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
What’s estimatation fee for have attorney for asylum case after notice of referral from asylum office I mean in general? Thanks
There is no “in general”. We are normally charging $5000 or $6000 for a court case. Other attorney’s fees are all over the map. I wrote about this issue on March 2, 2016, if you are interested. Take care, Jason
led for asylum July 9th, 2018
Bio : Aug 2nd, 2018
Interview : Aug 20th, 2018
Asylum office: Chicago
On the interview day I couldn’t do my fingerprint at the asylum office, it kept saying system failure. Initially after the interview the AO told me to come back in 2weeks for my decision but just because my 2nd attempt to fingerprint didn’t work, he called me back to his office to change his notice to mail out notice. He said they will contact me to come back to repeat the fingerprint and then I will get my decision by mail. As usual, they never contacted me after 3 weeks I contacted them and they asked me to come back. I did go back Friday sept 8th, 2018 and it still didn’t work. I was told to check back in 3 weeks time. Finally, on sept,17th, 2018 I went back there and it worked after 5 attempts. The lady at the desk told me I will receive my decision soon by mail. I am yet to receive any mail. It’s been more than 3 weeks now. My lawyer thinks I contacted the asylum office last week and was told the asylum officer is yet to decide on my case due to work overload… not sure if that’s a good or bad thing? What do you think Jason?
I think you cannot read anything into these delays. Such delays are common (though the fingerprint issue is particularly annoying), and have no bearing on your decision. I would give them some more time, and if you don’t have a decision in another month or two, make another inquiry. Good luck, Jason
I Applied for advance parole, uscis denied it.
I want to know if I can appeal. Thank you
You can appeal, but that is often a bad idea, as an appeal is expensive (more expansive than applying anew, I think) and it is probably unlikely to work. However, it depends on the reason for the denial, so have a lawyer review the case before you do an appeal, to determine whether that is the best approach. My client also received an outrageous denial for her AP (essentially, USCIS said her mother was not sick enough to warrant AP), but I do not think an appeal will be her best bet. Maybe we will get new evidence and applying again for AP. Again, this depends on the case, so talk to a lawyer. Good luck, Jason
Hello Jason,
I have received a letter from USCIS regarding my green card application based on Granted aAsylum. Saying that they need more evidence for Part 8 Q 25. Have you ever arrested, cited or charged. I put NO on this question when I submitted the application. They reviewed my Asylum application, I WAS saying YES.
Now they need clarfication for that. But they put at the end of the letter that if the arrested was as persecution outside of USA, you do not have to get any records
How can I solve that? Can I send you the letter to read it? Thanks
They might consider the “no” on the I-485 to be a misrepresentation, so you will need to explain that and provide any evidence you have. The problem is that USCIS is being strict to the point of ridiculousness, and they are looking for excuses to deny cases. Hopefully, an explanation of the error will be enough to overcome this issue. I potentially could work on a case like this, depending on the time frame. You can email me to set up a consult. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Just read on cbs news that people who ever received food stamps or Immigrants who receive more than $1,821 annually, 15 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, in benefits that can be monetized would also be disqualified from receiving green cards and visas.
Does this mean people who received taxback more than $1821 or is it some speacial help from the goverment?
And do you think this will be implemented?
Link
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna910791
Thanks.
There is no final rule on this yet, so I do not know. However, in the draft proposal, people with asylum were not affected by the new rule, and so they would not be blocked from a GC for using government benefits. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Hope that you are doing well. Quick question regarding your comment above. What do you think are people with pending asylum also be excluded from new polycy’s affect?
Thank you in advance
I posted something about this earlier today – maybe check that. Take care, Jason
Hello I am really frustrated I just received my decision filed 2013 for case and interviewed 2017 did two interview after these interviews waiting one year and half received notice of referral ,it’s really frustrated my financial not settle. I think about go Canada do you think is it fine to apply for Visa at Canada embassy or what’s my next step for case ?it’s really frustrated m.r jason
I have found that in general, it is easier to win in court as compared to the asylum office. You can pursue the court case – Talk to a lawyer about that for help. If you want to go to Canada, you can try that too, but talk to a lawyer there, as your case in the US may affect your ability to go to Canada. Take care, Jason
hello jason
First of all, I thank you very much for the good and the service you bring to us immigrants.
my asylum case is based on my daughter (fgm) who has already been excised in my country. she lives with me here.
I would like to have a medical certificate for her as evidence of her excision.
i would like to know if i can do it at his doctor’s home or i have to go to a doctor who is authorized by uscis ???? thank you very much for your answer.
May the good god protect you and your family.
You can use any doctor. When we submit such reports, we include info about the doctor’s qualifications, such as a CV or the doctor’s web page. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Can my spouse who had ead as my dependant 1) file his own application as principal and 2) add me as me dependant ?
Thanks,
Yes and yes, but the filing procedure is different (check the I-589 instructions for someone who has a previously-filed application) and I doubt this would get your spouse an earlier interview date. Anyway, you can try. Let us know what happens. Thank you, Jason
Hello, Jason and dear fellows!
