Since August 21, 2026, USCIS has been applying stricter procedures to affirmative asylum cases. If you have a pending Form I-589 with an asylum office, these changes affect you.
1. Rescheduling your asylum interview
- To reschedule an interview, you now have to show exceptional circumstances.
- USCIS no longer sends a Failure to Appear warning notice after a missed interview.
- If you miss your interview, you have to ask to reschedule either before the interview date or
within 10 calendar days after it. If you don't:
- If you have a lawful basis to remain in the U.S., USCIS may dismiss your asylum application.
- If you don't have a lawful basis to remain, USCIS may refer your case to an immigration judge.
2. Evidence deadline
- All supporting evidence must reach the asylum office at least 14 calendar days before your scheduled interview.
- If evidence arrives late, USCIS may leave it out of your file or reschedule your interview.
- An interview rescheduled because of late evidence may affect your eligibility for a work permit (EAD).
3. Missed biometrics appointments
- If you miss your biometrics appointment, you have 10 calendar days to ask for a new one. You can ask through your USCIS online account at my.uscis.gov or by calling the USCIS Contact Center.
- You also have to submit evidence of the exceptional circumstances that caused you to miss it.
- If you don't make the request in time or can't show exceptional circumstances, USCIS may dismiss your application (if you have a lawful basis to remain) or refer it to an immigration judge (if you don't).
A note for parolees: If you are on parole and miss your interview or biometrics appointment, USCIS will decide case by case whether the purposes of your parole have been served. It may terminate your parole and refer your case to an immigration judge.
What this means for you
Treat every USCIS appointment and deadline as final. Get your evidence in well ahead of the 14-day cutoff. If something serious keeps you from attending, contact your attorney right away and keep documentation of what happened.
If you have a pending asylum case and questions about these changes, contact the Law Offices of Anna Danielian at +1 (323) 377-6208.
This post is for general information only and is not legal advice.