U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced updated guidance (PDF, 319.68 KB) expanding the discretionary criteria USCIS officers use to determine whether to interview applicants filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, based on refugee or asylee status.
USCIS has issued a policy memorandum (PDF, 277.32 KB) directing the phased expansion of in-person interviews for petitioners filing Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition.
MENDEZ ROJAS, ET AL. V. WOLF, ET AL., Case No. 2:16-cv-01024-RSMIN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTFOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that applicants who have a pending affirmative asylum application with USCIS can now check the status of their applications online at uscis.gov/casestatus. Only asylum applicants with an application pending with USCIS will be able to use this new feature to check their case status online. It will not cover defensive asylum applicants whose cases are pending in immigration court.
Release Date: Jan. 31, 2018
Agency Will Focus on Processing Recently Filed Applications
WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that the agency will schedule asylum interviews for recent applications ahead of older filings, in an attempt to stem the growth of the agency’s asylum backlog.
Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DC
October 24, 2017
Based on Section 6(a) of Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” the U.S. government undertook a 120-day review of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to identify and implement additional security screening processes in order to uphold the safety of the American people.
As a result, the President has issued a new Executive Order that provides for the general resumption of the USRAP.
Effective October 5, 2016, USCIS has increased the validity period for initial or renewal Employment Authorization Documents for asylum applicants from one year to two years. Applicants with pending asylum claims file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, under category (c)(8). This change applies to all (c)(8)-based applications that are pending as of October 5, 2016 and all such applications filed on or after October 5, 2016.
USCIS no longer requires refugees applying for adjustment of status under section 209 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to file Form I-643, Health and Human Services Statistical Data for Refugee/Asylee Adjusting Status. USCIS has updated Volume 7, Adjustment of Status, Part L, Refugee Adjustment, Chapter 4, Documentation and Evidence of the USCIS Policy Manual to reflect the removal of this requirement.
The Policy Alert is available here:
Employers and refugees should be aware that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has automated Form I-94 processing for refugees. The stamped paper form will no longer be provided to a refugee upon arrival, except in limited circumstances.
The Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee/Parole Program provides certain qualified minors in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some children are currently undertaking to the United States.