I was not able to find the answer online, so any comments will be appreciated.
I am an asylum applicant with pending status (have been pending for 3 years now). I have an Arizona ID, SSN, EAD and I am wondering if I can get a TSA clearance to start taking private pilot lessons while I am here waiting?
Thank you!
Probably you would need to check the requirements with TSA, but I really have no idea. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
I have a question, My brother got his green card on 08/10/2012, he applied his citizenship interview N400 on 05/19/2017 and he got interview notice scheduled for next month 09/12/18.
According to US immigration law if you have lived in US for 5 years then you can go to apply your citizenship. I m afraid he is missing 90 days according to his record.
Need your guidance sir
Highly appreciate your assistance
A person can file for citizenship 90 days before the 5 year anniversary of the GC. However, there are other requirements for citizenship. At this point, though, the die is cast and either he meets the requirements or he doesn’t, so he might as well go to the interview. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
First I would like to thank you about your help. My fiancee currently on TPS (Syria) applied for asylum in the Chicago office under LIFO system. He applied mid April 2018 and got interviewed end of May 2018. All went well and he is still waiting for a decision, it has been 3 moths now since he interviewed. The officer told him that they will mail the decision to him. Do you have any updates on how Chicago office is proceeding with decisions under LIFO? Should we keep waiting or inquire for a decision and if so what is the best way to do this?
Many thanks for your time and help.
Hi INA,
It’s quite distressing I must say.
It is not clear how Chicago office is processing application, I got interviewed early July but heard nothing from them since.
I frequently check the status online still didn’t get a thing. The usual response is that my number isn’t valid.
I believe Mr. Jason will learn is usual helpful perspective to this.
Let’s hope for the best.
Best wishes!
Again,
Just curious, do they give your fiancee a piece of paper stating that ” Decision Regarding Your Asylum…..Mail-Out Notice”?
Hi Mentor,
Yes the waiting is the stressful part. Same happens with my fiancé when he looks up his case number.
That is correct, they gave him the same mail-out notice that you mentioned at the end of interview.
Let’s see what Mr. Jason’s comments are about this. Best of luck to you!
Many thanks.
I wish you guys the very best too.
I look forward to Mr. Jason’s perspective.
They do give a notice about mail outs(or pick ups) at the end of the interview. Take care, Jason
Wait times for men from Muslim countries is longer than for most other people, and so the delay he is facing is pretty standard. I do think there is no harm in inquiring with the asylum office. You can do that by email. 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,
Please I apply for asylum with my wife and son, we were given EAD and it will expire next year June. I was trying to update our address on uscis website online as we have moved from our previous address, They reply me with a mail that my wife’s address as been updated but I received below message for myself and my boy.
“Thank you for contacting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about your case. Unfortunately, we cannot update your address at this time as all actions by USCIS are complete. “
Maybe you would get this message if your wife is the lead person in the case? If the online update does not work, you can complete the AR-11 form and submit it directly to the local asylum office (you can scan and email it). 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 applied for asylum in 2016 and still waiting. My EAD expires on Feb 10th, 2019, and my question is when should I start applying for renewal? and how long will it take? Thank you
You can apply for a renewal up to 180 days before the old EAD expires. Once you get the receipt (in about a month), the old EAD is automatically extended for 180 days. The time to get the new card varies – maybe 4 to 8 months. It is not so predictable. Take care, Jason
Thank you for your help. Also, I wanted to share some good news that we just got on Thursday. The visit visa for my mother-in-law was approved to visit my wife, who is currently here with me on a pending asylum case. In support for her visa application we had sent a letter to the American embassy from my wife’s doctor that says that my wife needs help with her high risk pregnancy. While the letter was a strong one, I don’t don’t know if it was the reason for the approval, because earlier in 2018, my mother, too, was approved for a visit visa while my wife wasn’t pregnant then.
Thanks!
Great news – It may have been the letter, or the fact that she had been to the US before, or it may just be random, like so many things involving immigrants these days. Anyway, it is good news. Thank you for sharing, Jason
Hi Jason
First , I would like to think you for helping us and give us advise.
I would like to ask about my case I had my asylum interview on a August in chocago ,and I don’t how long time they need to answer me. Iam so nerves and waiting for the Desicon.
Sometimes, a decision takes days; other times it takes months or years. It is very difficult to predict. Most decisions probably arrive in a few months, so there is nothing unusual about your wait time so far. Maybe if you do not have anything after 90 days, you can email them to inquire. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Hope you are well.
Its been 180 days plus since I applied for EAD. I have only received the acknowledgement receipt but no SSN yet no EAD and when I check online it says that they are still reviewing my case and will contact me in the event they need additional items. I did an interview and was successful and got an offer. By virtue of that am I able to get an interim or what would you advise? I have been jobless for so long and I do not want to lose this job opportunity
There are no more interim EADs. You should call them to inquire. The phone number can be found at http://www.uscis.gov. You can also make an Info Pass appointment and go in person to inquire. A link to Info Pass is at right. If those things do not work, you can contact the USCIS Ombudsman – a link is at right. They supposedly help with delayed cases, and sometimes they actually do help, but they are not so fast. Maybe if the employer is willing to be flexible (give you an unpaid internship until the EAD arrives?) that would help too. Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have moved from Arlington Asylum Office to San Francisco Office on September 2017 and filed all necessary change of address forms. To this date, San Francisco Asylum Office have yet to receive my files from Arlington, despite their several requests. I have also inquired 2 times by email and 3 times by mail and got no response what so ever.
