The Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”) recently announced a new way to check case status on-line. The system provides information about cases that are (or were) pending before the Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. According to the EOIR press release–
The automated case information application allows users to receive the most recent information about a case after inputting a unique alien registration number. Available information includes next scheduled hearings, decision information at the immigration court and Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) levels, and court and BIA contact information. Immigration courts’ operating statuses are also included.
The new portal can be found here. By entering your Alien number, you can view your case information in English or Spanish. This new system is similar to the old EOIR telephone hotline (which still works–you can call 800-898-7180 to obtain information about your case). The online system provides similar information to the hotline, but in written format.
Overall, I like this online system better than the telephone hotline. It is more convenient and faster to use. It also includes some helpful information that the hotline does not provide, such as better court contact information and news about court closures (at the bottom of the portal home page). That said–and I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth–I do have a few quibbles with this shiny new toy (shocking, I know).
First, and maybe most significantly, when you enter your Alien number and go to the page with information about your case, you will see your full name displayed at the top. This makes me nervous. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I don’t like seeing my asylum-seeker clients’ names displayed for all the world to see (not to mention their A-numbers and information about their cases). I worry that information like this should not be so publicly available.
To be fair, you can’t access this information without the person’s A-number, and when you call the EOIR hotline, you can obtain essentially the same information already. It’s just that having this information available in written format somehow seems less secure. Also, because the online portal is so much faster than the telephone hotline, it’s not difficult to enter one A-number after another and get information about lots of random people. This is particularly easy since A-numbers are assign sequentially. So if you know one person’s number, you can change it slightly and find other (random) people’s names and numbers. Whether this information could be used for nefarious purposes, I do not know, but given the human capacity for mischief, I imagine it is a possibility.
Perhaps a partial solution here is to provide less information about the alien–maybe just the person’s initials. Whether that would provide much protection against bad actors, I am not sure, but it seems safer than displaying the full name. Another possibility would be to require users to enter their Alien number and their name in order to access the system. This would at least make it more difficult to gain access to random people’s information.
A second quibble is that the portal does not distinguish between removal, Withholding of Removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). In each case, the decision information will indicate that the person has been denied relief (in contrast, where a person has been granted asylum or a Green Card, the system will indicate that the Immigration Judge “granted the application”). This is the same information that is provided through the telephone system. Having talked to some government techies, I know it is not always possible to obtain more specific information from existing databases, but it would be helpful to know whether a person has been denied all relief or has been granted Withholding or CAT.
A third issue is that the online system does not provide any information about the Asylum Clock. This is surprising, since the telephone hotline does give information about the clock. For some asylum applicants, it is possible to get clock information from USCIS by entering the asylum receipt number (not the Alien number) here. But given this fancy new online system, it’s too bad that clock data is not included as part of the package.
Finally, and this is perhaps an unfair criticism, it seems to me that EOIR could do a lot more with this website. For example, it could include contact information for the relevant DHS office (you can find that separately here). It could indicate whether biometrics are current. Each individual Immigration Court has its own webpage (which you can access here) with information about office hours, staff, parking, and more. It would be nice if the portal provided a link to the relevant court’s webpage. Maybe it could also include links to local pro bono resources and to the Immigration Court Practice Manual. And if we’re really ambitious, it could include information about how to submit a complaint against an adjudicator, other court personnel or an attorney. Dare to dream.
One last point–the new portal is only useful if people know that it exists. Instead of all the mumbo jumbo on the Notice to Appear and the Immigration Court scheduling order, why not include a prominent (and I mean **PROMINENT**) link to the new online system? This new system is not bad (despite my kvetching) and it would be great if more people learn about it.
These days, anything resembling a positive development in immigration world should be celebrated. EOIR’s online portal is a helpful tool for immigrants and their advocates. I hope EOIR will continue to upgrade this system to make it more secure and more useful for us all.
