Author: US Asylum attorney Alena Shautsova
Asylum clock issues have been preventing many applicants for asylum from receiving EAD and being able to support themselves while their cases being considered by Asylum Officer or Immigration Court. Sometimes, the wait time for EAD can be as long as several years. Imagine, during all this time the person is not able to legally work and have to accept jobs below minimum pay, hide from authorities and being stressed out every time the judge asks about his/her job situation.
We recently announced that there was a Class Action lawsuit filed in connection with Asylum Clock procedures, and today USCIS announced that the settlement was reached:
The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice have agreed to settle a nationwide class action lawsuit challenging the denial of work authorization to asylum seekers who have been waiting six months or more for a decision on their asylum applications. The ABT Settlement Agreement will help ensure that certain individuals who seek to file an asylum application or have already filed an asylum application, are entitled to new procedures relating to the crediting of time toward eligibility for employment authorization.
For more detailed information regarding this settlement, visit the Legal Settlement Notices Page on USCIS.gov
As such, the Asylum Clock procedures should be improved allowing applicants to work without fear of violating US Immigration laws. If you have questions regarding Asylum in the USA, call Law office of Alena Shautsova 917-885-2261.