USCIS Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin (July 8, 2016)

On June 8, 2016, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the new edition of its Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin [link].

Starting on December 26, 2014, the USCIS set three priority levels for asylum interview scheduling:

1. Asylum applications that were scheduled for an interview, but the interview had to be rescheduled at the applicants request or the needs of USCIS;
2. Asylum applications filed by children;
3. All other pending affirmative asylum applications in the order they were received, with older cases scheduled first.

The USCIS states that asylum applications in the first and second priority categories are scheduled promptly. Therefore, the Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin applies only to affirmative asylum applications in the third priority category.

USCIS bases its estimates for the Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin on interviews scheduled during the listed month and the USCIS office's caseload and resources. The Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin does not include asylum interviews occurring outside of the eight asylum offices or Boston sub-office (e.g., interviews occurring on circuit rides). It also does not include interviews for Form I-881, Application for Suspension of Deportation or Special Rule Cancellation of Removal.

Asylum Office Directors may, in their discretion, consider requests for urgent interview scheduling outside of the prioritization categories. Applicants may submit urgent interview scheduling requests to the asylum office with jurisdiction of their case.

We have reproduced the June 2016 Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin below for your convenience:

Asylum applicants should consult with an experienced immigration attorney through each step of the asylum application process. To learn more about issues related to asylum, please see the full section on our website [see category].