A new DHS rule change allows USCIS to refer certain affirmative asylum applications to immigration court without first conducting an interview, while also eliminating a requirement to include credibility assessments in referral notices. Here is what applicants should know.
A new USCIS interim final rule on asylum interviews allows officers to refer asylum applications directly to Immigration Judges without conducting an interview first, a shift aimed at reducing the existing case backlog. The rule takes effect immediately while public comments are still being accepted.
A correction to the USCIS fee rule tied to H.R. 1 has been published, restoring regulatory language that was accidentally omitted from the original April 2026 interim final rule covering asylum fees, Form I-94 fees, and employment authorization validity periods.
USCIS is opening a new Atlanta Asylum Office on July 8, 2026, to handle affirmative asylum interviews for applicants in Georgia and Alabama across three locations. If you have a pending asylum application in this region, find out how this change may affect your interview scheduling.
In Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, the Supreme Court held that seeking asylum at the border does not begin until a noncitizen crosses into the United States. The decision validates “metering” and limits inspection duties. Practitioners, employers, and asylum seekers should understand what the ruling changes and why timing matters.
DHS has issued an interim final rule establishing a new alien registration form that unregistered noncitizens can use to meet their legal obligations, while also inviting public comments on potential further changes to alien registration and fingerprinting regulations.
The Department of Justice has issued an interim final rule significantly increasing EOIR filing fees under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, adding new surcharges, mandating asylum application and annual fees, and eliminating prior fee exemptions for immigration court filings and appeals.
USCIS has opened a new asylum office in San Antonio, Texas, expanding interview capacity within the Houston Asylum Office jurisdiction. Asylum applicants may now be scheduled in either city, affecting interview logistics but not case jurisdiction or eligibility standards.
The Supreme Court issued three rulings affecting immigration enforcement, upholding policies on asylum eligibility, lawful permanent resident removal standards, and Temporary Protected Status cancellation for Syria and Haiti — giving DHS expanded authority in each area going forward.
In Matter of Z-R-C-N-, the BIA held that a respondent cannot prevail on an ineffective assistance of counsel claim when the person she hired was not an attorney and never represented himself as one. The decision also addresses the speculative nature of SIJ-based adjustment of status where a 4-year visa backlog exists. Immigration practitioners and affected families need to understand both holdings.