Any idea on how I can proceed?
BTW I do not have a lawyer.
Thanks
It is very difficult to get the asylum office to do its job. However, even if the case were transferred, you would probably not get an interview any time soon, and so for that reason, they may not have moved it. Also, as far as I know, cases are not kept at the asylum office. They are stored off-site until before the interview. So maybe they simply did not move the file. I suppose you can try to expedite and see what happens. If they accept the request, they will need to get your file. Take care, Jason
Hi jason, i had my interview in march 2018 at San Fransisco office and still waiting on my decission. I have not heard anything from the department. My question is by any chance do you know how long it would take or should i just visit the office.
Thank you.
HiJason,
Greetings to you and thanks for your services to the helpless.
I have a story to share about this work permit issue.
On July 1st I applied for my EAD which is my first anyway. I attached my acknowledgement receipt of asylum to it.
However I didn’t apply for my daughter because she is just 14 years old and when I asked you through this blog, you advised me to apply which I did on the 16th of July and I attached my acknowledgement receipt of asylum and her biometric acknowledgement form.
Surprisingly, on August 12th, I received her SS number and approval for EAD.
However, my case is different, the USCIS Texas sent me a letter on the 22nd of August requesting that I should send any idenfication document that has my picture and my birth information and secondly to send two passport size photograph not older than three months which I did on the 23rd of August.
What is amazing is that I have not gotten any response yet.
My question is that why asking for my idenfication document again and secondly to send two passport size photograph not older than three months which should be gotten from my biometric.
For how long will it take for the outcome to be known?
Thank you for your relentless effort to help the needy
Stay blessed
Miriam
Trying to figure out what and why USCIS does anything can drive a person insane. It may be that they needed less info from your child because she is only 14, or maybe it is just that different offices have different practices, or maybe someone just screwed up somewhere along the line. It normally takes 3 or 4 months to get the first EAD, so hopefully you will get it soon. Take care, Jason
Thank you very much Jason, your words are very consoling particularly at this moment of chaos in procedure
May God bless you abundantly for your good works
There is no average wait time, at least none that is public. You can email them to inquire about the case, or you can do that in person, but that might be limited to certain days. 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 Baljeet,
In which year have you applied? I have applied in March 2017.
God bless you
Hi Kiran, Well I applied in 2014 but i have not heard anything yet.
Hi Jason…
Any update on Seattle 2015 January applied cases?
Thanks
I have heard nothing, and I assume it is not moving much. You can try to expedite such a case. I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hello PRABHJOT,
I think you should be having your interview soon. I apply in 2014 and did my interview last month in Seattle.
hi Jason. thank you for your very helpful comments and advice. i appreciate it. i have a question. i am an international student under f-1 visa. i have applied for asylum and waiting for a decision. i also applied for an ead. my question is that if i receive my ead and get a job based on it, and if my case is denied, am i going to lose my student f-1 status? i would be happy if you could let me know. thank you.
The rules may be changing on this, but so far, people who worked with an EAD and a pending asylum case do not lose their F-1 status if the asylum is denied (assuming they are still full time students). In any case, if USCIS want to take away your F-1 status, they can do that based on the fact that you applied for asylum (F-1 students basically promise to leave at the end of their studies, and so seeking asylum violates that status). Whether or not you work with the EAD, they can take your status away. This has not been the practice in the past, but it may change. So far, that is unclear (at least to me). Take care, Jason
Posting here because it’s related to the comment above. I have an asylum application that’s been pending for a few years. I have also been in valid F-1 status all this time and longer (for my school’s purposes, at least) and I am about to apply for OPT. With the recent changes and what you write above, I’m really curious what will happen and whether USCIS will approve my opt application or not. I will definitely post an update here when I get a decision from USCIS.
In the past, this would not have been a problem. Now, I am not sure. I suspect that you will get the OPT, but technically, USCIS could claim that you violated the F-1 status by seeking to stay permanently in the US. I suppose we will see. Please let us know what happens, as that will help others. Thank you, Jason
Hi John. I have a similar situation. But, I applied for asylum some weeks ago (I have the fingerprints appointment next week) and I will apply for my OPT next month (in October). I haven’t got my interview yet. I hope not have problems with my OPT application and get it in a few months. I don’t want to apply for an EAD from the asylum process in order to keep my F1 status with my OPT. I think if you don’t apply for OPT, your F1 status will end as soon as you finish your studies. But with your OPT, f1 remains while your OPT is on.
Hi Jason, thanks for all of your kind help, do you have any idea about Arlington office any hope for the 2015 pending cases?
