USCIS has recently announced important updates regarding the filing location and documentation requirements for specific affirmative asylum applications submitted by mail. As part of these changes, a new edition of Form I-589 has been introduced, and certain documentation procedures have been modified.
Under the revised guidelines, applicants are no longer required to include passport-style photos, multiple copies of the form, or multiple copies of supporting documentation when submitting their properly filled Form I-589 to a lockbox. Instead, applicants will receive two notices upon submission. The first notice will serve as an acknowledgement that the lockbox has received and forwarded the Form I-589 to USCIS. Following the acceptance of the application, USCIS will issue a standard Form I-589 receipt notice. Both notices will feature the same receipt date, which is essential for determining eligibility for employment authorization based on a pending asylum application and for meeting the one-year filing deadline.
These changes aim to streamline the application process for certain affirmative asylum cases, enhancing efficiency and simplifying the documentation requirements.
Remzi Guvenc Kulen, Esq.
Kulen Law Firm, P.C.
