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Book outline for Policy Manual
  • Policy Manual
    • Search
    • Updates
    • Table of Contents
    • Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures
    • Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants
    • Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole
    • Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees
    • Volume 5 - Adoptions
    • Volume 6 - Immigrants
    • Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status
      • Part A - Adjustment of Status Policies and Procedures
      • Part B - 245(a) Adjustment
      • Part C - 245(i) Adjustment
      • Part D - Family-Based Adjustment
      • Part E - Employment-Based Adjustment
      • Part F - Special Immigrant-Based (EB-4) Adjustment
      • Part G - Diversity Visa Adjustment
      • Part H - Reserved
      • Part I - Adjustment Based on Violence Against Women Act
      • Part J - Trafficking Victim-Based Adjustment
      • Part K - Crime Victim-Based Adjustment
      • Part L - Refugee Adjustment
      • Part M - Asylee Adjustment
        • Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background
        • Chapter 2 - Eligibility Requirements
        • Chapter 3 - Admissibility and Waiver Requirements
        • Chapter 4 - Documentation and Evidence
        • Chapter 5 - Adjudication Procedures
        • Chapter 6 - Termination of Status and Notice to Appear Considerations
      • Part N - Legalization
      • Part O - Registration
      • Part P - Other Adjustment Programs
      • Part Q - Rescission of Lawful Permanent Residence
      • Part R - Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Residence
    • Volume 8 - Admissibility
    • Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief
    • Volume 10 - Employment Authorization
    • Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents
    • Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization
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  4. Part M - Asylee Adjustment
  5. Chapter 6 - Termination of Status and Notice to Appear Considerations

Chapter 6 - Termination of Status and Notice to Appear Considerations

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On occasion, an officer reviewing the adjustment application will discover evidence that indicates the applicant was not eligible for asylum status at the time of asylum grant or is otherwise no longer eligible for asylum status. The officer should return the file to the asylum office for further review and potential termination of status. 

A. Basis

A grant of asylum does not convey a right to remain permanently in the United States and may be terminated.[1] The date of the asylum grant guides the termination procedures.

Fraud in the application pertaining to eligibility for asylum at the time it was granted is grounds for termination regardless of the filing date.

1. Asylum Application Filed on or after April 1, 1997

USCIS may terminate asylum if USCIS determines that the applicant:

  • No longer meets the definition of a refugee; 

  • Ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion;

  • Constitutes a danger to the community of the United States, if convicted of a particularly serious crime;

  • Committed a serious nonpolitical crime outside the United States prior to arriving in the United States;

  • Is a danger to the security of the United States, including terrorist activity;

  • May be removed, to a country (other than the country of the applicant’s nationality or last habitual residence) in which the applicant’s life or freedom would not be threatened on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, where the applicant is eligible to receive asylum or equivalent temporary protection;

  • Has voluntarily availed himself or herself of the protection of the country of nationality or last habitual residence by returning to such country with permanent resident status or the reasonable possibility of obtaining such status with the same rights and obligations pertaining to other permanent residents of that country; or

  • Has acquired a new nationality and enjoys the protection of the country of his new nationality.

2. Asylum Application Filed before April 1, 1997

USCIS may terminate the approval of asylum if USCIS determines that the applicant:

  • No longer has a well-founded fear of persecution due to changed country conditions;

  • Was convicted of a particularly serious crime or an aggravated felony;

  • Was firmly resettled in a third country;

  • Can reasonably be regarded as a danger to the security of the United States; or

  • Is a persecutor or has engaged in terrorist activity.

B. Procedures

1. Asylum Granted by USCIS or INS

Termination Before Decision on Adjustment Application

USCIS may initiate termination of asylum status if USCIS or legacy Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) initially granted the status. USCIS may not terminate asylum status granted by an immigration judge (IJ) or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). If an officer determines that termination may be appropriate in a case where USCIS or legacy INS granted asylum, the officer should forward the case to the asylum office with jurisdiction before adjudicating the adjustment of status application. Jurisdiction is based on the current residence of the applicant, regardless of which USCIS office or legacy INS office originally granted asylum status.

In all but the Ninth Circuit (discussed below), the asylum office must provide the asylee with written notice before USCIS terminates the asylee’s asylum status and any related employment authorization. The written notice is called a Notice of Intent to Terminate (NOIT). The NOIT presents the termination ground(s) under consideration, provides a brief summary of the evidence supporting the grounds for termination, and notifies the asylee that he or she will have an opportunity to rebut the termination grounds during a scheduled termination interview at an asylum office or a hearing before an IJ. The NOIT must contain prima facie evidence supporting the termination ground(s).