Thanks
At this point, I would not expect an interview any time soon. The backlog seems to be leveling out a bit nationwide, but it is difficult to see how much that will help. You can always try to expedite – I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hi jason!
Is asylum case always kept confidentiality?
And if not , in what cases?
At the asylum office level, I would say yes. In court, almost always. If the case ends up in federal court, sometimes, the name of the person is attached to the case and that is public, but you can ask the court to keep the name confidential and they should. Also, once in a long while, the government investigates asylum cases overseas and sometimes info may be revealed to government officials overseas. This is rare, at least in my experience. I think I have seen it less than 5 times in the last 15 years. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I already had my interview and still waiting for a decision. I recently changed my adress from New york to Indiana. And now i have to renew my working permit. Where should i send my I765? USCIS Dallas? Or USCIS Phoenix? Another thing, i heard that the working permit is taking longer now, i still got 2months before it gets expire, just in case i dn’t receive my working permit prior to that date. Do I have to stop working? Or my employer will not say anything about it?
Thank you for your help.
You have to check the direct filing addresses for the I-765 at http://www.uscis.gov. It may take several months to renew, but when you receive the receipt, it will automatically extend your old EAD by 6 months, and so hopefully that will give you enough time to get the new card. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason sir,
My husband (main) and I applied asylum on 2014 and approved after 2 years .now.after 1 year (asylum approved) I applied for green card and I got it in the mail within 3 months (10 year green card).now I am planning to sponsor my parents to visiting me,I haven’t seen them from 6yr and 9 months .can I applied for them or if this affected on my future citizen application date? During the asylum we said that my parents are not happy with our marriage, is this possible to get a visa.my husband work in a district government job and I make only $25-$2700 .
They can apply for a visa and try to get it. They might want to talk to a lawyer in the US to help with that application, but most people do it on their own. Whether this would create any problems for you and your husband, given that your parents were an issue in the asylum case, I am not sure. But it does sound like this might be an issue (though I am not sure that USCIS would match up the details of your case with your parents’ visa application, but you never know). I suppose it depends on the case and you might want to talk to a lawyer about that too, just to be on the safe side. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Many thanks for your guidance for the asylees, God bless you!
My question is little longer ( I’m trying to make it shorter) but I need to tell you the complete story so that you could understand and advise me.
I applied my asylum and had pending for almost 5 years. I contacted congress person to contact USCIS and let me know the status. They contacted and had the same reply ” Your case is pending due to security check”.
After a month of contacting the congress person, USCIS send me a “Referral Notice” and my case was sent to IC. I got my first Master Hearing after a year, I went to court whereas the judge gave me a date (April 2021) for my ” Individual Hearing” .
I asked my lawyer to get me AO interview CD( this contains questions and answers and other documents and also the reports of background checks from different agencies) to prepare myself for the individual hearing.
I got CD almost 5 months later ( Just last month) and I was checking every documents , when I reached to my interview , I saw the ” Decision Cover Sheet” which was showing that my case was “Granted” by the AO officer and had a signature with the date 01-13-2017 and also Reviewing Officer SAO approved my case and signed it.
My question is when both the officers have granted and approved my case then why they send it to IC for hearing. If they were to refuse my case then why did they take more than 5 years just to refer my case to IC. And whenever I asked USCIS for the status of my case, USCIS told me that “your case is pending for the security background check”.
I am in great stress and depression as I have been away from my family for 8 years.
I would request you to kindly help me out and advise me what to do?
Thanks a lot!
That is unusual. It may have been denied due to a security issue, even though you otherwise qualified for asylum. Maybe your attorney can discuss this with the DHS attorney (and later, with the judge). Why the decision took so long, I do not know, but that happens in some cases (often with men from Muslim countries, but with others as well). You can try to expedite the court case, though that is not easy – I wrote about it on April 20, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason!
If my attorney discuss this issue with DHS, is there any chance if my case is approved?
Thanks.
hi, BTEX, i got my notice to appear IJ too after 2 years of interview in 2017, my hearing will be in 2020, can you please tell me how to get AO CD from asylum office, or Jason what you suggest, thanks
You can ask your attorney for the CD of your interview from DHS.
Hi Jason,
If my attorney discuss this issue with DHS, is it possible that the decision can be changed to approval?
Thanks.
Maybe, but that would normally not occur until the day of the final hearing. It does not hurt to try, though. Take care, Jason
If by AO CD, you mean a copy of your case file on CD, you can file a Freedom of Information Act request using form G-639, avaliable at http://www.uscis.gov. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason and thank you for your availability to answer.
i have my case pending since 2015 and my fiancee case is sent to the court she’s in LIFO group. We have a new born baby (American citizen) and we would like to get married.
1- If we get married can we pretend to get asylum from each other if she win or i win asylum? when we filed, we didn’t include each other on our applications.
2- if is possible how can we proceed?
thanks.
