Advocacy Updates for ASAP Members

ASAP members are fighting together to advance ASAP members’ top priorities. Click on the links below to read the monthly updates.

May 14, 2025 updates
Previous updates

May 14, 2025 Updates

USCIS is processing most initial work permits in 30 days, but delays continue to grow.

This month, ASAP obtained updated processing times information (Rosario (Apr 2025)) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about processing times for initial work permits for asylum seekers.

In April 2025, 111,787 asylum seekers received a decision on their initial work permit applications.
73.8% of asylum seekers received a decision about their inreitial work permit within the correct 30-day period in April. This is much worse than March, when 86.4% of initial work permit applications were processed within 30 days.
95.6% of asylum seekers received a decision about their initial work permit application within 60 days.

If you have been waiting more than 30 days for your initial work permit, there are steps you can take that may help.

Many asylum seekers are waiting more than six months for work permit renewals.

ASAP also obtained i765 information (FY25 Q1) from USCIS about processing times for work permit renewal applications. However, this information is only up-to-date as of December 31, 2024. We may receive data about work permit renewals for January – April 2025 in July.

As of December 31, 2024, 86,358 asylum seekers had been waiting 180 days or more for a decision on their work permit renewal applications.
This is an improvement from September 2024, when 102,937 asylum seekers had been waiting 180 days or more for a decision on their work permit renewal.
We do not currently have any information about work permit renewal processing in 2025.

Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, you can use your current work permit based on asylum for 540 days after the original expiration date – if you renew your work permit before the expiration date.

ASAP knows that work permit processing delays are unacceptable! We will continue to advocate for faster processing times for initial work permits for asylum seekers and continue to share updates on this page.

Good news! It is now harder for Congress to undo the 540-day work permit extension.

In March, we shared that the 540-day work permit extension was under attack in the U.S. Congress. Thanks to advocacy from ASAP members, the business community, and others who care about the work permit extension, it will now be harder for the U.S. Congress to undo this extension!

After May 9, the Senate can no longer use a special procedure to quickly undo the work permit extension. Going forward, the House of Representatives could still try to undo the 540-day work permit extension, so we will continue to carefully monitor the situation. As of today, the 540-day work permit extension is still in effect.

Learn more about the 540-day work permit extension here.

Thanks to ASAP members for volunteering to speak out about work permits!

In March, ASAP sent a survey asking members if they wanted to speak out about the importance of work permits. 70 ASAP members responded. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out the survey!

ASAP staff has tried to contact everyone who responded. We are excited to work with the ASAP members who volunteered to share their stories about why it is important to access work permits.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in ASAP’s birthright citizenship lawsuit on May 15

As we shared last month, the Supreme Court scheduled an in-person argument (also called oral argument) in ASAP members’ lawsuit about birthright citizenship. The argument will take place on May 15 at 10 AM Eastern Time in Washington, DC. If you are interested, you can listen to the argument online here.

During the argument, first, a lawyer for the government will argue why they think the nationwide injunctions protecting birthright citizenship should be more limited. Then, a lawyer who is representing the U.S. states that are trying to defend birthright citizenship will argue their case. Then, a lawyer who is representing ASAP members will argue our case. We do not know how long the arguments will last, and the judges on the Supreme Court (called Justices) will probably ask many questions.

The Supreme Court will most likely not make a decision in this case on May 15. The Supreme Court usually takes time after an in-person argument to write their decision.

reWhile we wait for a decision from the Supreme Court: children born throughout the U.S. are citizens, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. This right is clearly written in the U.S. Constitution.

ASAP will keep fighting this lawsuit and we will keep you updated here. You can also read more on this ASAP page.

April 23, 2025 Updates

Update on processing times for work permits

USCIS continues to process most initial work permits in 30 days, but delays are growing.

This month, ASAP obtained updated Rosario (Apr 2025) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about processing times for initial work permits for asylum seekers.

In March 2025, 86.4% of asylum seekers received a decision about their initial work permit within the correct 30-day period. This is a small decrease from February 2025, when 87.9% of initial work permit applications were processed within 30 days.
98.3% of asylum seekers received their decision about their work permit application within 60 days.
112,136 asylum seekers received decisions on their initial work permit applications.

We expect to receive the next report about initial work permit processing times in July.

USCIS has not shared information about work permit renewals.

Unfortunately, USCIS has not published new data about work permit renewal processing times. The last data we have is from September 2024.

Why is there no new data? For the past two years, the U.S. Congress required USCIS to publish information about work permit renewal delays. This was thanks to advocacy from ASAP members! But last month, Congress stopped requiring USCIS to share this information.

