ASAP members are fighting together to advance ASAP members’ top priorities. Click on the links below to read the monthly updates.
The Department of Homeland Security could make it harder for asylum seekers to get work permits
ASAP is fighting to stop bad changes to work permits and asylum in U.S. Congress
USCIS is processing most initial work permits in 30 days, but delays continue to grow
Based on last month’s survey, ASAP will focus more efforts on initial work permit delays
June 11, 2025 Updates
The government is considering changes to work permits
This month, there are two important updates about possible future changes to work permits that would make it much harder for asylum seekers to work. The first is a rule being considered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The second is a proposed bill in the U.S. Congress.
ASAP is fighting back against both of these possible changes. Please read the two sections below for more details. And please know: as of today, these changes are not in effect. If you are currently eligible for an initial work permit or renewal now, you can still apply.
The Department of Homeland Security could make it harder for asylum seekers to get work permits
This week, CBS reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working on changing the rules for asylum seekers applying for work permits. It is clear that the goal of these changes is to make it almost impossible for asylum seekers to get a work permit in the future.
What would the proposed rule do?
Government officials told CBS that the rule would make the following changes. However, it is important to remember that the following changes are not currently in effect:
Stop processing all work permits for asylum seekers – until it takes less than 6 months to get a decision in an asylum case at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This change would apply to both initial and renewal work permit applications for asylum seekers. And it would apply to all asylum-based work permit applications, whether people applied for asylum with USCIS or applied for asylum in immigration court. USCIS is currently taking years to decide asylum cases, so this would stop work permit processing for asylum seekers indefinitely.
Not allow asylum seekers to apply for a work permit until their asylum application had been pending for more than 365 days (instead of 180 days).
Remove the requirement that the government process an initial work permit application in 30 days or less.
However, it is important to remember that these potential changes are not currently in effect.
What is ASAP doing to try to stop this?
ASAP has already spoken out about how terrible these changes would be for ASAP members. We will continue to educate government officials and the public about how bad these changes would be – and we will work with ASAP members to share their stories.
ASAP is also organizing the work permit coalition and business groups to explain how these changes would hurt asylum seekers, their employers, and the local communities in the U.S. that depend on asylum seekers’ work.
Right now, the government has not said anything about making changes to the work permits that asylum seekers already have. You can read ASAP’s resources about how to apply for an initial work permit or a renewal of your work permit. And please know that ASAP will continue to fight against these changes whatever happens next.
ASAP is fighting to stop bad changes to work permits and asylum in U.S. Congress
The U.S. Congress is also considering potential changes to work permits for asylum seekers. In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a big bill about taxes that you may have read about. This bill includes policies to make it harder for asylum seekers to get work permits in the future.
This proposed bill is not the law. Members of Congress are now making changes to this bill before the U.S. Senate votes on it. Before a bill can become a law, it must receive enough votes in the House of Representatives AND enough votes in the Senate, and then be signed by the U.S. President. ASAP is asking Members of Congress to remove terrible work permit and asylum changes from the bill.
What would the proposed bill do?
If the bill were to become law, it would make the following changes. However, it is important to remember that the following changes are not currently in effect:
Make work permits for asylum seekers valid for only 6 months. Right now asylum seekers receive work permits for 5 years.
Limit asylum seekers’ ability to work legally during an appeal of their asylum case. Right now asylum seekers can work legally while their asylum case is being appealed.
Add a new $550 fee for work permit applications, which would make initial work permits $550, and increase the current fee to apply for a work permit renewal to $1,020 to renew online and $1,070 to apply by mail. Right now initial work permit applications for asylum seekers are free, and renewals cost $470 to apply online and $520 to apply by mail.
Add a new $1,000 fee to apply for asylum and a $100 fee every year for asylum applicants while their application is pending. Right now it is free to apply for asylum.
What are the next steps?
The U.S. Senate is now making changes to this bill. We do not know exactly when the Senate will vote on this bill. Some media reports say the Senate will vote on this bill by early July.
If the U.S. Senate passes a bill, it will not be the same exact bill the U.S. House of Representatives already passed. Because of that, the bill will need to be voted on and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives again.
You can read more about how the U.S. Congress makes laws.
What is ASAP doing?
ASAP knows these work permit and asylum changes would be terrible for ASAP members and other asylum seekers. ASAP is meeting with Congressional offices to share ASAP members’ concerns, and has asked other non-profit organizations, labor unions, and local governments in the work permit coalition to raise ASAP members’ concerns with Members of Congress.
We are also working with business groups to make sure employers know about these proposed changes and can tell their Members of Congress how it would hurt their businesses.
We will continue to fight for ASAP members’ priorities throughout this process! We will share updates here.
USCIS is processing most initial work permits in 30 days, but delays continue to grow.
This month, ASAP obtained updated information from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about processing times for initial work permits for asylum seekers.
In May 2025, 140,647 asylum seekers received a decision on their initial work permit applications.
66.7% of asylum seekers received a decision about their initial work permit within the correct 30-day period in May. This is worse than April, when 73.8% of initial work permit applications were processed within 30 days.
91.1% of asylum seekers received a decision about their initial work permit application within 60 days.
ASAP knows that quicker access to work permits is one of ASAP members’ top priorities. We will continue to advocate for faster processing times for initial work permits for asylum seekers and share updates on this page.
If you have been waiting more than 30 days for your initial work permit, there are steps you can try.
Based on last month’s survey, ASAP will focus more efforts on initial work permit delays
Thank you to the nearly 2,000 members who completed last month’s survey! Members reported serious issues with initial work permits and social security cards, and we are so sorry for the issues you are experiencing.
There was one clear result from the survey: overall, members reported problems with work permits five times as often as problems with social security numbers.
As a result, ASAP will focus more efforts on addressing issues with work permits than issues with social security numbers. We will keep you updated in future months about these efforts.
Here are other things we learned from the survey:
Some members reported that they were able to get a social security card by visiting a Social Security office. Learn more about how to request a social security card from the Social Security office.
In the open-ended portion of the survey, many members shared issues related to work permit renewal delays. ASAP has fought to make sure many work permits are automatically extended for 540 days, and we will keep fighting to make sure work permit applications are processed more quickly.
The Supreme Court will soon decide about whether to continue to block the birthright citizenship Executive Order
By the end of June or early July, we expect the U.S. Supreme Court to make a decision about whether to continue blocking the birthright citizenship Executive Order. The Supreme Court will share their decision in writing.
ASAP members won a nationwide injunction in February. A nationwide injunction is a temporary protection put in place during a lawsuit. In this case, the nationwide injunction is preventing the birthright citizenship Executive Order from going into effect.
Last month, the Supreme Court heard arguments from the U.S. government about why the nationwide injunction should be more limited. You can read more about the government’s arguments here. ASAP and 22 U.S. states disagreed with the U.S. government. Instead, we argued that the injunction should continue to protect all children born in the U.S.
While 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.
We will keep you updated here, and you can also read more on this ASAP page.
May 14, 2025 Updates
USCIS is processing most initial work permits in 30 days, but delays continue to grow.
This month, ASAP obtained updated information 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 initial 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 new information 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.
While 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 information 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. 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 Courtearlier 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 information 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.
Read more about birthright citizenship and ASAP members’ lawsuit.
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 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. 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 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 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 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. If you are interested in learning more, you can read ASAP's comment.
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.
ASAP aims to provide factual information about current immigration laws. This information is not legal advice.