probably takes less than a year, he will have to leave. He might want to ask to continue (delay) his case based on the wife’s case. The wife might try to expedite her case – I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Thank you so much Jason for your prompt response. I also have a question, since she’s now soon to deliver her baby girl, the baby girl will be US citizen isn’t she ? If there any action to file, to plead on behalf of their child for the father, so the immigration will not separate the father with the rest of the family?
A child born in the US is a US citizen (unless the parents are diplomats). Whether that would help the parent stay in the US, I do not know. It would depend on the case. Talk to a lawyer to review whether there is any way for that to help. Take care, Jason
Hello Everyone
Is there anyone with approved I-730 from Texas centre recently?
Please can you share your timeline.
hello Jason,
Thanks you for answering questions and appreciate for your return message. I’m an international nursing student with F1 visa and now I’m going clinical every week according to school protocol. I’m wondering that student who is going to hospital to get clinical experiences as intern-student nurse and internship or work study that USCIS does not allow to asylum seekers with EAD are the same or not? Because in August, I want to change my status from F1 to asylee and have plan to apply EAD. But When I get EAD, I will also continue my studying for next year. if i continue my studying, I will have to going to hospital as intern-student. Can I go to clinical as an intern-student with EAD asylee status? Then, intern-student and internship are the same or not?
Than you so much,
susan
Hi Susan,
even I’m also a nursing student on F visa and applied for Asylum few months ago. You will NOT have an asylee status when you apply for asylum. Instead, you will still be on F1 status when you apply for asylum. Asylee status is only for those people who are granted asylum by the USCIS. Simply applying for asylum does not grant you asylee status. If you lose your F1 status and apply for asylum, you will be on asylum pending status and can legally stay in the US until you case is decided.
You can apply for EAD after 150 days of your asylum application. The EAD can be used to work at any hospital which is willing to hire you.
I think you have to ask the school about this. Most asylum seekers with EADs are able to attend school. You can also try to maintain your F-1 status and file for asylum at the same time. If your asylum case is granted, you should be able to attend school as well, and many such people seem to qualify for in-state tuition. Take care, Jason
Am pending asylum it’s been two since I filed and I was wondering if I apply for advance parole would I get a approved I know it has to be a humanitarian reason but mines isn’t am drag performer and freelance makeup and I’ve a lot of opportunities about traveling to overseas for shows and bookings
It’s probably not a very strong reason to apply, but you can try. I wrote about AP on September 11, 2017. Since then, it has gotten more difficult to get AP, and they seem to give it for a shorter period. It is very frustrating. You might also try to expedite your case. I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
I was interviewed on May 8th 2018, now waiting decision and before I live with brother and now he unable to support me any more. I’m with my wife and two kids and now don’t have any money for food and for living. Can you guide me what I do for survival. I’m in Las Vegas.
My lawyer told me to wait for atleast 6 months to get decision. I received my decision in three months . Hope u get ur decision soon. If u have an EAD then u can work anywhere without any restrictions
I really want to work but I don’t have EAD that’s why unable to do work anywhere.
If possible to do work let me know please.
You might contact the asylum office and tell them the problem, and ask for an expedited decision. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). If you work without permission, it does not affect the asylum case, though it could affect other immigration applications, if you have any. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you for all the hardwork you put into this website and for answering all our questions.
I submitted my I-730 petitions in early December 2017 and I reside in California. How can I inquire about my case? I can see the status online but no updates for the last 6 month. So where can I go and ask about the cases in person?
Thank you.
What is an expedited decision?
Hi Jason,
Thank you for all the hardwork you put into this website and for answering all our questions.
I submitted my I-730 petitions in early December 2017 and I reside in California. How can I inquire about my case? I can see the status online but no updates for the last 6 month. So where can I go and ask about the cases in person?
Thank you.
You can make an Info Pass appointment. There is a link at right called under Asylum Seeker Resources. You can also try to call – the phone number can be found at http://www.uscis.gov. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason….
