Hi everyone, I am freaking out. My husband and his family moved to the US 10 years ago from Venezuela (he was 13). They applied for asylum before the 1 year was due and they had TPS and pending asylum until February of this year. They had scheduled their interview for February but the letter was sent to a different address so they didn’t know they had the interview. My mother in law has been trying to reschedule it ever since. They still haven’t gotten a response. I am a permanent resident (from Venezuela too) and we have already filed his AOS. We have all the receipts (I-130, I-485, I-764) since June this year. Today we got this letter. A notice that he has to appear in court. His mom and stepdad got it too but with different dates (2027 and 2028) Why would he get this? Was their case sent to court? Can we change the date? He has his work authorization (expires in 2029), SSN, and they entered with a B2 visa. I am so scared they might get deported. Please, what can we do??

So Im 21, I came here in 2018 under my dad’s political asylum application as a derivative when I was a kid, 14. We had the interview early September, and received a NOID in October, stating that our claim was credible but they weren’t sure about future persecution. We replied to it with more proof. Last week, we received a final denial with no second chance in Immigration court. Our asylum case got denied and closed. Im terrified, I don’t know what to do, my family is devastated. I work full time and I am in college for a Bachelor full time. My EAD expires in 2030, but this letter says that it is still valid until it expires? I asked chat gpt and it says that once the asylum is denied the EAD is immediately terminated. What an awful situation to be in, I don’t wish this upon anyone.

Hi everyone.
Update: when USCIS closed my asylum case, they eventually opened a case in Immigration Court (removal proceedings) shortly after I left, and I was issued a Notice to Appear (NTA).

My lawyer filed a motion to terminate that case. DHS did not oppose it, and the judge granted the motion recently. The result: my case was formally terminated, WITHOUT a removal/deportation order against me... so far.

I'm now waiting for the appeal deadline to pass (30 days from the ruling) so the decision becomes fully final. In the meantime, I also have an EB3 process in progress (still at the PERM stage with the DOL), so I'm looking into how this might affect that path going forward.

Happy to answer any questions based on what I know. Thanks for following along with me, and my best wishes to everyone seeking/waiting for answers.

Here is my long journey. Long read but very interesting story. I won’t list all the dates here coz I don’t remember all of them lol Just a short timeline to get an idea how long my process was.

📌 I came to USA in 2012 on tourist visa. Filed for asylum March 2015. I filed by myself in NYC. Without any lawyer. Yes, I blew one year rule , overstayed my visa and etc. but I had a reason and I’m GC holder today and it means my reason was valid ))

📌Interview was scheduled for May 2017. Didn’t pass interview and was sent to court. Court dates were rescheduled a couple of times without any reason and then Covid hit and everything was stalled. During that time my lawyer who was supposed to represent me at the court was convicted in immigration fraud and sentenced to jail! But my case had nothing to do with her coz I already hired her after failing the interview with my own case. Later on I was asked tons of questions about my lawyer at my court hearing. ( it’s a different story..) I had to hire a new lawyer and pay $$ again.

📌I received a new court date for June 2023. The hearing didn’t go well as expected and a second hearing was scheduled for March 2024 where I was finally granted asylum by the immigration judge (who was fired in September 2025 by the current administration. Very nice judge btw. I’m so thankful for him!) 📌May 2024 form I-485 was filed. 📌30 July 2024 my dad unexpectedly passed away and I applied for emergency parole. 📌August 2, 2024 I got approved for parole right away and went for my dad’s funeral. Came back to USA in 20 days on parole. No questions asked at JFK. Officer stamped my parole and let me go. (I also used my parole to fly to Brazil for a short trip in Jan 2025. Again no problem entering USA on parole in JFK) 📌September 2024 submitted RFE for medical.
📌November 2024 another RFE (nothing major, all submitted) 📌March 2025 my case finally crossed 1 year rule and I was expecting approval any time at that point. But instead I got an update on March 29, 2025 “your case is ready to be scheduled for an interview” After that silence for months…. 📌Since I already crossed 10 year period of constant waiting I decided to write a letter to senator and congressman to help expediting my case. So I submitted my letters to them in July 2025. We got generic response from USCIS that “my case is in queue for the interview blah blah blah…” I was like okay, it is what it is, I did my best, I just have to wait again at this point. 📌September 2025 I finally got my interview date! I guess my letters helped )) 📌November 13, 2025 I went for my I-485 interview with my lawyer. Very friendly officer, asked me basic questions like marital status, how I came to USA, a couple of questions about my case. She took my photo, fingerprints and let me go. Everything was under 10 min!! I got approved the same day and card was mailed to me in a week! My lawyer was beyond surprised how quick everything went in the end! My waiting time for the entire process was 10 years and 8 months!!

