This page has updates from the past year.
On September 9, 2026, USCIS announced that if you received TPS for El Salvador, your protection and work permit remain valid for now, until any new announcements are made.
This page was recently updated to include information for asylum seekers about TPS, immigration limits for 40 countries, and travel to the U.S.
The government has sent emails to some asylum seekers saying their visas could be revoked. This does not close your asylum case and it does not mean that you must leave the U.S.
If your annual asylum fee payment period expired at USCIS, you should now be able to pay! This is possible thanks to ASAP members’ win in court.
If you applied for asylum with USCIS, you must show an “exceptional” reason to reschedule within 10 days of the scheduled biometrics appointment or asylum interview.
ICE has been detaining more immigrants at airports across the country, including people who have pending applications, valid work permits, or whose immigration status is expiring soon.
Is your asylum case pending in immigration court or at USCIS? Is your case on appeal to the BIA? Check if your $102 annual asylum fee is due now, and pay on time!
TPS is ending for many countries. Read updates for all TPS countries.
For asylum cases on appeal, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has started sending orders to pay the annual asylum fee. But even if you have not yet received an order, you can choose to pay now.
In response to ASAP members’ lawsuit, the government extended work authorization for many TPS holders from El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine.
A court has allowed USCIS to review some past immigration approvals for immigrants from 40 countries who arrived in the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021.
The government issued two new executive orders related to birthright citizenship. If you or your child is a U.S. citizen, consider applying for a passport now if you do not have one.
If you win asylum, it may be possible to bring your spouse or child to the United States. Before, people from 40 countries could not do this, but a judge disagreed.
On July 28, 2026, USCIS announced a new rule that allows asylum officers to transfer certain cases to immigration court without an interview first.
Asylum seekers do not have to pay a fee to apply for withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). This win was thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy!
The government can now use a process called "expedited removal" to deport some people more quickly if they have been in the U.S. for less than 2 years and entered the U.S. without a valid visa.
USCIS reinstated the 30-day processing requirement for initial asylum-based work permits. This happened after ASAP members filed a lawsuit!
The Supreme Court ruled that babies born in the United States are U.S. citizens, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Thank you to ASAP members who led the way to protect this right and defend the U.S. Constitution.
A court ordered USCIS to start processing applications for immigrants from 40 countries again. But the government has appealed, and we do not know if USCIS will process many applications.
Starting in May 2026, some immigration courts have scheduled master calendar hearings for hundreds of immigrants all at the same time. A judge conducts the hearing for everyone as a group, instead of individually.
USCIS is making it harder to get some green cards based on family and employment, but some applicants have still been approved. Green cards based on winning asylum are NOT affected by this new policy.
Read updates about Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for all countries.
There are new security checks for USCIS applications, including asylum and green cards. The security checks can cause delays, and some applicants may be asked to provide fingerprints again.
A proposed new rule would limit work permits for asylum seekers, but it is not final. You can still apply for an initial work permit 150 days after you apply for asylum.
If you were harmed by the U.S. government, you have a right to file a claim using a law called the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Visit ASAP's new website, HurtByICE.com, to learn more.
The U.S. government is preventing asylum seekers and other immigrants from receiving new commercial drivers licenses (CDLs). This new rule is very similar to a 2025 rule that was stopped by a court. Immigrants are challenging the new rule through a new lawsuit.
A proposed new rule would make it impossible for asylum seekers to apply for an initial work permit. The rule would also make some work permit renewals more difficult. This proposed rule is NOT final. If you are eligible for a work permit, apply now!
Some immigrants can ask for release from detention through a bond hearing or a habeas petition. A court has said that more people who crossed the border should have an option for a bond hearing. But the process can be difficult.
Courts have temporarily blocked the IRS from sharing taxpayers’ information with immigration agencies. However, we know that the IRS shared data with immigration agencies in 2025, and it is possible that they will do so again in the future.
USCIS and immigration courts can now require an annual asylum fee of $102 if your asylum application has been pending for at least one year. Previously, a judge had paused these fees, but the judge ended that pause on February 2.
There are new travel restrictions for individuals from specific countries. The countries are Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, the Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Work permits issued after December 4, 2025 to asylum seekers will be valid for 18 months, instead of 5 years. However, if you received a 5-year work permit on or before December 4, 2025, it is still valid for 5 years. This change also applies to some other immigrants.
The government is ending many immigration court cases without a full hearing.
The government has stopped issuing new automatic work permit extensions. But if you already received a 540-day extension on or before October 29, your extension is still valid!
USCIS made it harder to submit payments by check or money order. See updated information about how to make payments for new applications.
The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) aims to provide factual information about current immigration laws. This information is not legal advice.
All legal content is written and legally reviewed by ASAP’s team of expert immigration lawyers. ASAP’s expert lawyers have decades of experience in immigration law and litigation. Collectively, they have won hundreds of cases. Our lawyers are admitted to the Bar in several U.S. states, hold law degrees from universities including Harvard, Yale, and UCLA, and have won multiple awards for their legal work.