Hope your are doing good. I applied for asylum in Jan 2015 in Seattle and still waiting for my interview. Do you have any updates on Seattle office or how they guys proceed.
Thanks
No updates. I doubt you will be interviewed soon. If you want to try to expedite, I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason.
My work authorization was issued feb 2017 and expires on feb 2019 … So my question is when i would be allowed to apply for renewal ?
Thanks a lot
You can apply to renew 180 days before the old card expires (do not apply early, or it will be rejected). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I last entered the country in 2000 on an F1 Student visa, which expired in 2002. In 2001 things started to take a turn in my country, and the political climate was changing. In 2002 we had elections, and the ruling party was attacking members of the opposition party- which I am a member of. In 2003 I was rendered stateless by the government, as the constitution changed advising that citizens residing outside of the country were no longer citizens. The political climate has worsened over the years and has been well documented, anyone who opposes the ruling party is at risk- fast forward to this year my brother was brutally attacked by an uncle’s thugs who is a member of the ruling party and opposes my family’s stance on supporting the opposition. I wanted to know if it is still possible for me to file asylum at this point? I am currently undocumented.Thank you
You should talk to a lawyer. It is possible, but even if you have a strong case (and it sounds like you may), you still need to overcome the one-year filing bar. Perhaps the attack on your brother can be changed circumstances to help you overcome the bar, but even if it is, you have to file within a “reasonable” period of time after the change. This is not really defined, and so the sooner you file the better. I have written about this issue on January 18, 2017, but you may have an opportunity to file now, and given this issue, it would be worth consulting with a lawyer and moving on this as soon as possible. Take care, Jason
Hi there Jason- thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. God bless you and the work that you do!
Jason,
Please help me with this questions:
1) I applied for asylum in Arlington center in November 2015. When do you think I can be called for an interview? Anytime soon or I should forget about getting an interview anytime soon.
2) I have a EAD, do you think I will still be able to easily renew it while waiting on my interview?
3) How long does it take to renew a EAD when you apply?
Please help me with this questions. Thanks,
1 – I doubt it will be any time soon, especially since they implemented LIFO. 2 – You should be able to renew it normally. 3 – They changed the form, which might slow things down. The earliest you can apply is 180 days before the old card expires, so you may want to apply then. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason!
I have applied for asylum since 04/2014 and I was interviewed 1 year ago. Since then I haven’t got a decision on my case. Now I am pregnant and I am not eligible for medicaid for maternity in the state I am living in now due my status. Because my husband and I are not able to afford all of this maternity cost, Can my case be expedite due to this?
Thanks,
You can request that. Get a note from the doctor and evidence about the Medicaid rule. Then you can give that to the asylum office and request a decision. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Take care, Jason
Hi,
Many thanks for your help!
My case is in IC and my individual hearing date is in April 2021. i want to expedite my case .
If i expedite my case, will the judge be the same or change?
And how sooner date I can get?
Thanks,
I wrote about this on April 20, 2017. It will most likely be the same judge. There is no way to predict the time frame, as it depends on the judge’s schedule. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
i had my interview today that lasted for 5 hours but this was unique in away that i was interviewed by two officers one gentleman who was avisiting superviser and afemale immigration officer attached to ALINGHTON asylum offices,my worry is that they have retained part of my original documents and wasn’t given the reason as to why and also the question is ,were the interview hours normal ?Will it impact on the officers decision far as my case is concerned..
Thanks Edwin
Sometimes, they have a extra person there for training purposes (or maybe some other purpose), and so this is not unusual and has no effect on the case. They do sometimes keep original documents if they want to examine them more closely for fraud or some other reasons. Theoretically, they should return the documents, but in reality, you probably won’t get it back without a lot of effort and some luck. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason. I’am a F1 student I did my interview last April 19th and I’m still waiting for my decision I went today to the asylum office to check cause I’m waiting since 3months when I got there they said I will get my decision in 2years because I have a legal status as a student while I know lot of students who got their approval decison even though they still have status. My question is does it mean that they are going to denial me that’s why they can’t do nothing yet? I’m too stressed and I have grave desease my sickness increasing help.
