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Asylum

Virtual Filing for Affirmative Asylum Petitions

By November 16, 2022November 17th, 2022No Comments

Several days ago, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that starting on November 15th, 2022, affirmative asylum applicants may now file an online Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. According to the USCIS, expanding online filing is a goal for the agency as they strive to improve operations for both the agency and its stakeholders, including applicants, petitioners, and requestors. USCIS continues to strive toward reducing dependence on paper records and further transforming to an electronic environment.

Over 8.8 million petitions for immigration benefits and other requests, including 61,150 Forms I-589, were submitted to USCIS during fiscal year (FY) 2021. The aggregate number of forms filed electronically has dramatically grown since the introduction of online filing in 2017. Online applications, petitions, and requests totaled more than 1.21 million in FY 2021, a 2.3% increase over the 1.18 million submitted in FY 2020.

In order to file an online form, a person must first register for a USCIS online account. This account offers a quick and secure way to submit paperwork and follow the progress of a pending immigration request from the USCIS throughout the adjudication process. The creation of an account is free and comes with a number of benefits, such as the opportunity to contact USCIS regarding an application through a secure mailbox and reply to requests for evidence online. After this step, the petitioners may apply for the form online.

Jeelani Law Firm, PLC

JEELANI LAW FIRM, PLC is regarded as one of the top immigration law firms in the industry. We handle all immigration matters including family based adjustment of status/green card cases, citizenship filings, representation of businesses and employees when filing L1A/B Petitions, H1B petitions, and Permanent Labor petitions. Our firm also litigates immigration cases dealing with delayed adjudications as well as appellate matters before the U.S. Federal Courts, U.S. Immigration Courts, USCIS and the BIA. Given the complex nature of immigration law, inexperience can lead to many mistakes which may result in delays, denials, and loss of filing fees and valuable time. Contact our office and we will take care of the rest.