ASAP knows information about work permit renewal delays is important to members, and is advocating with the U.S. Congress to get this information again.

ASAP gets clearer information for people with specific types of parole

This month, ASAP won more transparency for people who arrived in the U.S. through specific parole programs.

In February, USCIS decided to stop processing work permits and immigration applications for some people who entered the U.S. with parole through programs for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), Ukraine (U4U), and El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia (Family Reunification).

ASAP filed a request in court to tell USCIS to share more information about their decision so that we could share it with the many members who are affected by this change. USCIS then agreed to publicly release the information.

You can see what USCIS shared here: 2025 Benefits Pause Memo. You can also read ASAP’s resource with information for immigrants who arrived in the U.S. through these parole programs.

ASAP is defending birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court

ASAP members’ lawsuit to protect birthright citizenship and defend the U.S. Constitution is now at the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has scheduled an in-person argument on May 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. ASAP also submitted written arguments to the Supreme Court earlier this month.

The government is asking the Supreme Court to limit the nationwide injunctions won in three different cases, one brought by ASAP members and two brought by U.S. states. The government has asked for the injunctions to only apply to children born in the 21 states that have sued the government, as well as some children whose parents are members of ASAP or CASA.

For now, while the lawsuit continues: children born in the U.S. are citizens, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. This right is clearly written in the U.S. Constitution.

Here is a summary of how the lawsuit came to the Supreme Court:

On February 5, 2025, ASAP members won a major victory! A judge in Maryland made a decision to temporarily block the birthright citizenship Executive Order for all children born in the United States. This decision is called a “nationwide preliminary injunction.”
The government then asked the judge in Maryland to limit the nationwide injunction to be less than nationwide, meaning that it would protect only some children born in the U.S. while the lawsuit continues. The judge said no.
Next, the government asked a higher court, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, to limit the nationwide injunction, and the Court of Appeals again said no.
Now, the government is asking the Supreme Court to limit the nationwide injunction. The Supreme Court is the highest Court in the U.S. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in all three cases on May 15, and then they will make a decision in writing.

ASAP will keep fighting this lawsuit and we will keep you updated here. You can also read more on this ASAP page.

March 12, 2025 Updates

Most asylum seekers are receiving initial work permits within 30 days, but delays are growing

This month, ASAP obtained the Rosario Report (Feb 2025) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about processing times for initial work permits for asylum seekers. Unfortunately, delays are growing, but USCIS continues to process most initial work permit applications for asylum seekers within 30 days.

Here are the details:

In February 2025, 112,233 asylum seekers received decisions on their initial work permit applications.
- Of those asylum seekers, 87.9% received a decision about their work permit within the correct 30-day period.
- This is a significant decrease from December 2024, when 94.7% of initial work permit applications were processed within 30 days.

ASAP knows that quicker access to work permits is one of ASAP members’ top priorities. In the months ahead, we will continue to request information and share updates with ASAP members about work permit processing times.

ASAP fights to protect the 540-day work permit extension in the U.S. Congress

The 540-day work permit extension ASAP members fought for is under attack in the U.S. Congress, and ASAP is working hard to protect it.

What is the 540-day work permit extension: The 540-day work permit extension allows asylum seekers and other immigrants to work for up to 540 days after the expiration date printed on their work permit cards, if they submit a renewal application on time. In December 2024, ASAP members won a more permanent 540-day extension rule!

What is happening in the U.S. Congress: Unfortunately, some Members of Congress want to end the 540-day work permit extension rule. After the U.S. government makes a policy change called a rule, the U.S. Congress has an opportunity to undo the rule. To undo the rule, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have to vote for a “resolution,” and that resolution must be signed by the President. In January 2025, Members of Congress introduced resolutions to undo the 540-day work permit extension rule.

What is ASAP doing to fight back: ASAP is fighting to stop Congress from undoing the 540-day work permit extension rule! ASAP staff have already met with many Members of Congress to explain why the 540-day work permit extension is important, and why they should not end it. ASAP is also working with employers and businesses, who are meeting with their Members of Congress to explain why the 540-day work permit extension is important to them.

If you want to get involved, please fill out this survey.

Can asylum seekers still get a 540-day work permit extension today: Yes! Asylum seekers and other immigrants can still get a 540-day work permit extension after submitting a work permit renewal application on time. To learn more, see this ASAP resource.

ASAP will continue to fight for the 540-day work permit extension in the U.S. Congress, and we will keep you updated on this page.