Hi Adja,
Do you mind telling us your Asylum Office center?
Sure. Anaheim asylum office in California
That is a bizarre answer. Maybe try again, and if they tell you that, ask to speak to a supervisor. Or, if you have a medical issue, get a note from the doctor and submit it to the asylum office with a request for a decision. It might be easier to do that by email. You can find their email address if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason I will.
Hii Jason,
So I filled asylum two years ago and I’m still waiting for my interview, I filed the case with in first year on my visa on j1 but now I have no fear to go back to my country because my country changed the law for LGBT. What’s the best way to go without having any problem on airport. Will airport security stop me because of my pending case. Can they stop me on airport for any reason if I’m going back, Can I withdraw my case through online, I have my money to book flight and I don’t want to get deported. I want to go from here on a fair page. Please answer me ASAP I can’t wait to see my fam.
You should not have any trouble leaving the US. However, if you ever want to come back, it is better if you can withdraw your asylum case. Contact your local asylum office and ask how to withdraw the case. You can find their contact info/email if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Take care, Jason
Jason, I am going to have my Master hearing next week.
Can you please explain what will happen there?
Will the judge ask me bunch of questions that were asked by asylum officer?
Thanks a lot.
Such hearings are normally quite short. I wrote in detail about what happens there in a posting dated March 7, 2018. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I recently married a US citizen and was planning to file for a green card based on this marriage but I have discovered that he did not finalize his divorce from his ex-wife and is still legally married to his ex-wife. I am now facing a dilemma because our marriage is void. My question is how will this affect my status because I came on a visitors visa and only extended my stay after my i-94 expired because we got married. So what are my options now? Because if I leave now, I may have problems coming back because of over staying. Also do I have to annul my marriage or it is automatically voided?
This forum is basically for asylum question, not general immigration, sorry. In this case, you should talk to a lawyer as the overstay can affect your ability to return to the US, so you need to know what legal issues, if any, you face. Take care, Jason
good evening jason
i would like to know if it is possible for one who stays in the usa for 10 years before applying asylum, to win his interview at immigration officer. Or does he have to go to the immigration court?
It depends whether you can meet an exception to the one-year filing rule. I wrote about that on January 18, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, i have a question about my i 131 application . What is going to be my class of admission. fist I entered to US as a student (f1) then i got granted asylum last year.
For the class of admission, we list the visa you used to enter the US. We also mention somewhere the person’s current status (on the form or in the cover letter). Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason….!
Hi Jason, can you please tell what type of documents that proof your immigration status as Asylee Applicant if a police or immigration officer ask you about it.
Thanks
The receipt, biometric appointment notice, and EAD. You should also have a passport with you, if you have one. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Regards and I have a question, one of my friends he is waiting for his green card for last 21 months, he got his all family members like his wife and his children and they all having green card, but as a principal applicant he is still waiting, can you kindly guide us what would be the strongest medium,either congressman or infopass? Added he already sent 3 requests but getting the same answer, WAIT,
Will appreciate your reply and thanx again for your efforts
Let him try the USCIS Ombudsman – a link is at right. He can also try the Congressman. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
A friend of mine filed for asylum and it is pending. He changed his address few blocks away from the address mentioned in the asylum application. His lawyer advised him not to change his address to immigration and stick with the address the application is sent, and told him that may affect his approval. He is not sure what to do and worried. Do you think it is a wise advice? Does the address change affect his approval or even interview, when he is called for an interview? Please advice
It is very strange that any lawyer would give such advice. For one thing, a person is required to change their address if they move. Also, unless he changes the address, he will not get any mail from the asylum office. If the lawyer truly gave such advice, I recommend that the person change his address using form AR-11, available at http://www.uscis.gov. I also recommend he change his lawyer to one who knows what he is doing. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason ,
We are still waiting for our asylum interview decision since August 2017. Also sent an inquiry letter through the link given on your website a month ago with no feedback. My sister applied for I-130 in 2011 and got approved in 2015. Is there a way that we can stay in US and get that converted here when the visa number is available, if something goes wrong with our asylum case as I cannot return to my country of origin due to fear of being prosecuted.