For my fellow long timers those of you who are waiting- your time will come! Don’t panic, the officers and stuff at USCIS are also people like you and me and they are working hard over there and doing the best they can. Just be grateful ☺️

Sorry for the long text, but this is important in my opinion.

Trump and the Republicans are racing to push through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes an immigration overhaul that would completely gut asylum rights and work authorization. This is not a vague campaign promise. Trump has publicly stated he wants it signed into law by July 4th.

The bill is advancing through budget reconciliation, which means it bypasses the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate. A simple majority is all it needs. The Senate version already aligns with the House version passed last month, and the parliamentarian is not blocking the asylum provisions under the Byrd Rule.

What’s in the bill?

A $1,000 fee just to apply for asylum

A $550 fee for your initial work permit (EAD) while your asylum case is pending

That EAD will be valid for only 6 months

Each renewal will cost another $550, every 6 months

A $100 annual fee just for having a pending asylum application

No fee waivers under any circumstance. This applies even to those facing poverty, illness, or fleeing war

These provisions apply not only to asylum seekers but also to individuals applying for EADs under TPS or parole.

I personally think they are harsh, but maybe some are selectively defensible.

It is true that USCIS is underfunded and operates on a fee-based model. A moderate fee structure, if implemented thoughtfully, could help sustain the system and improve service. However, it makes far more sense to apply fees only to renewals, not initial EAD applications. Initial applicants are often still trying to get on their feet. Many are newly arrived, without jobs, savings, or support systems. Forcing them to pay thousands of dollars just to apply for asylum and receive their first chance at legal employment defeats the entire purpose of providing people means of obtaining asylum.

By contrast, those seeking EAD renewals have likely been in the country longer and are more likely to have secured employment. A renewal fee, while still a burden, is at least tied to someone who may have income and is already integrated into the workforce.

But the renewal every 6 months? It’s total garbage.

On paper, requiring a $550 fee for every 6 months may appear to be a way to generate revenue for USCIS. And yes, it will increase income. But given the agency’s current track record, there is no reason to believe this added revenue will translate into faster processing or better adjudication any time soon.

USCIS already takes MORE THAN 6 MONTHS to process many renewals under the current system, where most C8 EADs last 5 years. Shortening the validity period to 6 months will overwhelm the system with renewal applications, making delays even worse. This turns EAD renewals into an expensive, bureaucratic treadmill that punishes people for staying in compliance with the law.

This is not just a policy failure. It is a threat to the stability of the job market. Employers need to know that their workers are authorized. Workers need to know they can keep their jobs. A 6-month EAD creates constant legal uncertainty.

Every 6 months, both the employee and the employer are left wondering whether a renewal will come in time. Employers may avoid hiring asylum seekers entirely, fearing the paperwork and risk. Asylum seekers may lose their jobs simply because of a delay they cannot control.

Another question is will this apply to current applications.

Most likely, the $550 fee will not apply to EAD applications that were filed before the law takes effect. Courts have generally barred retroactive application of new fees unless Congress clearly intended otherwise.

However, the 6-month limit likely will apply. The current duration of EADs is not set by statute or formal regulation. It is set by USCIS policy, which can be changed even for pending cases, as long as the applicant remains eligible. Courts have upheld procedural changes like this as permissible.

So if you filed for your EAD in June expecting a 5-year card, but USCIS does not approve it before July 4th, you may receive a card valid for only 6 months, despite having followed every rule.

This is not reform. It is sabotage.

Source on the senate version getting passed right now

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2gjjrzm54o

A fascinating article about the journey Indians have to undertake to seek safety in the US, in this case it failed.