This portal is really idiotic. There is no security at all. On the top of that, it shows my A number as well. I was granted asylum 7 years ago and I became a citizen last year! So its not just for current cases.
Hello Jason
Hope you and your family doing well at this time of difficulty. Wishing you all the best let me raise my question
Would it a bad idea for a non citizen survival spouse on a pending asylum status to apply for a one time social security death benefit?
Is USCIS take this as something negative too?? Making sure before applying it
Thank you
I really do not know about that. However, if the person claiming the benefit got her status based on asylum (even as a dependent), the public charge rules do not apply and so there should be no effect on a case. Otherwise, while I doubt that claiming a survivor benefit would be an issue for the public charge requirement, I am not sure, and so you might want to have a lawyer check that for you. Take care, Jason
What states are under New Orleans office jurisdiction ?
How long it takes to transfer my case to there ? And how fast are they in processing ? Thank you for answering my 3 questions
1 – I do not know, but I think just LA. You can check if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. 2 – Cases take a while to transfer – it is difficult to say (especially now), but I would guess at least 3 or 4 months. 3 – They seem to be moving pretty well, at least the last time I dealt with them (maybe 6 months ago). I found it easy to expedite a case there – I just sent an email and they immediately agreed and expedited (and granted). Take care, Jason
Hi Jason!
My last comment might’ve been insensitive…
Just got an e-mail from my lawyer that he needs to reschedule my appointment and he informed me that several immigration courts closed indefinitely.
Sad, sad times…
I hope this horrible situation will resolve sooner than later.
Stay safe and healthy!
I wish luck to everyone, don’t lose hope.
Basically everything shut down as of last night. It is a temporary shut down, but my guess is that things won’t return to normal all that soon. We will hope for the best. Take care, Jason
Hi dear Jason, I am an employee of the restaurant. Our restaurant closed due to COVID-19 and the owner of the place told all of the employees to file for unemployment process. I contacted my lawyer because I remember the conversations about Trump not wanting immigrants, who apply for Medicare and other benefits in the US. I am asylum pending in Removal proceedings in the court, who filed I485 through the court based on approved I-130. My lawyer’s office told me that I should not file for unemployment because there was a new form I-944 introduced this February, which says that if you apply for unemployment you may be ineligible for GC. I was said that I might be asked in the court to fill up I944, since I am adjusting the status and proceeding with marriage case. Then based on this form I will be ineligible to get the Green Card if I do apply for Unemployment right now.
I’ve read about this form on the site, and it says that asylees are exempt from this form. Basically asylees can apply for unemployment. BUT, I am trying to adjust the status in the court based upon my marriage. Is this what will make me ineligible to get the GC ?? Or I still can apply for unemployment because my asylum case is still in the court and it is not closed?
If you pursue the asylum case, you do not need the I-944, but if you pursue adjustment of status based on the I-130, you have to fill the I-944. Whether unemployment insurance will block you from the GC, I do not know, but I doubt it, especially given the current emergency. The government is issuing a lot of new guidance for how to deal with the crisis, but I have not see anything related to the I-944 (other than something related to getting healthcare for coronavirus). I would have the lawyer look into this, as it is a “totality of the circumstances” test, so while unemployment insurance may be a negative factor, it may not be determinative. In other words, maybe you can submit other evidence to show that you are not a public charge and overcome the fact that you claimed unemployment insurance during the crisis. I would talk to the lawyer about how to approach this, but my sense is that you will get some leeway due to the crisis, and maybe even if you use the insurance, you can still show you are not a public charge – but see what your lawyer thinks, as he or she knows much more about your case than me. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I asked you this question while the Quarantine crisis just started happening here in USA, and based upon your previous answer you said that you would have one of your lawyers look into “this” particular “totality of the circumstances” test.