Thanks & Appreciated.
Murad S.
You can inquire again or go in person to ask (check the asylum office website for the times when you can go). Also, you can inquire with the USCIS Ombudsman (a link is at right). As for the sister’s I-130, there will probably be years more to wait for that to become available (Google “DOS visa bulletin” for info on the wait time). Once it is current, you would most likely need to leave the US to get your GC, and you would have to talk to a lawyer about that, since not everyone is eligible to do that, and some people may be able to get the GC without leaving the US. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason I’ve been on a pending asylum for 4 years now and me and my fiancé who is a green card holder wants to get married. He lives in Denver and I live in Virginia. If it is possible for us to get married? What are the steps we need to do?
Thank you
Asylum interview.
Hi jason,i have been waiting a decison for 8 month now and i did not get it yet can you tell me whats going on.is there possibility to get approuve or not.thanks
I wrote a post about delays after the interview on October 20, 2015. There could be many reasons for the delay, and we have seen many long-delayed cases approved, so you should not give up hope. You can contact the asylum office to inquire about the status of your case. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Take care, Jason
I did not see the post can you explain to me please bc i am scared and i dont why is the delay please give me some details.thanks
I cannot really tell you any more. Some cases are delayed, and they do not tell us why. Contact the asylum office and ask if there is any update in the case. Take care, Jason
You can get married. It is more difficult to prove a marriage if you do not live together, so if you plan to seek a green card based on the marriage, you should be aware of that. Unfortunately, the process these days has become a lot less forgiving, and so it is a good idea to use a lawyer if you can. You can learn the basics of a GC application from the instructions for forms I-130 and I-485, available at http://www.uscis.gov. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason i applied in in Chicago office in May 2016 do you have any idea when interwiev is gona be? I know you cant predict but aproximetly?
Is there anyone here who applied in Chicago office 2016 and had interwiev alredy?
Thank you
No one knows. I posted some info about the different offices last week. That might at least give you an idea of how quickly (or slowly) the Chicago office is moving. You can also try to expedite – I wrote about that on March 20, 2017. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
If my husband’s case is still pending a decision and if I get F1 visa will his application harm the result of my visa?
If your husband has asylum and you apply for an F-1 visa, it is more likely that your visa will be denied. I wrote about that on April 18,2014. Take care, Jason
Hello Jazon, Please help me with these 3 questions.
I got my asylum approved in January 2018.
1-when should I apply for a green card?
2-Secondly, I filed in for my wife and children in February 2018, when can I expect a decision for the Asylee Relative petition?
3- My EAD will expire in October 2018, since my asylum was approved in Jan 2018 how and when should I renew my EAD?
Thanks
1 – The soonest you can apply is one year after the date your asylum was granted. 2 – I am not sure, as wait times seem unpredictable, but maybe 5 to 8 months is normal. After that, they have to do the consular processing, which usually takes at least a few months and can (if they are unlucky) be much longer. 3 – You should have received a new EAD in January 2018, but if your card expires in October 2018, you would probably want to apply now. Take care, Jason
Hi jason!
I applied for asylum on may 2017 , got my social and ead card till October 2019 .
Do have any idea around how long I should expect an interview with the new policy?
Is the fact that my ead expires in Oct 2019 mean I shouldn’t expect an interview till than?
I live I miami btw.. and saw the backroad is the most highest here.