Birthright citizenship updates

Last month, we shared the good news that a judge in Maryland stopped the Birthright Citizenship Executive Order from going into effect! This month, ASAP members won again, but the government has now challenged that victory at the Supreme Court. Read the updates below to learn more.

The government tried to limit the judge’s decision, but two courts said no: After ASAP members won, the U.S. government asked the judge to limit her decision and only stop the Executive Order for members of ASAP and CASA (the other organization that filed the lawsuit). We responded, saying that no children should be born in the U.S. without citizenship, regardless of whether they are members of our organizations or not. The judge agreed with ASAP and disagreed with the U.S. government, so the Executive Order is still stopped for everyone. A higher court – the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit – also agreed with ASAP and the judge, and disagreed with the U.S. government.

What is next: The government has now challenged this victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, and ASAP will continue to fight back. Right now, while the lawsuit continues, all children born in the U.S. will continue to be recognized as U.S. citizens. You can read more about this lawsuit on this ASAP page.

ASAP fights for transparency for people who had parole

On February 19, CBS News reported that the government would “pause” processing immigration applications for certain immigrants who had received a temporary status known as “parole.” You can read more about this change in this ASAP resource. On the day the CBS News story came out, ASAP requested that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) give us more information about this policy, so that we can share more information with ASAP members and other immigrants who could be impacted. If USCIS does not provide this information, ASAP can file a lawsuit and ask a federal judge to force USCIS to share this information.

We will share updates with ASAP members about this request on this page.

February 5, 2025 Updates

ASAP members won a major victory to protect birthright citizenship!

On January 20, 2025, the President signed an Executive Order that tried to restrict birthright citizenship. In response, ASAP members filed a lawsuit, arguing that the Executive Order is illegal and that it should be stopped.

On February 5, 2025, ASAP members won a huge victory! A judge issued a “preliminary injunction” to block the Birthright Citizenship Executive Order from going into effect. While the injunction is in place, children born in the United States will continue to be recognized as U.S. citizens. ASAP members’ lawsuit is the first to win a preliminary injunction against the Birthright Citizenship Executive Order.

Update on processing times for work permits

Before the new administration began, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shared new work permit processing data with ASAP. This information is about work permit processing backlogs as of late 2024.

The good news is most initial work permits for asylum seekers were being processed within 30 days. The bad news is that many work permit renewal applications for asylum seekers have been taking a long time to be processed: more than 6 months.

You can read more information below.

Most asylum seekers are receiving initial work permits within 30 days

USCIS has been continuing to process most initial work permit applications for asylum seekers within 30 days. Here are the details:

In December 2024, 126,045 asylum seekers received decisions on their initial work permit applications.
Of those asylum seekers, 94.7% received a decision about their work permit within the correct 30-day period.

ASAP received this updated information (Rosario Report (Jan 2025)) through a lawsuit called Rosario v. USCIS. Because this data is required by a lawsuit, we expect to keep receiving it. The government is supposed to share the next report about initial work permit processing in July 2025.

Many asylum seekers are waiting more than six months for work permit renewals

Unfortunately, USCIS is still taking a very long time to process work permit renewal applications for asylum seekers. Here are the details:

As of September 30, 2024, 102,937 asylum seekers had been waiting 180 days or more for a decision on their work permit renewal applications.
USCIS is required to process initial work permits for asylum seekers within 30 days, but there is no legal requirement for USCIS to process work permit renewal applications within a certain time period. Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy about this problem, most asylum seekers can continue using their work permits for 540 days after the expiration date.

You can see the full report here: i765 information (FY25 Q1). We do not know if we will continue to receive this data from the government.

ASAP will continue to fight for quicker and easier work permits. You can read more about ASAP’s work to prepare to protect access to work permits in the December member update.

January 21, 2025 Updates

ASAP members filed a lawsuit to protect birthright citizenship

On January 20, 2025, the U.S. government issued an Executive Order trying to end birthright citizenship for many children of immigrants beginning on February 19, 2025. In response, ASAP members filed a lawsuit, arguing that the government’s plans are illegal. Read more here about the Executive Order and the lawsuit.

January 7, 2025 Updates

ASAP fights for more information about asylum delays at USCIS

Over the past year, ASAP has asked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to share more information about asylum backlogs. ASAP made these requests because ASAP members have told us that faster processing times and more transparency about the immigration process are top priorities.

It is currently impossible to understand how long it takes USCIS to process asylum applications. We are also trying to understand how USCIS makes decisions about which asylum cases to process first. If we receive helpful information from USCIS, we will share it with ASAP members here.

How is ASAP requesting more information from USCIS?