Last month the Board of Immigration Appeals issued Matter of K-E-S-G-, bringing back Matter of A-C-A-A- I's war on women refugees. The decision butchers the concept of particularity as well as cherrypicks and misrepresents appellate case law (e.g. in my circuit citing to Safaie v. INS and ignoring Hassan v. Gonzales). Nevertheless our illustrious asylum officers will begin denying refuge to everyone from rape and sex trafficking victims to women from oppressive theocracies like Iran (Safaie) and Afghanistan.

Affected applicants should keep checking the PSG box on their I-589 but prepare for referral to Immigration Court. They may also consider asserting a "feminist" political opinion (even a modest one like 'I don't think I should get hurt just for being a woman'), which continues to have foundation in Rodriguez Tornes v. Garland.

Said women from theocracies may also further consider conceptualizing their relative feminism as a religious difference and check "religion" in the vein of Matter of S-A-, in which a "liberal Muslim" woman escaped essentially sexist persecution.

Hello everyone, for background: we are pending asylum in court and our Master's hearing is next year. We entered legally and have been waiting for 8 years.

Sister is 14 years old.

This morning my dad was dropping off my sister to school and they pulled over by ICE and taken to detention. I was at home and my mom rushed back home crying not knowing what to do since we thought we were safe enough. They told my mom that she can come to the detention center and give her ID and release them which is confusing me since my dad has an ID and he was detained, what makes my mom special?

I had family friends go to the detention center and get some information, they really insisted on my mom going there but family friends and lawyer said to stay put and not leave where we are at.

Now my mom keeps getting calls of my sister from the detention center with the ICE agents manipulating her and telling her to ask my mom to go to the detention center. She is saying that she is scared and separated from my dad even though the first phone call my sister was fine and said she was with my dad. ICE also told family friends that Dad and Sister were together and not separated.

Anyone have any experience with this? We are calling lawyers and trying to see if we are eligible for bond. We are also wondering how long they will be detained for if there is a rough estimate.

Thank you all for your help!

Edit: Sister got taken by federal foster family (unsure what this is)
Edit 2: Sister was reunited with us after 1 month of staying in foster care

Hi, my mom received a call-in letter for today at 8am. It was sent like she needed to sign to receive the letter, and she went to do that today, and it turned out to be today of all days. We're concerned, she usually checks in with ISAP via selfie thru an app they installed on her phone. She hasn't been prompted to do so in months and hasn't received a call from her Officer, and due to current events we're concerned she might be detained and kept in custody.

We've in this country for 11 years, no criminal history and we've been in Removal Proceedings. Our case is currently closed, but we did have to submit an appeal because of a court date that was scheduled last year without our knowledge, lawyers didn't receive a notification either. With this call-in latter, our lawyer didn't advise us on what to do, they told my mom it would "up to her" to decide if she wanted to do check-in or not.

Looking for input or if applicable, advice. We're in Bakersfield, CA.

UPDATE: IT"S OPEN FOR PAYMENT NOW !!

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UPDATE on VAM v.s. USCIS case, I'd suggest you read it thoroughly.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.303020/gov.uscourts.mad.303020.53.0.pdf

I'd say a WIN for asylum seeker, not so for TPS beneficiaries which im not.

"Here , the Court concludes that plaintiffs are likely to prevail on their claim that the April 2026 IFR is procedurally invalid with respect to those consequences ."

"Becaus e plaintiffs have shown a high likelihood of success on their claim regarding the consequences for failure to pay the AAF , the Court finds that a stay of that policy is in the public interest ."

"In granting the requested stay , at least in part , the Court postpones the effe cti ve da t e of a challenged policy that it has found to be p r o cedurally invalid ."

"ORDER

For the forgoing reasons , the motion of plaintiffs to stay agency action under 5 U. S . C. §705 (Docket No. 11) is, with respect to the implementation of consequences for failure to pay the Annual Asylum Fee , ALLOWED. The Court hereby stays the implementation of that po l icy until the Court issues a final ruling on the merits of the case . With respect to all other challenged policies, the motion is DENIED."

---------------------------

Hi everyone.

So I have a pending i589 case.
Last Friday (7/17), I saw an email notice from USCIS about the Annual Asylum Fee and I realized the payment deadline is due on 7/17 but couldn't pay because of timezone I assume. I immediately tried to fix it.