Could you tell me if you have any advice what to do in my case ?
because it’s been already a month, and I am not sure if the restaurants are going to open any time soon, but the money are running out pretty fast… lol
I still didn’t apply for unemployment. Cuz my lawyer is not recommending it, saying that we already need to explain why I am doing adjustment of status from the asylum case to the marriage case, and due to all the explanation we would need to provide (why I do not belong to the religion I applied for the asylum based on anymore).
Sorry, but maybe there is a misunderstanding. I cannot do research on this issue. It is your lawyer’s responsibility to determine your eligibility for the GC and to advise you about whether unemployment will affect the case. It would be reasonable for the lawyer to charge you something for this extra work, but it is not reasonable to refuse to advise you. My understanding is that unemployment does not directly impact the public charge requirement. However, the fact that you are unemployed could have an impact. To be sure, the lawyer really should look into this. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
What are the requirements to be granted the Withholding of removal for asylum seekers? I have lived in the US for more than 12 years and still waiting for my asylum interview since Sept 2016. During this time, I have never traveled outside the US. Am I eligible for it?
Thank you for your answer!
Do you mean Cancellation of Removal? That is for people who have 10+ years in the US, no disqualifying criminal convictions, you are a person of good moral character, and you have a US-citizen or green-card spouse, child or parent who will suffer extreme and unusual hardship if you are deported. Only an Immigration Court can give a person Cancellation. It can be difficult to win such cases, so talk to a lawyer for help. Withholding of Removal can also only be given by a court, but it is less good than asylum and is only given if a person is not eligible for asylum. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I read in AILA site which the uscis postponed all asylum interviews.did you hear about this suspension?
thanks
I posted about it today. It was a moving target, since the asylum office (and EOIR) kept changing their position. How long it will last is anyone’s guess. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason Or Everyone Else.
I have a quick question, recently I applied for Obama care and they approved for me and my wife. but for my 2 kids they are asking for proof of immigration status. My kids are 8 yrs old n 6 yrs old. so they have the initial EAD card which is now expired, we made it for SSN purpose. Since then we did not renew their EAD as they dont work. My question what other document can i provide them to satisfy Marketplace need? I sent them expired EADs, SSNs but none of them they r accepting. Please guide.
Thank you.
Sorry I forgot to mention, I have a pending asylum, applied in 2015 and still waiting for interview. My wife and 2 kids are my dependent.
I am not sure what other documents will work – maybe copies of your receipt and their biometric notices? Or a copy of the I-589? These documents show that your children are dependent asylum seekers. I guess in the worst case scenario, you can renew their EADs and use that, but it is a big waste of money. You could try for the fee waiver for them (form I-912, available at http://www.uscis.gov). Maybe that would work. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason or any one here can come with similar experience.
Its been five years since im waiting . I have had my interview in Virginia 7 months ago but still pending decision.
And i used to renew my driving license every years and it usually takes 3 hour until i got confirmation from USCIS Richmond for my driving renewal.
But this times its been a week since i have been waiting to hear from DMV.
This is the first renewal after my asylum interview.
Im abit worried my driving license expire in 15 days and you know if it expire i cant do anything.
Please respond if anyone can come across such issues it look unusual this time as oppose to other years i used to get approval within few hours from DMV
THANK YOU
They should issue the DL if you have a work permit and a pending case. It sounds like the problem is with the DMV, so maybe try to talk to a supervisor. It may also be that there is something going on with USCIS. Maybe the DMV can tell you that. You might also inquire with the asylum office – you can find their contact info if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. Take care, Jason
Yes thats how it works this days and i waited 2 weeks for it to get approved but you can call the no they gave you to speed up things and when you call them they will give you the approval no, make sure to get the real ID by paying $20 instead of the usual driving license incase if you have a plan to fly with in the states…good luck!
Hello Jason, thank you for everything you do to help us go through hard journey.