ASAP made these requests using a law called the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), in partnership with other organizations. The Freedom of Information Act allows individuals and organizations to request information and documents from the U.S. government. The first step of the FOIA process is to file a request directly with USCIS. Then, if USCIS does not respond quickly with the information, we can ask a court to force USCIS to give us the information.

Can I access data about asylum application processing times in the meantime?

Yes, for asylum applications in immigration court, and no for asylum applications at USCIS.

The immigration court system provides detailed information about processing times for asylum applications. You can access this information here.

In contrast, USCIS provides limited information about processing times for some applications, but not asylum applications. You can access this information here.

How can I find other immigration data?

If you are interested in understanding what other immigration data the government provides, you can visit these websites:

December 16, 2024 Updates

USCIS made the 540-day auto-extension more permanent – thanks to ASAP members and ASAP’s Work Permit Coalition!

Thanks to the hard work of ASAP members and ASAP’s Work Permit Coalition, the government has now made the 540-day work permit auto-extension more permanent! This change will help prevent immigrants from losing their jobs because of work permit processing delays in the future.

Earlier this year, ASAP members won a temporary change to the work permit auto-extension, which meant that immigrants applying for a work permit renewal have been receiving a 540-day extension of their work permit. Because of this temporary rule, many asylum seekers and other immigrants are continuing to work for up to 540 days after the expiration date printed on their work permit cards.

However, this temporary rule was going to expire on September 30, 2025. That is why ASAP fought to make the work permit auto-extension permanent. ASAP members worked alongside ASAP’s Work Permit Coalition – including business leaders, city mayors, members of U.S. congress, nonprofit organizations, unions, and other groups. Together, we asked the government to make the temporary rule permanent. And we won!

Now asylum seekers and other immigrants should keep getting the 540-day work permit auto-extension even after September 30, 2025.

A new administration could change the work permit auto-extension in the future. But it is much harder for a new government to change a permanent rule than a temporary rule.

ASAP is preparing to protect access to work permits in 2025.

ASAP is preparing to protect asylum seekers’ access to work permits. If the administration tries to make it harder for asylum seekers to get work permits, we will be ready to file a lawsuit in federal court and protect the ability of asylum seekers to work legally.

If there are attacks on work permits for asylum seekers, ASAP will ask members to vote on whether ASAP should file a lawsuit. But we want you to know that we will make sure our staff has the capacity to file a lawsuit on work permits, even if we file other lawsuits.

We have several attorneys at ASAP who have experience filing lawsuits in federal court, and they are already doing research and preparing to fight for asylum seekers to access work permits. ASAP has successfully fought for asylum seekers’ access to work permits, and we can do it again!

Read the results from ASAP’s survey about immigration policies.

Last month, ASAP asked what immigration policies are important to you. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey!

A majority of members who filled out the survey said that the policies below were important to them.

High Priority (About 75%):

Immigrants should be able to apply for and win asylum.
Asylum seekers should be able to work legally.
Asylum cases should be processed quickly.

Medium Priority (About 60%):

Immigrants should be able to live with their families and receive good treatment from the U.S. government.
It should be easy to fill out immigration applications and get updates about your case.
All children born in the United States should become U.S. citizens.
Immigrant children should be able to attend public school for free.

Narrow Majority (51%):

Immigrants with TPS, DACA, parole, and more should be able to work legally.

We do not know what changes may happen in the future. But your responses will help us focus our updates, resources, and advocacy efforts on the issues that ASAP members care about.

Thank you for being a part of this community.

November 21, 2024 Updates

ASAP has worked with businesses, cities, and members of Congress to ask USCIS to process work permits before January

Earlier this year, ASAP members started a campaign to ask the U.S. government to process as many work permits as possible before there is a new U.S. president.

Now, over 100 businesses, 44 mayors of U.S. cities, and 70 Members of Congress have joined with ASAP members to ask U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to focus on processing as many work permits as possible before January 2025.

ASAP wrote all of these letters and worked with our work permit coalition to get businesses, city mayors, and members of U.S. Congress to sign the letters.

It is important that USCIS hears that other groups agree with ASAP members that it is very important for immigrants to be able to work legally in the U.S. We will continue to pressure USCIS to process as many work permits as possible before there is a new U.S. president. We will also keep you all updated on this page.

October 9, 2024 Updates

ASAP is fighting for USCIS to get money to fix delays

ASAP is asking the U.S. Congress to once again listen to ASAP members. We are asking Congress to: (1) give USCIS more money to fix asylum and work permit processing delays, and (2) require USCIS to share more data about processing times.

