On April 20, 2023, USCIS held an engagement to provide an overview of the new Humanitarian, Adjustment, Removing Conditions and Travel Documents (HART) Service Center, which included a Q&A portion. These are ASISTA’s notes from that engagement.
In an effort to help our members avoid filing rejections for work authorization applications, we want to make sure everyone is aware of the upcoming changes to the I-765 and I-765WS forms.
While we continue to advocate and await further guidance, we have prepared this Practice Pointer, Filing Deadlines for RFEs, NOIDs, NOIRs, and I-290Bs , to assist you in the meeting deadlines during this national emergency. We encourage you to also visit our partners pages on COVID-19, CLINIC and CAST .
ASISTA stridently opposes the proposed fee rule published in the Federal Register yesterday as it further advances the Administration’s callous agenda to create significant barriers to equal access to immigration relief. The new proposed rule makes sweeping changes, including but not limited to:
In the beginning of November, two lawsuits were filed challenging the harmful revisions to USCIS fee waiver forms . USCIS’ new revisions limit the criteria for fee waivers and increase burdens on low-income applicants applying for immigration relief.
On August 8, 2019 the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a second opportunity for notice and comment on the new USCIS Tip Form to collect information from the public regarding purported immigration fraud.
On May 29, 2019 AILA and ASISTA sent a letter to USCIS leadership as well as the CIS Ombudsman expressing concern that the two-month grace period to transition to the new Form I-918 is insufficient as it will cause hardship to survivors, advocates, as well as law enforcement agencies. Read the letter here .
On April 16, 2019, ASISTA and the National Organization for Women (NOW) submitted a comment in opposition to the proposed USCIS Tip Form, as the form would be a tool for abusers and perpetrators of crime to weaponize the immigration system against survivors, with impunity. Read our comment here .
ASISTA drafted a short practice update on the newly published Form I-539 and I-539A. Read more about the grace period and the new biometrics requirements here .
Annotated Notes on NTA Memo Implementation On November 15, 2018, USCIS held a stakeholder engagement call on the implementation of the NTA memo on survivor-based protections. ASISTA, AILA and ILRC compiled these annotated notes and practice pointers based on USCIS’ responses during that stakeholder call.
New USCIS Guidance will create a chilling effect on survivors coming forward to access protection.
ASISTA, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-based Violence, Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network, and Tahirih Justice Center issued a joint statement to the divisive and inaccurate White House statement and DOJ and DHS report issued this week, which among other things, requires the agencies to report on acts of gender-based violence committed by foreign nationals. The administration’s discussion of gender-based violence appears to be at the cost of propagating an anti-immigrant agenda, which we stridently reject.
This Practice Alert summarizes USCIS’s new extreme vetting policies, including broad adjudication holds, re-review of previously approved cases, and heightened discretionary scrutiny, and explains their serious implications for immigrant survivors seeking safety and stability. It also provides practical guidance for practitioners on preparing clients for the impact of these measures and on developing case strategies and potential legal challenges.
On January 23, 2026, the federal Trafficking Survivors’ Relief Act of 2026 (TSRA) became law. The TSRA provides a remedy for trafficking survivors to obtain relief from federal criminal records stemming directly from their exploitation. In enacting the TSRA, Congress acknowledged that trafficking survivors frequently acquire a criminal history as a result of their exploitation, which can be a barrier to employment, housing, education, and essential support services and make them more vulnerable to re-exploitation. This 2-pager describes the TSRA and its potential use by immigrant survivors of trafficking charged with or convicted of federal crimes.
Trying to help a trafficking survivor decide whether to file a T visa application? This practice advisory includes factors to consider and discuss with the client.
The age-in rule is a statutory provision designed to protect VAWA derivatives from losing eligibility when they turn 21. This written resource describes the age-in rule and provides practical tips for practitioners to harness its potential.