The post I did last week may help, but you are right, it seems Miami is receiving the most cases these days (maybe due to Venezuelans seeking asylum, I am not sure). There is no way to know when your interview will be, but the interview date is unrelated to the EAD. You can try to expedite if you want – I wrote about that on March 20, 2017. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason, I was recently approved green card based on asylum, and I am also going to grad school next month, which will force me to leave my job and lose income in the next two years.. Therefore, I was wondering that if I could apply for food stamps, and will receiving food stamps and medicaid harm my chance of getting citizenship in the future? Thanks Jason and have a wonderful day!
My understanding is that such benefits for people with asylum do not affect future applications, but the rules about this have been changing, and I am not 100% sure at this point. I still think it will not affect, but you might want to talk with an attorney to be sure. Attorneys who work for NGOs tend to know more about such public benefits than private attorneys like me, so might try that – I did a post with a link to local NGOs on September 22, 2016. Take care, Jason
Got G-56 letter , reason for appointment is question follow up. as i have pending my case in court and had an EAD with me . let me know do i need to worry about interview ?
I do not know what a G-56 letter is, or what it relates to, sorry, Jason
Hi jason!
Thanks for your help.
Is there any changes with the new trump policy about denied cases?
I heard they can now detain you if your case is denied and you’re under removal process ..
Is that true?
That was always true even before Trump. I have not seen that they are doing that except with criminals, but whether that may change, I do not know. Hopefully not. But for now, I have seen no evidence that they are detaining people whose asylum cases are denied, and I have seen no memo related to a change in this policy. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Thank you very much for your relentless help for the asylum community.
I have a question, can I apply for NIW (National Interest Waiver), while my asylum application is pending?
I just want to make sure the NIW will n’t interfere with my pending asylum.
Thanks,
Hello Mr Jason,
Greetings to all bloggers, I have a question to ask in order to redeem myself from doubt.
How long does it take to receive an acknowledgement letter for the request of EAD (form I -765) from the date of posting.
Thank you sir for your usual support to the needy.
Stay blessed
Usually it take 3 or 4 weeks to get the EAD receipt. Take care, Jason
Thanks a lot and stay blessed
You can, but whether you can get the green card without leaving the country, and whether it is even legally possible for you to leave and return with a GC, I do not know. You should talk to a lawyer to make sure you are eligible to complete the entire process before you start spending money on this. Take care, Jason
Thank you so much, Jason. Stay Blessed!!!
I had an interview on June 4th… They said on the 16th come back for the respond, meanwilfe officer called and said dont come we will send u the respond in the mail.. So then i got one more letter saying me and the family need to go for an interview. so basicaly i am going to have second interview??? why do they need 2nd interview??? any idea??
There are many reasons for a second interview, and it happens in maybe 10% of cases. Maybe the officer forgot to ask some questions, or the supervisor and officer disagreed about the decision, or maybe the security background check raised some questions, or maybe the officer quit and you have a new officer. You should prepare for the interview as you did for the first interview, and also try to recall what you discussed in the first interview, so hopefully you will not say anything inconsistent with the first interview. Take care, Jason
may i know when which year and month you aapplied for asylum
I wanna add also my application is in Arlington office
Hi JASON
I appreciate your time to help other people, I have a question, I applied for asylum in 03-28:2016 and I am originally from Sudan, after they made a new rule on January 2018 I don’t know when I could expect the interview, because even when I check the time processing website it doesn’t give the I-589 form for asylee applicants, do you have any idea please.
Thank you in advance
No one – not even the asylum office – knows the answer to this question. I did a blog post last week that is relevant to the question, for what that is worth. Also, if you want to try to expedite, I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Thanks a lot for ur comment
Hi Jason, I will go to my interview soon, and I would like to know, how soon would I know my result? I know some folks from the 7 counties are waiting a lot longer time on “background check” but I am not from any of these countries. Will they also take also a long long time for my interview result to come out? If not, usually how soon could I receive the result? Can I choose to go pick up instead of waiting for it in the mail?