Background: In March 2024, ASAP members won a victory when the U.S. Congress gave USCIS $34 million to spend on work permit processing and $34 million to spend on asylum processing. This was exciting! We have been told that USCIS is spending the money to pay the salaries and overtime for USCIS staff focused on processing applications. However, there are still long delays.

What is ASAP doing now: Over the last few months, ASAP has shared ASAP members’ concerns about processing delays with the offices of members of the U.S. Congress. ASAP is asking the U.S. Congress to give more money to USCIS for asylum and work permit application processing, and also share more data about the delays.

What is next: In December 2024, the U.S. Congress should decide how much money to give government agencies for the year and what the agencies can spend it on – including USCIS. This process is called “appropriations.”

In the coming months, ASAP will continue to ask the U.S. Congress to help fix processing delays through the appropriations process. ASAP will continue to fight alongside ASAP members for more money for asylum and work permit processing, and more data about the backlogs.

We will share updates on this page when we have new information about this fight.

Update on processing times for work permit renewals

Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shared updated information (i765 information (FY24 Q3)) about work permit renewal processing with ASAP. Unfortunately, USCIS is still taking a long time to process work permit renewal applications for asylum seekers.

Here are the details:

As of June 30, 2024, 71,925 asylum seekers had been waiting 180 days or more for a decision on their work permit renewal applications.
That means there are fewer asylum seekers stuck in the work permit renewal backlog than in March 2024, when over 100,000 asylum seekers had been waiting 180 days or more. But the government has more work to do to get this number close to 0!
USCIS is required to process initial work permits for asylum seekers within 30 days, but there is no legal requirement for USCIS to process work permit renewal applications within a certain time period.

September 11, 2024 Updates

ASAP’s Work Permit Coalition grows to more than 150 groups!

We are excited to share that more groups have joined ASAP members’ efforts to fight for faster and easier work permits! Over the last 6 months, the Work Permit Coalition has grown from 100 to more than 150 groups.

The 158 groups in the Work Permit Coalition include: city governments, immigrants’ rights organizations, and other nonprofits. The groups are advocating for ASAP members’ priorities and telling the U.S. government to end the work permit backlog and extend work permits for immigrants.

We hope that having so many different groups join ASAP’s Work Permit Coalition will convince the U.S. government to listen to ASAP members’ ideas about how to get work permits to asylum seekers and other immigrants faster.

August 14, 2024 Updates

ASAP launches a campaign telling the government to process work permits before January

ASAP members are leading a campaign for faster work permit processing! This month, we are excited to share that 205 organizations joined the campaign. The organizations sent a letter asking the U.S. government to end work permit processing delays before January.

ASAP wrote the letter and asked organizations in our work permit coalition to sign it. The letter asks the U.S. government to process as many work permits as possible by January 2025, when there will be a new U.S. president. We want to ensure that people who apply now get their work permits before there is a new president.

The letter also includes recommendations from ASAP members about how to fix work permit processing delays:

Make a faster process for work permit renewal applications (for people who have been approved for a work permit before).
Extend the work permits people already have so that no one loses their job while they wait for a new work permit.

ASAP is working to get even more groups involved with this campaign, including: businesses, mayors of cities across the U.S., and more. We will share more on this page in the coming months!

Thank you for completing our survey about ASAP membership!

Thank you to everyone who completed our survey last month about ASAP membership! A total of 1,022 members completed the survey. 80% of members said that ASAP has helped them to stay up-to-date on immigration news, and more than 50% of members said ASAP’s resources helped them to apply for asylum or get a work permit more quickly.

Many members included kind words as well. For example, one member said, “You have given me the information I need to stay calm and wait patiently during this process.”

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. We know you are very busy, and we are so grateful.

July 17, 2024 Updates

Update on processing times for initial work permits and renewals

Thanks to ASAP’s advocacy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has shared new work permit processing data with ASAP.

The good news is most initial work permits for asylum seekers are still being processed within 30 days. The processing times are similar to what we shared in the February member update.

The bad news is that many work permit renewals for asylum seekers are still taking a long time to be processed: more than 6 months.

You can read more information below.

Most asylum seekers are receiving initial work permits within 30 days

USCIS is continuing to process most initial work permit applications for asylum seekers within 30 days. In June 2024, 90,174 asylum seekers received decisions on their initial work permit applications. Of those asylum seekers, 91.9% received a decision about their work permit within the correct 30-day period.

ASAP received this updated information (Rosario Report (Jul 2024)) through a lawsuit called Rosario v. USCIS. In the months ahead, ASAP will continue to make sure that USCIS processes initial work permits within 30 days.

