Hi Jason, your blog has been my Sunday morning reading for a long time…thank you for your support! I’ve been waiting for my interview and finally did it on 6 months ago but still hasn’t received my decision yet, when I read this question I’ve a case similar to it, when I run into similar problem my case was also dismissed but during my interview the officer was asking me from my asylum application form and i mentioned the reason I was arrested back home with political reasons but I was not asked about the us issue and I also forgot to mention it, does this be the reason for my decision delay? Does it have any impact since there was no conviction? Can I go there again to adjust it before they make my decision? Thank you and have a happy holidays!

You need to mention it – if you fail to mention it, they will likely know anyway, and if they think you are trying to hide it, it could have a negative effect on your case. You should also bring a copy of the “disposition” (final outcome) of the case, so you can show them it was dismissed. Given that it was dismissed, there should be no effect on your asylum case. Take care, Jason

1 – We submit a copy of the passport (photo/bio page), the asylum approval and asylum I-94, and for dependents, proof of the relationship with the principal (marriage or birth certificate). As far as I know, you have to file 2 passport photos with the I-131 form. But I have been doing it the same way for years, and so maybe they changed the rules. They did recently change the form and – surprise, surprise – made it much worse. Maybe they also changed the photo requirement; I have not looked at the instructions lately, but those should tell you. 2 – At the time USCIS makes a decision in Green Card case (form I-485), you have to have a full year physically present in the US. So if you leave for 2 weeks, you have to wait an extra 2 weeks to complete the full year. in other words, time outside the US does not count. 3 – The RTD is sufficient. I do not think AP is appropriate for someone who has asylee status, even if the I-485 is pending. Take care, Jason

Thanks for all your advice and tips. I followed your advice on following up with the asylum office for a decision and finally got an approval. So thanks a lot.

I guess I have 2 questions:

1- I’m applying for the Refugee travel document and I’m confused on the initial evidence requirements:
-A copy of an official photo identity document;
-Proof of refugee or asylee status;

It’s not asking for a passport picture? Are there new rules? I thought this was a replacement of passport for stateless individuals? Or am I missing the requirements?

2- Since I have a health trip and will be expediting my travel document, im wondering how does USCIS count the 1 year since you became an Asylee for applying for the green card. Does the 1 year since I gain asylum excludes all the travel? Or it doesn’t matter if I had travel during my 1 year as an asylee?

3- last, when I’ll be applying for the green card should I also apply for advance parole? Since I’ll need it in case I travel so that it doesn’t affect my pending application? Or just the RTD is sufficient for people who gained asylum, and pending green card based on asylum?

Thanks so much and congratulations on the new job!

It is completely normal for applications filed together by he same family to get processed separately, especially in the case of adult children or siblings (they do a better job keeping together cases of parents and minor children, and sometimes of spouses). Also, cases get processed at different speeds all the time, so that seems normal to me. We see most I-485 cases for asylees taking 1 or 2 years, and you can check the processing time at http://www.uscis.gov, but based on what you wrote, this all seems normal. Take care, Jason

I do not think the delay has any meaning – different officers do the interviews, and some are faster than others. Also, there could be delays in the background check or with a supervisor. You can inquire about the status of the case now if you want – I wrote about that on March 30, 2022. Take care, Jason