Thank you for your time!
There is no way to predict that. Maybe 40 or 50% of the people at my local office (Virginia) receive a decision within 2 weeks. Others wait months and some wait years. I did a post listing some “red flags” on October 21, 2014. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
If the country conditions have changed and I don’t fear a persecution and if I withdraw my asylum case and go back to my country can I come back as a tourist as I have a 10 year visa or I will face problems? Did you have such a problem?
You can try to come back, but you could be denied entry if the Immigration Officer thinks that you will overstay your visa or seek asylum. So be prepared to explain why you filed for asylum and why you withdrew, and if you have any evidence to support this, you can bring that too. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I do highly appreciate your time and help, I was included in my wife asylum application then she withdraw the application after 7 months and returned to our home country as the problem has been solved and we don’t face fear anymore, my question is we still have B2 valid visa what about if we want to travel to USA in the future for visit will we face any problem at the USA airport?
Regards,
You might. You should be prepared to explain why she filed and why she withdrew, and maybe have some evidence to support that. Take care, Jason
hi Jason i have applied for asylum in oct 2015 in New York and wanna expedite it in this month how long do you think it will take to get a answer from uscis?thanks
I do not know, as I have not filed to expedite a case in NY lately. In other offices, we usually get a response in a month or two. If you do not hear from them for a couple months, you can email them to follow up. You can find their contact info/email if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Take care, Jason
Hello Jason
I had my asylum interview in Fall, 2017 and still waiting for the decision. Recently I submitted an inquiry to asylum office about the status of my case and the answer I got was “your case is under core review”. What does it mean and how much longer do you think I’ll need to wait ..? Thank you
@Sophia, How did you send an inquiry to asylum office?
You can find their email and other contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). Take care, Jason
I do not think means anything – they provide a variety of responses, but they all seem to mean, “your case is not done, keep waiting,” As for wait times, there is no way to know. I did a post about this with some reasons for delays on October 21, 2014. Besides inquiring with the asylum office, you can also try contacting the USCIS Ombudsman. You can find their contact info at right (under Asylum Seeker Resources). If that fails, you can talk to a lawyer about a mandamus lawsuit. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I’ve told you before that I’m an international student at a college in New York and that my dad applied for asylum 4 years ago. I got an opportunity, a position, in my college and they invited my mother to come and see me. She is back home along with my little brother and she is employed in the World Bank. She’s currently filling the form to get in the embassy but we dont know what to do because of my father’s case even though she has no intention of leaving my brother and her career behind. She’s staying in a hotel near my college and my father is in DC. My question is, Should she avoid about her husband’s asylum status or not? If not what should she say about it? Will the embassy dig into my father’s case even though I invited my mother?
If she lies about his asylum case, the embassy will likely know anyway, and will likely deny the visa, so I think she needs to tell the truth. All she can do is present evidence to demonstrate that she will return home at the end of her visit – evidence of her job, her son, her property, etc. Hopefully, they will issue the visa. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I’m very grateful that my green card application was approved today after interview. As my next step is to be naturalized as a US citizen, I’m wondering when can I apply for naturalization? I was getting mixed information from various sources. For example, some people say that I will have to wait for another 5 years after receiving green card, others say that it should be 5 years since I receive asylum. Of course, there are still other people say that the 5 years should start to be calculated 1 year before my green card was approved. I’m confused which one is the right answer? Thank you very much!!!
The green card is back-dated one year for asylees. You can file 4 years and 9 months after the date on the green card (really, it is 5 years, but you can mail the application 90 days before the 5-year anniversary). So that is probably 3 years and 9 months from now. Take care, Jason
Is it back-dated one year from the date the GC application was received or from the date the GC was approved?
Probably from the date it was approved – you have to check what it says on the card. Take care, Jason