Many asylum seekers are waiting more than six months for work permit renewals

Unfortunately, USCIS is still taking a very long time to process work permit renewal applications for asylum seekers. As of March 31, 2024, 103,905 asylum seekers had been waiting 180 days or more for a decision on their work permit renewal applications.

ASAP received this new data (i765 information (Mar FY24)) after meeting with USCIS officials and asking the U.S. government to share more information about work permit renewal processing times with ASAP members.

Many ASAP members have spoken out about work permit renewal delays. Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, the government has already extended work permits for 540 days after the expiration date! In the months ahead, ASAP will continue to work on the problem of renewal delays.

When will we get the next updates about processing times?

The government should share new data about initial work permit processing in December 2024, and new data about work permit renewal processing in September 2024 and in December 2024.

We will share updates on this ASAP webpage if we receive new information from the government about processing times.

June 12, 2024 Updates

165 ASAP members shared ideas about how to fix work permit delays with the government!

On April 8, 2024, ASAP members won a new 540-day work permit extension! As part of the process, the government asked people to tell them what they think about the longer work permit extension and what else the government can do to fix work permit delays.

In last month’s member update, ASAP asked members to share their ideas about how to fix work permit delays. 165 ASAP members responded and asked ASAP to share their thoughts with the government!

ASAP shared members’ responses with the government in a document called a “comment.” ASAP also shared suggestions about how the government should fix work permit delays, based on ASAP members’ ideas.

ASAP also worked to encourage other organizations, labor unions, and city government officials to share ASAP members’ ideas about how to fix work permit delays with the government. We are excited to report that the government received 152 comments on this topic!

Thank you to all of the ASAP members who shared your thoughts and ideas! We will continue to find ways to make sure the government is listening!

For information on how the 540-day work permit extension might affect you, see this ASAP resource.

May 8, 2024 Updates

ASAP members won a 540-day work permit extension. What is next?

Last month, ASAP members won a new 540-day work permit extension! The U.S. government estimates that 800,000 asylum seekers and other immigrants will now be able to keep their jobs because of the 540-day work permit extension.

However, the government also estimates that up to 260,000 immigrants may still lose their work permits – even with a 540-day extension – due to extremely long processing delays. That is why ASAP is continuing to fight for an even longer work permit extension and better work permit policies.

Here are some ideas from ASAP members about how to continue to fix work permit renewal delays.

Make the work permit extension longer than 540 days. Unfortunately, work permit renewal processing is so delayed that some asylum seekers may have to wait even longer than 540 days for their new work permit. The government should make the extension at least 730 days so that no asylum seekers lose their jobs.
Spend more time and money to make faster decisions on work permit applications. The government should reduce work permit backlogs so that no immigrants lose their jobs because of government delays.
Make the longer work permit extension permanent. Currently, the 540-day extension only applies to people who file their work permit renewals before September 30, 2025. The government should make the extension permanent, so that it applies to all work permit renewals for asylum seekers in the future.
Prioritize work permit applications for people who have been waiting the longest. While the delays continue, the government should first process people who have been waiting a long time and whose work authorization is about to expire. This will prevent more people from losing their jobs.
The government should send everyone written proof of their new work permit expiration date. This will help people show their employers that they can still work, and show state Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) that they still qualify for a driver’s license.

ASAP will continue to fight for these changes. You can also tell the U.S. government what you think they should do by completing this survey by May 28, 2024. Read more about the survey below!

Tell the government what you think about work permit delays!

Last month, ASAP members won a new 540-day work permit extension! Now the government wants to know what people think about this change and what else they can do to fix work permit processing delays. There are two ways that you can share your ideas with the government.

You can fill out this ASAP survey to tell ASAP what you want to say to the government.

You can write your ideas in any language, and ASAP will automatically translate them. ASAP will include the ideas we receive in a document called a “comment” and send it to the U.S. government. When we share your ideas, ASAP will include only your country of origin – not your name or other personal information. ASAP’s comment will be posted online and we will share it with you on this page. The deadline to send your ideas to ASAP is May 28, 2024.

You can submit your ideas directly to the U.S. government on this government website.

If you would like to use the government website to submit a “comment”, you must write your ideas in English. Any information you provide to the government will be posted online publicly. The deadline to send your ideas directly to the government is June 7, 2024.

You can read what the government wrote about the 540-day work permit extension in this government document. For a more general explanation about the new 540-day work permit extension, read this ASAP resource.

Update on processing times for initial work permits and renewals

Most asylum seekers are waiting more than six months for work permit renewals

The U.S. government shared more information (i765 information (FY24 Q1)) about work permit renewal processing. Unfortunately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is still taking a very long time to process work permit renewal applications for asylum seekers.