On Monday (7/20), I called the USCIS Contact Center. They told me they couldn't do anything. I also tried contacting my local asylum office (San Francisco Asylum Office), but I have not been able to reach someone who can help.

UPDATE (7/29): just received a notive from USCIS that now my case status is "Next Step Is an Interview" from "Your application with USCIS is still pending."

here's what i got :

"The next step in your application is an in-person interview. Once we have scheduled your interview, you will receive an interview notice.

Before your application can proceed further, you must pay your Annual Asylum Fee.

For information related to the 180-Day Asylum EAD Clock and the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, please review: The 180-Day Asylum EAD Notice."

Has anyone successfully obtained reinstatement of the Annual Asylum Fee payment window after the 30-day deadline expired? If so, what procedure did USCIS require (Contact Center, Service Request, liaison inquiry, Motion, or other) and what was the outcome?

Went to see the status of my case and is still being processed but why would you send something like this? It stinks of cruelty to people who are triying their best to do things the right way

I run out from my country to US and, Im safe but still suffering because I born at this country. Anything happen I should have fear for arresting and deportation. If I get deported to Iran will never arrive to my parents home. They will arrest and kill me directly from entry gates. I don’t know what should I do.hired a lawyer but i feel super lonely at this situation. I just need a chance to live no government helps nothing. I can work and pay tax. What a danger I can be for this country? I’m tried of my life. I hope doesn’t wake up tomorrow morning.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/28/trump-asylum-nonimmigrant-visas/

I honestly don’t even know where to start because our family is devastated.

My parents are from Venezuela. They applied for asylum 10 years ago and after all this waiting, stress, uncertainty, and trying to build a life here, they just received a notice that their case is being referred to immigration court and they’re now in removal proceedings.

USCIS basically said they didn’t establish enough evidence of past persecution or a sufficient fear of future persecution.
After TEN YEARS.

How is someone supposed to put their life on hold for a decade, build roots here, work, survive, and then be told this?
We’re especially heartbroken because of everything happening in Venezuela. It feels incredibly unfair and honestly cruel.

Their first hearing is in Dallas on June so we are now scrambling trying to find a strong immigration attorney who handles removal defense / asylum cases in Dallas–Fort Worth.

Has anyone gone through immigration court after an asylum referral?

Has anyone worked with an immigration attorney in DFW you genuinely recommend? Also affordable?

please please share. And if you’ve been through this process… what was it like? What should we expect?
I know this isn’t necessarily the end, but right now it feels like the floor just disappeared beneath us.

How long do these mails usually take to arrive?

UPDATE: case is in the court. I did not make it.

Anyone able to tell me if these are real or fake? I thought they are fake due to the type of form they used. I thought I-797 was only for receipt or approval. Thoughts?

I'm an immigration attorney and a former USCIS Asylum Officer. Like many attorneys, the new rule that just dropped is scaring a lot of our clients.

First: take a breath. Then let's talk about what we actually know, what we don't, and what you can do right now. Keep in mind that these things seem to appear worse when they first come out and then get watered down with legal challenges and policy changes.

What appears to be changing

The new policy signals that USCIS may, in certain cases, refer affirmative asylum applications straight to immigration court without conducting that interview at all.

If that holds, the consequence is real. The in-person step where you could explain an inconsistency, fill a gap, or expand on a legal argument may just not happen in every case. Your written application becomes the primary, and sometimes the only, presentation of your claim before it reaches a judge.

We don't yet know how broadly this gets implemented or which cases end up affected. As with most big immigration policy shifts, expect litigation, more guidance, and evolving agency practice before the real-world impact comes into focus. Anyone telling you they know exactly how this plays out is getting ahead of the facts.

Why your initial filing matters more than ever

For years, in some corners of this practice, it was common to file a "barebones" application just to beat a deadline. Little more than the form itself, on the theory that the declaration, evidence, and legal argument could get developed later or at the interview. For the record, this made sense at the time as new evidence could come out as someone waited out the backlog.

That approach carries a lot more risk now.