1 – If you are legally married at the time asylum is granted, you can get asylum from your spouse. 2 – Get married and inform the court or asylum office. You might also complete a new I-589 page 2 to reflect that you are married. Whether you can be added as dependents to each other’s cases is a different question (this would mean that if you won, you would not have to file a separate form for your spouse; she would get asylum at the same time as you). I am not sure how to add a dependent to a court case, or whether a person in court can be a dependent on an asylum office case. In the end, as long as you are legally married, you can benefit if the other person wins their case, even if it requires an extra form to get asylum for the spouse (form I-730). Take care, Jason
You can ask your attorney to get the interview CD from DHS.
Dear Mr. Dzubow
My asylum case already have next court date on Nov, My clock have already over 180 days now, and I move to another city, I want to change my address, I want to move my court case to next city, my question is that did I do the right thing? and I want to write a motion by myself to move the case, is that ok? thank you
You can do that. As long as 180 days have passed on the Asylum Clock, you are eligible for your EAD, and moving will not affect that. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
I appreciate the good job you are doing.
I was invited for the interview yesterday…but on getting there..after waiting for some minutes..I was informed that the officer to attend to my case called in sick and as such my case can’t be assigned to another officer immediately because of the short notice.i was given a notification stating that “no officer Available”..and that I will be rescheduled for another date…Please does this have any negative implication.
It is more common than you might think, and it should have no negative effect on the case. Such cases are the highest priority for an interview, so you should receive a new interview date in a few weeks. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I am waiting for the interview decision almost 11 months. My question is about EAD renewal.
My EAD expires in April 2019.
1) how long earlier I should send I-765 for renewal? 90/120/180 days eralier?
2) should I pay for the form as it is pending decision making?
3) when I apply for a renewal,do I get the receipt indicates the category that is eligible for an automatic 180 days extension?
Thanks!
1 – The earliest you can send it is 180 days before the old EAD expires. 2 – If there is no decision, you just renew the card in the asylum pending category. You have to pay or use a fee waiver (form I-912, available at http://www.uscis.gov). 3 – Yes. Take care, Jason
Thanks!
1- These days, how long earlier would be better to send documents?
2- is it better to hire an attorney to do? If yes, would your team do?
3- Regarding the receipt, the automatic 180 days extension would stars/ count from the expiration date on my current EAD or it counts from the date of 765 is received?
1 – According to the rules of the office, which in some places is one week before the interview. Other than that, it does not much matter. However, I prefer submitting documents at the beginning or once the interview is scheduled. Submitting documents at other times may cause the documents to be lost. At least this is an issue at my local office in Virginia. 2 – It’s up to you. If the attorney is any good, they should be able to help with documents. We potentially can do that. My email is at right if you need it. 3 – For renewing an EAD based on asylum pending, the 180-day automatic extension starts to run when the old EAD expires. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason thank you for all
I have questions
1- I filed my asylum on July 5 and had my interview on August 10 and I have been referred to court. I don’t know when my hearing gonna be. do you know if as the interview the hearing of new cases are prior?
2- my fiance, my 5 months baby father have his asylum case pending since november 2015 can we get married?
3- what would be the consequences if the judge in court denied my asylum?
1 – You can call 800-898-7180 and enter your Alien number. The computer will tell you your next court date (if such a date exists yet). Whether your case will go more quickly, I do not know. They wanted to do that for LIFO cases in court, but I have not seen it, at least in my local courts. 2 – The asylum case does not prevent you from marrying. If you marry and your husband wins asylum, you can get your asylum from him, and if you win, he can get his asylum from you. 3 – The judge would either give you some lesser form of relief or order you to leave the US. If that happens, you can appeal. I wrote about this on March 7, 2018. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I went to my asylum interview about three months ago. Now, I received a document titled “Please comply with the following instructions in order to complete your case”. The following is requested:
“Please provide proof as to whether or not you have derived lebanese citizenship through your father according to lebanese law 2)Please provide proof as to whether or not you were registered as a citizen with Lebanese authorities.”
My father is a naturalized lebanese citizen but I am not, I never obtained citizenship, however I don’t know how to proof I am not a citizen of a country. What do you suggest? Please help me! 🙏🏼
You could get a letter from a lawyer who is familiar with Lebanese law. Maybe you can get a letter from the Lebanese embassy stating that you have no status there. If you have a visa in your passport for Lebanon, you could give a copy of that to prove that you need a visa to go to Lebanon. The more evidence you can give them, the better. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I filled for my asylum application some time in March 2018. I have already done my bio metrics and I am now roughly around 170 days on the clock By the time of filling I was not married officially to my then girlfriend whom we have a 7 year old kid together.
1.am i able to include them in my asylum application now
2.Does it lower my chances of getting my asylum approved.
Looking forward to your response.
Thank you in advance
1 – You can add them to your case. You can contact the asylum office to ask how to do that. You can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). 2 – I think it should have no effect, but it may depend on whether your spouse has criminal or other issues, or whether she has status to live in a third country. If you are worried about that, talk to a lawyer to evaluate whether there would be any effect. Take care, Jason
Dear Mr. Dzubow
I hope you are having a great labor day.
I have a pending asylum application and I was wondering if requesting an expedition will affect my case. Do people who expedite their case have a higher probability of not being granted asylum?