Here are the details:

As of December 31, 2023, 120,158 asylum seekers had been waiting 180 days or more for a decision on their work permit renewal applications. That means that 59.2% of asylum seekers had waited 180 days or more for their work permit renewal applications to be processed.
USCIS is required to process initial work permits for asylum seekers within 30 days, but there is no legal requirement for USCIS to process work permit renewal applications within a certain time period.

In response to these work permit renewal delays, ASAP members advocated for a longer work permit extension – and won! Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, the U.S. government recently extended work permits for 540 days past the expiration date! Now, asylum seekers can continue to work while they wait for the government to process their work permit applications. You can read more about the 540-day extension on this ASAP webpage.

No new information about processing times for initial work permits

The U.S. government has not provided new information about processing times for initial work permit applications. ASAP receives information about initial work permit application processing times through a lawsuit called Rosario v. USCIS. You can find the last information we received in ASAP’s February 2024 update.

The government should publish a new report about initial work permit processing times in July 2024.

We will share updates on this page if we receive new information from the government about initial work permit processing times.

April 10, 2024 Updates

ASAP members win a 540-day work permit extension!

Great news! Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) extended work permits for asylum seekers and other immigrants. This victory will help 800,000 immigrants keep working who would have been in danger of their work permits expiring!

Starting on April 8, 2024, asylum seekers and some other immigrants can continue to use their work permits for 540 days after the original expiration date. This is an increase from the previous 180-day extensions. For information on how the 540-day extension might affect your work permit, see this ASAP resource.

ASAP members have been fighting for the extension for almost a year! And ASAP has worked to get many other groups to ask the government for a work permit extension, including labor unions, businesses, city mayors, and Members of U.S. Congress. You can read more about the efforts that led to the 540-day work permit extension below and in past updates!

Thank you to the thousands of ASAP members who worked together to make this huge win possible!

ASAP members speak out in the media about work permits after filling out ASAP’s survey!

Many ASAP members spoke to the media this month about work permit delays and the importance of work permits! These ASAP members filled out a survey last month, volunteering to advocate publicly for work permits for asylum seekers.

ASAP members talked about the importance of a longer work permit extension and the contributions that asylum seekers make to the economy. These members helped convince the government that the 540-day work permit extension was urgently needed!

You can see a few examples of ASAP members quoted in the media here:

Linda C., an ASAP member from Zimbabwe, said, “I have been so worried about losing my job I had managed to successfully secure in order to survive and make ends meet. I am so grateful that the government extended work permits so we can continue to survive and not have the stress and pressure of losing our jobs as that is very worrisome.” You can read the article in the newspaper The Hill.
Anar Boldbaatar, an ASAP member from Mongolia, said that work permit delays threaten his ability to continue working as a truck driver. “I am worried I will lose my job and the ability to provide for myself and my family,” he said. You can read the article in the newspaper Bloomberg Law.
An ASAP member from Turkey said, “If I don’t get [my work permit] in time, I lose my job, and if I do not finish my residency, I cannot apply for jobs.” You can read the article in the newspaper The New York Times.
Ricky Chiu, an ASAP member from Hong Kong, said, “I would say we have a net-positive effect on the job market. We are contributing to this society,” You can read the article in the newspaper The Washington Post.
Andreas Goshgarian, an ethnically Armenian ASAP member from Azerbaijan, said, “I was waking up in the mornings three, four times a week calling USCIS so I could try to catch someone.” You can read the article in the newspaper Bloomberg Law.

Thank you to the more than 200 ASAP members who filled out the survey last month! ASAP staff have already contacted about 50 members, and we will continue to reach out when there are more opportunities to speak to the government or the media.

If you are interested in speaking publicly about work permits, it is not too late to fill out the survey!

70 Members of Congress support ASAP members’ fight to extend work permits!

This month, ASAP members and staff spoke to Members of the U.S. Congress about the importance of the 540-day work permit extension. The U.S. Congress is the part of the U.S. government that makes laws, and Members of Congress are elected by people in different parts of the United States.

On April 1, 2024, over 70 Members of the U.S. Congress sent President Biden a letter asking him to extend work permits! ASAP helped write the letter. ASAP also worked with our work permit coalition to contact many Members of Congress to ask them to sign on to the letter.

Here is the full list of Members of Congress who signed the letter.

