How Do I Add New Evidence to Asylum Before the Interview?
When looking for the safe haven of asylum, noncitizens must wait years for an interview. Documents they submitted with their application (for example, about murders of protesters in their country) may be irrelevant ten years later. This article explains how to file new evidence BEFORE getting an asylum office interview notice.
Why Should I Add New Evidence to Asylum?
An asylum applicant who waits until they receive their interview notice in the mail is literally risking their life; winning the case depends on documents and some officers refuse to review documents received within a month of the interview. At a February 11th interview, an asylum officer in Chicago refused to review documents which arrived at that office on January 27th DESPITE the asylum applicant handing over copies of those documents at the interview. (Not all asylum officers are like that. At a February 10th interview, an asylum officer in Montgomery, Alabama reviewed documents that arrived at that office February 3d.)
Together with fresher evidence of the situation in the homeland, an applicant’s lawyer might also submit an updated asylum application, Form I-589. As the officer will not need to update the form information — employment, residences, and children born after filing – the applicant will have more time for the interview itself.
EXPERT TIP — Asylum applicants should get copies of their LAST visa applications from the Dept. of State through a FOIA request. Filing a newer Form I-589 gives the applicant one more shot to avoid contradictions between the LAST visa application and the asylum application.
Best Two Ways to Add New Evidence
The easiest way to add new evidence is to upload the documents to an existing USCIS online account. BEWARE – this is only possible for noncitizens who filed asylum applications online. Blandon Law files asylum applications online to benefit our clients.
For noncitizens who filed a paper application, US Citizenship & Immigration Service officially allows them to “submit” evidence “at any time before” a scheduled interview. Because asylum offices often reject document packages, hire a lawyer to file new evidence. An experienced asylum expert may also include a cover letter explaining why the new evidence is important to the case. Importantly, lawyers sometimes can send documents to the asylum office through email addresses that non-lawyers (including immigration paralegals) cannot use.
If you fear returning to your home country, call 954.385.0157 or click “For Future Clients” to schedule a chat with our asylum immigration experts.
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Disclaimer – These entries are based on real life events. Family member names, when used, are real. Client names are changed for privacy.