Thank you
As far as I can tell, expediting a case has no effect on the likelihood of success. Take care, Jason
Dear Mr. Dzubow
Do you know how much does it take for the work permit to be mailed to me after I apply for it? Me being an asylum seeker.
And is that the only way I could get a driver’s license? I man after getting my EAD?
Thank you
It varies depending on whether it is a first EAD or a second, etc. First EADs can take anywhere from 1 to 4 months usually. Second EADs often take longer. As for the license, most states require an EAD, but not all. And if you are still “in status”, you may be eligible for a license. Check the state DMV website or ask them about this. Take care, Jason
Dear M.R jason ,I received I-797C( all of sudden they wrote I dont need to come to have my interview biometric we will use past one and fee won’t be refunded )
I don’t understand
I waiting for my decision right now one year and two month after two interview and fingerprint after first interview. After THIS PERIOD OF TIME I just received this paper
I-797C all of sudden???!
Can I ask for explanation ??
They need to update fingerprints every 15 or so months, and this paper indicates that they are updating fingerprints using the prints they have already, so you do not need to do anything. This is a common notice. Sometimes, a decision arrives after such a notice, but not always. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason, you are doing great job, God will give you reward for this, I have three questions
1:- Requesting a local senator can impact on asylum case in any way positive or negative ( I dont know any senator just asking ) ?
2:- if 4 5 different asylum seekers living in one house could that be a negative point?
3:- My English skills are good but not very good, Do I need a interpreter and having a interpreter in interview can impact in anyway good or bad?
you might had answered these question earlier I am sorry if I missed them
Thank you in advance
1 – I doubt it will make a difference one way or the other, but normally, such people can just try to help expedite a case; they cannot help win the case itself (unless they know you or about your case). 2 – I doubt it, unless all the claims are the same and USCIS suspects fraud. 3 – It’s up to you, but I have observed that people’s English skills go down a bit at the interview (because they are nervous and the officers may speak quickly), and so if you are worried about this, you may be better off with an interpreter. Take care, Jason
Hello sir Jason,
Please I want to know if after getting the SSN base on pending asylum case if there is any other ID am going to get. Thank you
If you win the case, you can eventually get a green card. I am not sure what other ID you might get – maybe a driver’s license, but that is from your state and you have to apply for it. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason Congrats for be such an enlighten help for all of us!!!
My wife filed an asylum petition in July 2014 in time at the Miami Office, we are in the backlog and now with this LIFO method the interview seems to be very far.
All this time we have heard from several sources that we can not adjust status to the EB options but just spoke to somebody thats states the following:
Due to this particular situation at the asylum office that have more cases they can handle in timely manner creating this huge backlog this calls for s a technical failure so petitioners can shoot for a EB3, he said a case like this happened before and got the status adjustment and finally got the GC, he says there is a sentence/ verdict from a judge that allows this.
Do you think this is true? is that sentence exits where can we posible find it?
Thank you very much in advance,
I did a post last week where I discuss this, and I include a link (under the Employment section) to a USCIS website that discusses the possibility. I am not sure this will work, and I would want the lawyer to write down specifically what they will do, and what authority they will rely on. Maybe it can work, but be cautious about this and make sure the lawyer knows what he/she is doing. Take care, Jason
That is the dilema, half of dozen of lawyers say that this can not be done and the other half say yes but I can no see in writing anythings thats supports this, all I see is people advising as you do to look for accredited lawyers because there some of them that will drag you to spend fees and charges and drive you towards to a dead end solution because status from pending asylum can not adjust to work base immigration process.
Where can we find this sentence or any hard data about this?
Thank you Jason
It is not a case I have done before, so the best I can tell you is to look at the link and see whether that helps. Also, make sure you have confidence in the lawyer, and maybe have the lawyer write down what they plan to do, so that you will be protected. If you go to a bigger (more expensive) firm that has employment and asylum experience, they may have done this for others, and can maybe provide more guidance. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason, thank you for all your help to all of us coming for your kind advice. I appreciate your kind effort a lot.
I have very urgent quesrions. I hope you can help me to clear it.
1. In the application for asylum i-589 there are questions like (1.what happenend, 2. When happened 3. Who harmed you. 4. Why you believe they harmed you) do I have to reply to each of these questions in supplement B because in the box in the application there is not enough space OR there must be an Asylum story and the answers put in the boxes are short and concise and the rest they can retrieve from the story on their own?
I am very confused. I have read in one of your articles, Dear Jason, that Asylum letter helps but you do not have to put it with the application. OR it is better to make a story starting from childhood and tell everything in the story and leave precise short answers for the questions they have asked in the application.
I apologize that the question is very long. I hope it makes sense at least a bit.
2. The main story is for the husband that he went through hard time and subject to beating and harassment and being persecuted and that is why he is applying for an asylum. Is it possible or allowable to file my application as his wife based on the same story. The only difference is that I will add that I fear persecution since my husband faced harassment. OR it is better not to apply the same story just from my perspective as his wife who has a tough tjme.