Representative Espaillat, a Member of Congress from New York, helped lead the letter. He quoted Anar Boldbaatar, an ASAP member from Mongolia, in a press release that also quotes Members of Congress. Here is the quote:

“Thank you to Members of Congress who recognize there is a looming crisis as asylum seeker and immigrants are worried about losing their jobs because of government backlogs,” said Anar Boldbaatar, an asylum seeker from Mongolia and member of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP). “I am worried I will lose my job and the ability to provide for myself and my family. As a truck driver, I am also worried about losing my driver’s license. I hope the government will listen to these Members of Congress and extend our work permits now so we can keep working.”

We are excited that so many Members of Congress advocated for ASAP members’ ideas. Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, USCIS extended work permits for 540 days! You can read more about this change in this ASAP resource.

USCIS received money for work permit and asylum backlogs, a victory for ASAP members!

Good news! Last month, the U.S. Congress passed a law that will fund the U.S. government until September 30, 2024. ASAP members had 2 important victories in this law! The law gives U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) money specifically for processing work permit applications and asylum applications.

Each year since 2020, ASAP members have asked the U.S. Congress to give USCIS more money to address delays in processing work permits and asylum applications. Now Congress listened!

What is the U.S. Congress?

The U.S. Congress is the part of the U.S. government that makes laws. There are two parts of Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators represent all people who live in a specific state. Representatives represent all people who live in a smaller region of a state. You can find your Senator here and your Representative here.

Work Permits

Thanks to ASAP members’ advocacy, USCIS received $34 million dollars to process work permit applications. Congress told USCIS to spend this money to process work permit applications that have been pending for a long time, and also new applications. Congress also said that USCIS must share information about work permit processing times.

This is the first time in history that the Congress has given USCIS funds specifically to process work permits!

We will continue to post information about the work permit backlog on this page.

Asylum Applications

USCIS also received $34 million to process asylum applications. USCIS must submit a plan to the U.S. Congress explaining how it will use the money for asylum applications. In the plan, USCIS must show that the money will be used to reduce processing delays.

Congress also said that USCIS must share more information about asylum application processing. USCIS will now have to publish the following information each month:

How long it takes USCIS to process asylum applications, on average
The number of asylum applications pending with USCIS for more than six months
The number of asylum applications that are received, approved, denied, and pending with USCIS

Please note: This information is about pending asylum applications with USCIS, and does not affect asylum applications in immigration court.

Thank you to all of the ASAP members who advocated for this change! We are excited that the U.S. Congress listened to ASAP members and is taking steps to improve processing delays.

March 13, 2024 Updates

ASAP is fighting for a longer work permit extension!

ASAP is demanding that the government extend work permits for 540 days or longer past their expiration date!

Some ASAP members have told us they are worried their work permit will expire before their work permit renewal application is processed. If you are worried about losing your job because of work permit delays, please know we are working to get a longer work permit extension for you and other immigrants in your situation. If you are interested in speaking publicly about this issue, please fill out this survey.

Here is some more background about the problem: Currently, asylum seekers who apply to renew their work permit before it expires receive an automatic 180-day work permit extension. Unfortunately, USCIS still takes more than 180 days to process work permit renewal applications. Because of this, many asylum seekers could lose their jobs while they wait for a decision on their work permit renewal application. But this problem does not need to exist! Before October 26, 2023, asylum seekers received a longer, 540-day automatic extension, and ASAP is telling the government that asylum seekers should have that 540-day extension again.

You can read more on this ASAP resource page.

43 mayors support ASAP members’ fight to extend work permits!

Over 43 mayors of U.S. cities sent a letter to the U.S. President and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asking them to extend work permits. ASAP wrote this letter, and spoke to many mayors’ offices about the importance of extending work permits.

The mayors asked the President and USCIS to quickly extend work permits before any immigrants lose their jobs because of work permit processing delays. The mayors also asked for work permits to be extended for at least 540 days. You can read the letter here.

The mayors who signed the letter represent many U.S. cities, including Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and North Miami. ASAP worked with many members of our work permit coalition to ask mayors across the United States to sign the letter.

ASAP also spoke with the press about this letter. The Hill, a newspaper read by U.S. government officials in Washington, D.C., published an article about the letter. The article featured Charity R., an ASAP member from Nigeria!

We are excited that many mayors are advocating for ASAP members’ solutions to work permit renewal delays. We hope this will pressure the government to extend work permits.

Update on processing times for initial work permits and renewals

The U.S. government has not provided new information about processing times for initial work permit applications or work permit renewal applications.

In February, ASAP met with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and asked for more information about processing times. We should know by May if USCIS plans to give ASAP new information about work permit processing times.

ASAP will continue to advocate for more information about processing times because we know ASAP members want this information. You can find previous information on processing times in last month’s update.

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