I am writing to seek your advice on my situation. In September I applied for an advance parole to go visit my father who is sick ( in East Africa). They kept asking for additional documents and evidences. On March 11 they approved but gave me until April 18th to return to the US. I am unsure to travel now amidst the corona pandemic and travel restrictions. Is it possible to request that the one month they approved for me be deferred to summer time. I don’t want to loose the opportunity if I can get them to give me one month in June or July. Please let me know what you think
It is very unclear what travel restrictions are in place, or who they apply to. We know that US citizens and people with green cards can return from overseas (assuming they can get a flight), but I have seen no guidance for others, such as people with AP. Unfortunately, I doubt you will be able to extend your AP, but you can try. Call USCIS to inquire about that: 80-375-5283. My guess is that you will have to apply again, but it is worth calling to see whether USCIS might take some action in this regard. Also, I would be very careful about traveling now anyway – if you cannot get back to the US and your AP expires, you will likely be stuck and unable to return here at all. I am not sure about that, but it seems very likely, so be careful. Take care, Jason
Good evening Sir,
I am writing a letter to Immigration asking to defer my advance parole to start at a later day this coming summer when the travel restriction will be over : I need your advise Sir, do you think saying summer is reasonable or I should give a specific time? I am just trying to see if they can extend it since it is a known situation.
Thank you and I appreciate your help
You can try that. I do not know what time frame is best, as I have no idea when things will start moving again (I can’t say that I am optimistic). I think you will just have to make your best guess and ask for more time. Good luck, Jason
If all the businesses close due to the virus, can we apply for some sort of monetary help as citizens do? Just curious what are all the aliens going to do that can not afford to miss a paycheck
Good question. Some people may be eligible for unemployment benefits. As far as I know, a non-citizen would be eligible for those the same as a citizen. Also, there are certain means-tested benefits (food stamps, housing assistance) that may be available, but availability for these may depend on your status here. I do not think there are any benefits specifically available to asylum seekers, other than maybe what is provided by charitable organizations. Maybe I will try to look into this for a future post. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason Or Everyone Else.
I have a quick question, recently I applied for Obama care and they approved for me and my wife. but for my 2 kids they are asking for proof of immigration status. My kids are 8 yrs old n 6 yrs old. so they have the initial EAD card which is now expired, we made it for SSN purpose. Since then we did not renew their EAD as they dont work. My question what other document can i provide them to satisfy Marketplace need? I sent them expired EADs, SSNs but none of them they r accepting. Please guide.
Thank you.
Hi Jason
A quick question. At the end of my Asylum interview when the officer asked to “name the countries we have ever traveled or traveled through”, my wife (derivitave applicant) forgot to mention the countries she had a transit stop (without leaving the airport and going through the immigration check point in those countries) while traveling to U.S., do you think if that is a problem? When the officer asks about the countries one has traveled through, does it mean to mention the transit stops even when you do not leave the airport? Thanks
I do not know what the officer means, and the officer should have been more clear. However, if you are worried about it, you can contact the asylum office (maybe by email) and let them know that when she answered the question, she forgot to include countries she transited through. You have to include her Alien number and the date of the interview, and the officer’s name if you know it. You can find their email if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. I doubt you will have a problem either way, but if you are concerned, there is no harm in letting them know about the transits. Take care, Jason
Jason,
Here is a question about an I-485 form, “Criminal Acts and Violations”
Question 25: “Have you EVER been arrested, cited, charged, or detained for any reason by any..”
In the middle of 2015, I got a speeding ticket in VA (I guess you know how crazy VA troopers are) that originally was stating “reckless driving.” I pleaded guilty, the courts have agreed to enter a defer disposition and made me do 10 hours of community service. Finally, the case was closed with an amended charge “improper control control/driving” and a $500 fine.
Should I answer “Yes” in Question 25,
“No” in Question 26 (“Have you EVER committed a crime of any kind..”),
“Yes” in Question 27 (“Have you EVER pled guilty to or been convicted..”),
and “Yes” in Question 28 (“Have you EVER been ordered punished by a judge or had conditions imposed on you that restrained your liberty…?”
I can also attached all the paperwork to the case, I think.