Because in the application there are questions s like (do you or your family member have experienced harm and mistreatment in the past?) and this what made me.think I can submit my papers based on his story too. OR since it is the same story only one applicant can apply?
Will applying for him and for me is a good decision or not? I need to add, I don know if its important, he does not have fluent English, I have fluent English, USA diploma,and social security number from the past years of studying.
Dear Jason, I apologize for the long letter,I have no one to ask. I trust your advice. May God bless you!
Thank you.
1- There is no right answer. You can do whatever you think best. For us, we include a brief answer to the questions and then write “Please see affidavit for additional detail.” Then we include an affidavit explaining the person’s story. I wrote a posting about that on May 3, 2016. 2 – Again, this is up to you. You can file your own case or you can be a dependent on his case. My preference is to file one case, and use the stronger case. If the cases are equal, I prefer to use the woman as the lead, as women often face extra hardships compared to men, in terms of persecution. But you could certainly submit two different case. You may want to consult with a lawyer to sort through some of these issues. Take care, Jason
HI Jason, I really appreciate the service you are offering.
My question is I had apples the asylum on 25 May 2018 from st louis my main office is chicago, so far no interview date. My lawyer called chicago if they can do my interview in chicago to save the time, they said we need to send fax, my lawyer did that and called them after couple of days to confirm and they said its not possible to do my interview in the main office and they also told my lawyer that my case in pending
Can I send email myself asking for update of my case because I am not satisfied with my lawyer?
Can contacting asylum office time and again make them frustrated ?
I dont understand what to do pls advise me
This is very common, and I do not see that the lawyer did anything wrong, but you can email them and inquire about the case. You can find their contact/email info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator (under Asylum Seeker Resources). I doubt contacting them a few times will cause any problems for you. You may still get an interview soon. If not, you can try to expedite – I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. Take care, Jason
Hi jason!
How long it takes to get a desicion after referred to court? ( in miami )
I don’t know, but it will depend on the judge, as each judge has a different schedule. Typically, we see most court cases resolved in 1 to 3 years. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Can you tell me approximately how long does the process of I131 form take? We are applying for Refugee Travel passport. Our case was expedited and the decision as well. And if we are approved we won’t have any problems with entering US with the refugee travel document right?
I do not know, as I have not done one in a while, but when I did the last one (maybe a year ago), it was pretty fast – maybe 3 or 4 months. If you have the RTD, you should be able to return to the US. I have never heard about that document not working. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
I’m the main applicant and i submit the asylum application with my wife and two son’s 6 yr and 11 yr.
now submit the EAD application for all of four members?
Regards
BOB
If you want an EAD for each person, you have to submit a form I-765 (available at http://www.uscis.gov) for each person. Remember you also have to wait until 150 days have passed since you filed for asylum. Take care, Jason
Hi
Jason
Yes now 150 days passed and i prepared the I-765 for each person, now just want to know how much time to get the EAD after mail all the documents.
A first time EAD often takes 3 or 4 months, but it can be faster or slower. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I’m a social worker, I work with a teen and her mom who have requested asylum, after living in a crime-infested city in MX where the teen and her little brother were threatened directly by perpetrators of a murder that they witnessed at the local grocery store, then they were followed home (by police, and then people saw the “same truck” the murderers were in coming by the house and staking them out). They have evidence of the murder but not of who the perpetrators are exactly. They belived they would be killed, so they fled.
I don’t think they are going to win asylum, but I’m trying to understand what will happen to them next –could they be arrested right after losing their hearing, could they be tracked down immediately for deportation? The mom has 2 other children who are US citizens. Could she be snatched away from 2 small children? How does it go generally? I’m trying to prepare this mom and teen to deal with their actual options. Their lawyer is not that helpful so I’ve referred them to other legal agencies for 2nd opinion …
If the case is in court, they may qualify for relief aside from asylum – If there is government involvement, maybe they are eligible for relief under the Convention Against Torture. I wrote about that on April 25, 2018. If they lose the case in court, they have 30 days to file an appeal. Generally, they would not be detained during that time, but if they do not appeal or lose the appeal, they may be subject to detention if they do not leave. It seems to me that they need a competent lawyer, if they can find one, or you need to light a fire under the current lawyer (and monitor what they do) to get them to do their job. Take care, Jason
OK, I went with them today to their lawyer. I’m encouraged as she is saying the same thing as you, she seems to have in mind hope for relief under CAT, I don’t know how competetent she is and have no experience to be able to tell, but I think she was more responsive to this family with me there pushing for things. It seems like the police in their home city and area are generally getting paid by the organized crime groups and don’t protect people, but I don’t know how much proof they will have. THANK YOU for the service of this website.