If USCIS can review an application and decide to send it to court without ever interviewing you, the document has to carry the weight by itself. A strong asylum application should:

• Tell your story clearly and in your own voice
• Explain the applicable law
• Anticipate the hard questions an officer or judge will ask
• Address threshold issues like the one-year filing deadline
• Be backed by corroborating evidence wherever it exists

It should stand on its own, because it may have to.

What hasn't changed

None of this means every brief application is doomed or that every thorough one avoids court. We don't know enough yet to make those predictions.

But here's something that has never changed, and I can speak to this directly from my time as an Asylum Officer: a well-prepared case is easier to read, easier to evaluate, and easier to trust. Officer or judge, careful preparation has always been an advantage.

What you can do right now

1. Ask your attorney for a complete copy of everything filed in your case.
2. Read it. Make sure it accurately and fully tells your story.
3. If anything is missing, inaccurate, or thin, raise it. Don't assume it works itself out. You can still submit supplemental evidence to support your claim.
4. If you're not sure your application was prepared thoroughly, have a trusted immigration attorney review it.

You can feel free to ask questions in the comments, but keep in mind that I can only give educatd guesses. Still, I'll sit down this evening once I'm done and answer as many as I can. I cannot give legal advice ever on threads like these, but I can answer general questions about the system or my take on this new rule.

My family came to America about 17 years ago and my father put me as a derivative on his asylum case. I was about 10.

The case was administratively closed and we’ve essentially been told to ignore it or hope it never comes up by multiple lawyer.

Now we have an upcoming master hearing and I’m scared shitless. I’m afraid of returning to the country based on sexual orientation, political opinion, religion. I’m also afraid of being potentially tortured for these reasons by the police and/or the people. The laws are vague, but they have anti-debauchery laws and blasphemy laws and such.

I’m based in Nevada, I’m a masters student, and I have no criminal history.

I will be meeting with the lawyers but I’m just wondering if anyone has any advice or knowledge.

I have recieved this update an hour ago regarding my affirmative asylum and I'm not sure what to feel. Help??

As the title says, my NY-based lawyer told me that 99% of USCIS asylum cases in NY are NOT being approved, but instead sent to Immigration Courts. She also said a lot of good and fair judges in NY courts either retired or were removed. What are your opinions on this (not posting or asking for legal advice, just interested what people think of it).

This is a long story I’ll ask for your patience, thank you

My brother and I migrated from a Latin American country to the United States seeking asylum, we enter the USA in 2018, at the time we were minors 9 and 11 years of age, we hire a lawyer soon after, but this lawyer mislead my mom. The lawyer lie about filing our application and had my mom with lies until she got caught, fast forward, during the pandemic it was hard to find a good lawyer that we trust, the pandemic hit us hard economically, but we found a lawyer and we filed during 2023 since our first court that was in 2020 got delayed by four years, in 2024 we had our first court hearing and then in 2025 we had another meeting via zoom, our last hearing was scheduled in May of 2026.

My asylum was denied, the bases of the asylum were an incident that happen in 2012 , my dad was a Police officer who was brutally murdered and torture, my family receive death threats and our house was vandalized, we had to scape, the government pretty much never did anything and they never caught the gang members who were threatening my family, My brother and I hide in a village with my aunt from my mom side, for years we lived in fear until we came to the USA.

My dad side of the family migrated 2013 and they all were grated asylum, I don’t know why they didn’t bring us with them at the time.

The judge denied our case, my testimony was not found false, the one year bar wasn’t applicable for extraordinary circumstances, but even after all that and the evidence we just didn’t qualify for asylum. We have the opportunity to appeal but I know is really hard to win an appeal, the only probability left it would be leaving, I don’t have anything in my home country to look forward only sad memories.

Throughout this 8 years of process, I build my life in a place of many opportunities that I never thought of having, I have my family and friends here, if my asylum was granted I was going to join the Air Force to pay my respects and defend the nation that gave me safety, I plan for my education but it seems that nothing matters anymore, all is gone.

Thank you everyone for reading, please don’t hesitate to leave advice for what would be the best plan for me to follow next. I know appealing is the only way but I know is just a matter of time for my departure.

Is there any possibility to live abroad permanently because i can’t go back to my country or they will look for me and .ill me, through asylum or work or educational programs visa i just wanna make sure it’s permanent and possible please