Hi NM,
I too got the reckless ticket in Virginia and i pleaded guilty and paid the fine 450$ to the court, but i have the Florida state Driver license . Then i didn’t get anything like this similar like you to do —->( courts have agreed to enter a defer disposition and made me do 10 hours of community service ) <——–… that's affected my driving history and it's going to be in my record till 2024,if you dont mine could you please tell me what should i do in this case and whom should i contact to do community service , Please help NM.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Kristen
Kristen,
Once I got a ticket, I reached out to an attorney who went to the court hearing instead of me. The court agreed to remove everything from my record if I do 10 hours of service (which I did at Habitat for Humanity) and won’t get any tickets in the next 365 days. One year later everything was dropped.
I do not know whether that is a crime or not. I think as long as you explain what happened and include the paperwork, you will be fine. So if you are not sure of how to answer a particular question, answer it as best you can, and then circle the question and write “see cover letter”. In the letter, you can explain what happened. The key is to not give USCIS an excuse to state that you are lying in response to a question. As long as you do that, you should be ok. If you are very concerned, you might have a lawyer look at the statute and give you some advice, but it seems to me that this is a bit of a murky area, and maybe the best you can do is provide an explanation with evidence. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
In previous posts you mentioned that Virginia office had started speeding up things. How have things been since then? Have all of your recent filings gotten an interview date?
It’s hard to say. We have had a few LIFO interviews there, but not every case we filed received an interview (yet). Also, now I expect the coronavirus will throw a wrench into the whole system. We shall see. Take care, Jason
Thanks Jason. So…unauthorized employment for asylum seeker will go…unpunished ? I always thought it could trigger loss of status/unlawful presence counting….May I ask why it’s different for asylum seekers ? (It’s actually the first time I heard of this…) and I agree…one year is outrageous, which is obviously a way to discourage asylum seeking.
posted to the wrong place.
Unauthorized employment does not block a person from receiving asylum. It may require a waiver later on (during the GC process) and it could prevent you from obtaining other types of immigration benefits, but it would not normally block you from asylum. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason Sir,
Through my asylum case, I’ve been granted withholding of removal few years ago. Now is there any way I can get Green Card or Citizenship through EB5, Certification of Labor or something else. If yes then what will be the process.
Thank you so much.
That is doubtful, but I suppose not entirely impossible. I did a post that might provide some guidance on August 28, 2018, but aside from what I discuss there, you would need to reopen the court case, and even then, whether it is possible at all is very doubtful and would most likely require you to leave the US and get the GC overseas. Maybe talk to a lawyer about this, but be very careful, and if the lawyer thinks there is a path for you, make sure to get the whole thing in writing to hopefully protect yourself if the lawyer is trying to take advantage of you. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
First of all I would like to say thanks as always for serving asylum community and please be safe from corona virus. Next, i want to ask my question that i have applied for FOIA request to get my asylum interview notes from officer. I got the whole asylum interview transcript but they withheld 43 pages and didn’t provide the notes. Then i put a appeal and they gave more docs, those were basically decelerations with my files but again withheld the notes and said they cannot provide those under section B5 or 6 something. Do you think should i go for OGIS or ombudsman ? If i go would it impact my case further? My case is pending in court for individual hearing now ? Please let me know about that.
Thanks
I have never pursued the matter that far. Usually, you do not get the assessment to refer. For this reason, we ask client to write down any issues that came up at the asylum interview (that they can remember). The reason they do not want to give the notes is that they want to be able to use those to impeach credibility in court (the DHS attorney or prosecutor has access to the notes). I do not see how pursuing the matter further would affect your court case, but I am not sure you will get any positive results either. Take care, Jason
Coincidentally, I just checked my email and a colleague contacted me that he received the officer notes and assessment from a normal FOIA. I have seen that before, and it seems to me that it is just luck (maybe the FOIA team was not being careful?). I emailed him to ask whether he did anything special, and I have any interesting news, I will post it here. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Do you think the coronavirus outbreak will impact the time it takes to process the I-485 applications? Thanks
I expect it will. We are waiting to hear about USCIS closures. As of this moment, I think there are none, but it seems to be coming. If so, that will affect processing times across the board. It’s all unprecedented, so we have not idea whether this will be a small disruption to processing times or something more significant. Take care, Jason
Hey Jason!