Sometimes, it helps to go to the lawyer with a person who is more familiar with “the system”. Good luck, Jason
Hello sir jason
I got refer to court because of my non immigrate visa
But the reffer letter has no date on it for much what should I do sir I am gay guy suffering from ptsd from long time and I live in Sanfrancisco . Please help me out sir
You can check the phone number 800-898-7180. When the computer answers, enter you Alien number and follow the directions. If you push 1, it will give you your next court date (if you have a date scheduled). They should also send you a notice in the mail about the next court date. Finally, if there is no date on your Notice to Appear, under new rules, it may make that document invalid. If you find a lawyer for court, you may want to show that to the lawyer. Take care, Jason
Thanks so much jason sir . God bless you for helping people out with there question
Sir I only got referr to immigration court letter that says only the place of Sf immigration court and the time and date is TBD tbd
I didn’t not get any nta along with it
So sir how many days they usually get to give my mch date
Please thanks sir Jason
You will probably receive a letter in the mail within a few weeks. You can also call their computer system at 800-898-7180. Enter your Alien number and press 1 when instructed. This will give you your next court date (if it is scheduled). Also, when the Notice to Appear does not list a date and time, it is actually invalid. So if you get a lawyer (which you should for court), you might want to mention that. Take care, Jason
Thanks so much jason sir .
Hi M.Jason
My name is Eric ,I have a question: Can somebody who is married outside United State can get married again in United State without divorced?
It would be bigamy, which I believe is a deportable offense. Plus, the new marriage would probably be invalid for immigration (and other) purposes. You can talk to a divorce lawyer, as there are ways to get divorced legally even if your spouse is outside the US. If you can do that, they you can remarry here with no issues. Take care, Jason
Thank you M.Jason
Hi i applied asylum this year and my interview was done in july , my spouse and kids are back in my country and I am worried about them. My question is as i am on legal B1 B2 status till october can i get the result before that or not?
2- I have already included my spouse and kids in my asylum and if they come here on B1 B2 do i need to inform asylum office about the same?
1 – You can get a decision at any time. It does not matter whether you are in status or not. 2 – If they try to come here, they could have trouble at the airport (because the officers will suspect that they will remain permanent in the US, which violates the B visa). But if they get here and are allowed to enter, then they can join your case if it is still pending. Or, if you win, you can file to get them their papers as well. If you lose and are in court, they may have to file their own asylum case. Take care, Jason
Hi jason!
I applied for asylum on may 2017 , th4 case is still pending, any idea about how long my interview gonna take?
Is there any information about what was the last cases last interviewed
There is really no way to know at this point. Also, it depends on the office, as some offices are doing more backlog cases than others, but there is no real source of information available from the government about this. If you know other people who filed at the same office, maybe you can see if they have received interview and that might give you some very rough idea. Also, I did a post on July 10, 2018 that might help. Take care, Jason
Thank you!
I applied on miami office and cant any information from them
If they do not respond to email, you can try going in person, if it is not too far. Take care, Jason
Hi jason,
You are an angel to us, I read almost all the questions from the asylee applicant and you answered it nicely and immediately.
I got my result last friday they send it thru mail and i was referred to immigration court. My families are here my brother is citizen and my parents are green card holder. I gave birth this 2018 and she is u.s citizen and i got married this May and my husband granted asylum lastyear. Is there a possibility that the judge will grant me asylum also?? Because my families are here.
Thank u and im looking forward for your answer..may God bless u always.
The fact that you have family here does not necessarily help you. You should talk to a lawyer. Perhaps the best strategy is to delay your case until your husband can become a citizen (though that is far away). If you were married before your husband received asylum, he could file for you, but if he got asylum before you were married, he can file for you once he has a GC (but that probably requires you to leave the US) or once he is a US citizen (then you probably do not need to leave the US). I wrote a post about this last week and will post Part 2 this week, so maybe those will help. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
Do you know how long does it approximately take for I730 to be approved in the Nebraska office? Can we expedite it?
You can check the processing times at http://www.uscis.gov and that will give you some idea. You can ask to expedite an I-730. We have tried that, but whether it worked, I do not know (though in the case I am thinking of, we did get a quick decision, but I do not know whether that was a result of our request, or just good luck). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I was told that my master hearing will be after almost two years in Baltimore! Considering the fact that the second hearing is gonna take at least another 2 years it’s very discouraging! Can I apply for motion to expedite? If so, do you have a rough estimate for the acceptance rate of such applications? Thanks in advance!
Baltimore is usually less than 2 years, so hopefully, it won’t be that long. You can try to expedite a court case. I wrote about that on April 20, 2017. It works once in a while, and there is no harm in trying. Take care, Jason
Hi All and dear Jason,
If someone got his interview call who applied in New York in January, February or March 2016. And dear Jason can you tell me please if new york office is dealing with backlog cases?
Will appreciate your reply.
Thanx
I do not know about NY and backlog cases, but my understanding is that they are following LIFO. Take care, Jason
Thanx bro
Does u get NY timeline any body there goy interviews from 2016??
Does u get NY timeline any body there goy interviews from 2016??
Does u get NY timeline any body there got orinterviews from 2016 or still backlog
Hi Jason
Greetings !
quick q if EAD card misplace, can we get new EAD card ,
Thanks
You can – check the form I-765, available at http://www.uscis.gov, for info on replacing a lost card. Unfortunately, you need to pay for the new card. Take care, Jason