Hope you doing well. I’m an asylee. My girlfriend obtained green card in May 2016 through marriage with US citizen. Btw she got unconditional green card straight away. However she didn’t move to the USA. They lived abroad. Two years ago she divorced. She only visited country from time to time. In general she spent in country about 6 months before Sep last year. Sep 2019 we met each other and fall in love. She decided to move to the USA. We have been living together since then and plan to marry soon. May I ask you when will she be eligible to fill out application for citienship and thus application for green card for me?
Thank you,
Best, Tom
She should talk to a lawyer to go over the specifics of this, as I cannot tell from your message. Basically, she needs to determine whether there was a break in residency, which it sounds like there was. If so, she can start counting the 5 years after she moved back to the US. She also has to show that more than 50% of her time over the last 5 years was in the US. It is actually a bit tricky to figure this out, but the N-400 page of http://www.uscis.gov has a chart that may help. In addition to this, there is a waiting period for someone who got a GC through marriage to file a petition for a different spouse. I have not looked at that in a while, and I forget how long it is (maybe 7 years from the time she got her GC), but I think you will be alright there, at least by the time she becomes a US citizen. Anyway, you need to talk to a lawyer about these, to determine exactly when she is eligible to apply for citizenship and when she is eligible to file for you. Take care, Jason
Thank you so much!
If I may, I’d like to add. While she didn’t stay in the USA long, she visited the country every 4-5 months to maintain her status. Last time however she went back after 7-month absense. But it happened because of her father illness. He needed her help. She has all the medical papers that indicates it. In the meantime, she had not stayed in the USA long last visits. Do you think she has chances to apply for US citizenship in a year?
I really cannot say. In a case like this, the periods inside and outside the US need to be carefully reviewed to determine eligibility, and that is not something I have the ability to do here. You should have a lawyer look at this if you are not sure. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Hope you are well.
I granted Asylum over one year ago
I applied for my wife over one year ago and she is in my country. The Receipt date for my I-730 form was March 01, 2019
Today I checked the USCIS case processing time at the Nebraska service Center and its March 04,2019
I haven’t received an approval letter yet and I want to know what can I do to find out the status.
Thank you
Things are not moving so quickly, and the processing times are not always accurate. However, if you want, you can call USCIS to inquire about the case: 800-375-5283. My guess is that you will get a notice from USCIS soon about this, but calling won’t hurt. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
As an asylee, I applied for my first EAD in the first week of October 2019. It has been more than 5 months, I have not received any update. I called USCIS but the agents response is very formal and robotic. They do not provide any single piece of information but what is on the USCIS account. However, one agent indicated that my case was sent for background check and they received the result for background check in one day. Since then, the case is with an officer. It is with an officer for more than a week or so. I do not know what makes it very long? Why it takes so long for granted case? Any other recommendation? I also submitted an outside the normal Processing time request but no reply yet.
It sounds like you took the action you could take. First time EAD applications have become slower. One other avenue you might try is the USCIS Ombudsman (a link is at right). They sometimes help with delayed cases, but they are not so fast themselves. My guess is that you will receive the EAD soon, as 5 months is slower than normal and these cases do mostly go through. Take care, Jason
I am actually very curious. So asylum seeker needs to wait 150 days to apply. and then plus the wait time you suggests…So how do people live during this period ? I assume not everybody brings loads of money with them when they enter or have rich relatives to accomodate them…most often, it’s. just onee person. with almost no money. So how do these people. survive when they. don’t have work authorization. ?
It’s a good questions. And there is a proposal out there to lengthen the 150 days to one year! Many people end up working without permission, since the alternative is homelessness and starvation. Working unlawfully does affect certain types of USCIS application, but it has no effect on an asylum case. For this reason, on asylum applications for our clients we list unauthorized employment for our clients. Listing it has no effect, but lying about it can cause a person to lose their asylum case (the logic being, if you lied about your employment, you are not credible and may be lying about your case). Take care, Jason
===Meant to post here
Thanks Jason. So…unauthorized employment for asylum seeker will go…unpunished ? I always thought it could trigger loss of status/unlawful presence counting….May I ask why it’s different for asylum seekers ? (It’s actually the first time I heard of this…) and I agree…one year is outrageous, which is obviously a way to discourage asylum seeking.
Hello Jason!
Do you think this panic and closures because of Coronavirus will result in asylum interview delays?
Thanks!
The union of Immigration Judges has asked that all Master Calendar Hearings (where lots of people gather together in a small space) be canceled and that Individual Hearings be set in their place. No word yet on whether that will happen. As for the asylum office, I have not heard anything, and my sense is that they will try to keep going. I do not know if their union issued any statement yet. It’s all unprecedented, so we just don’t know what they will do. Stay tuned. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason. My Family done interview in us embassy in my home country( i Applied for them i730 and uscis granted the case and sent to NVC and in result interview held). Embassy person told my family to make oline account on http://www.ustraveldocs.com. So my wife made account there and included all family members too. We live another city and on embassy list there is facility to pick up passports. My questions are: 1. How many days will take for visa process? 2. How we know to receive passports? By e mail or call or by another way?
Dear Kamran,
Would you kindly write your I-730 timeline ?
Best,
Maro
I think different embassies have different procedures, so I am not sure. I did a post about I-730 forms in December 2019. There is a link to a new manual, which is a very good resource and may have some info for you about this. Take care, Jason
I just checked this new online tool, however when I enter the numbers, it says ” reCAPTCHA error – unable to validate”
I don’t see a CAPTCHA prompt anywhere, so I don’t get it. Anyone else got this error message?
I saw that today too. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved soon. (Maybe the program has a virus? That seems to be the trend these days). Take care, Jason
All these viruses 😀
Even the EOIR can’t run. Jokes aside, I hope the coronavirus won’t result in court closures.
The Seattle court closed, at least for the moment. We’ll see what happens with other courts, I guess. Take care, Jason
Jason
Howdy Sir 🖐
I gave biometric after my asylum application. I have the paper to prove. My asylum is pending yet.I was about to submit status of adjustment to green card as with marriage. My question is do I still need to pay 85$ for biometric??
Appreciate your help Jason!! Always!!!
Tom
We always pay it, and I think you have to. Maybe not, but if you do not pay, and you were supposed to, they will likely reject the entire packet. Take care, Jason
Hi, I put my A-number in there just to see what happens…But…it shows my case is with my local court ?
But I am an affirmative asylum seeker, who hasn’t been interviewed even, and up to date, still maintaining legal status. Should I be worried ?
please disregard……
Could you please explain why we should disregard? I thought the portal is only for defensive cases.
I typed in the wrong A number…
You are correct. If I put myself in that position, I know my alien number is accessible because it is on my EAD and the copy of my EAD is easily available to the govt. officials from whom I am seeking asylum because I used it at various places for my employment/ID etc. They will be able to get the status of the case. I know all of us do not have attorneys, but this information should have been reachable to attorneys, or they should create a system, like authorized email system to provide one-time authorization to the person who is trying to see this information, it can be a code sent to his cell phone or email (which is available/registered in USCIS system) to access the information. But that needs some sort of involvement of IT solution professionals.
It is difficult to balance between making the info easily available and being secure. I do feel that it is not necessary to include the person’s entire name. Using the initials would be better, though not perfect. Take care, Jason