The asylee must be given at least 30 days to respond to the NOIT and present evidence that he or she is still eligible for asylum. After considering the evidence, including the asylee’s response, lack of a response, or failure to appear, if the asylum office determines that one or more grounds of termination have  been established by a preponderance of the evidence, the asylum office issues a Notice of Termination (NOT) and a Notice to Appear (NTA).

Upon termination of asylum status, USCIS denies the pending adjustment application. The adjustment of status denial must set forth the reason(s) for the denial. There is no appeal from the denial of the adjustment of status application, but the applicant may renew the application for adjustment in his or her removal proceedings before the immigration court.[2]

Alternatively, at the discretion of an Asylum Office Director, the asylum office may issue a NOIT with an NTA, referring the termination of asylum status to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pursue in removal proceedings. At any time after the applicant is issued a NOIT and an NTA, an IJ may terminate asylum granted by USCIS or legacy INS at a termination hearing held in conjunction with removal proceedings. When a NOIT and NTA have been filed with the immigration court before the adjustment of status application is adjudicated, USCIS may deny the pending adjustment application for lack of jurisdiction. The applicant may file an adjustment application in removal proceedings.

Asylees Residing in the Ninth Circuit

In Nijjar v. Holder, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that USCIS cannot terminate asylum[3] for asylees residing within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit.[4] Rather, the asylum office issues a NOIT with an NTA, referring the termination of asylum status to ICE to pursue in removal proceedings. If the applicant does not reside in the Ninth Circuit, the officer should forward the case to the asylum office with jurisdiction over the applicant’s current residential address for termination review.

Derivative Asylees

Termination of asylum status for a principal asylee also results in termination of any derivative’s asylum status, if the derivative asylee[5] has not yet adjusted to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status.[6] If USCIS issues a NOIT to a principal asylee, the NOIT also includes any derivative asylees who have not yet adjusted status.

USCIS may terminate the asylum status of a derivative asylee who has not adjusted status and whose asylum status was granted by USCIS,[7] even if the principal asylee was granted asylum by an IJ or the BIA, so long as there is an independent ground to terminate the derivative’s asylum status. If it is a derivative asylee who is subject to termination, and not the principal asylee, USCIS includes only the derivative asylee in the NOIT. When the grounds for termination apply to only a derivative asylee, the derivative asylum status is terminated without effect on the principal asylee’s status.

Post-Adjustment Actions

If a person adjusted to LPR status and an officer later determines there is evidence that an asylum termination ground or related inadmissibility ground applied before the adjustment occurred, USCIS may take steps to rescind the person’s permanent resident status (if within 5 years of adjustment)[8] or issue an NTA.

2. Asylum Granted by Immigration Court

USCIS may not terminate asylum status granted by an IJ since jurisdiction rests with the immigration court.[9] To initiate termination of asylum in these cases, ICE must file a motion to reopen proceedings before the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

Footnotes


[^ 1] See INA 208(c)(2).

[^ 2] For general information on decisions on adjustment applications, see Part A, Adjustment of Status Policies and Procedures, Chapter 11, Decision Procedures [7 USCIS-PM A.11].

[^ 3] See Nijjar v. Holder, 689 F.3d 1077 (9th Cir. 2012).

[^ 4] The Ninth Circuit covers Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, as well as Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

[^ 5] Derivative asylee includes family members included on the principal asylee’s Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal (Form I-589) or who followed to join as asylee beneficiaries of a Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition (Form I-730).

[^ 6] In these circumstances, the termination does not preclude the former derivative from applying for asylum or withholding of removal on his or her own as a principal asylee.

[^ 7] USCIS does not have jurisdiction to terminate derivative asylees’ asylum status where such status was granted by the immigration court. For more information, see Subsection 2, Asylum Granted by Immigration Court [7 USCIS-PM M.6(B)(2)].

[^ 8] See INA 246. 

[^ 9] EOIR’s jurisdiction includes principal and derivative asylees granted asylum by the IJ. See 8 CFR 208.24(f).

Resources

Legal Authorities

8 CFR 208.24 - Termination of Asylum

INA 208(c)(2) - Termination of asylum

INA 209, 8 CFR 209 - Adjustment of status of refugees and asylees

Pub. L. 96-212 (PDF) - Refugee Act of 1980

Forms

AR-11, Change of Address

G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative

I-589, Application for Asylum or Withholding of Removal

Other Materials

How to Use the USCIS Policy Manual Website (PDF, 2.99 MB)

Appendices

No appendices available at this time.

Updates

Technical Update - Replacing the Term “Alien”

May 11, 2021

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “alien” with “noncitizen” or other appropriate terms throughout the Policy Manual where possible, as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”].

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

10 USCIS-PM - Volume 10 - Employment Authorization

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

POLICY ALERT - Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements Final Rule

September 02, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is revising its policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to align with the Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements Final Rule, published in the Federal Register on August 3, 2020. This guidance becomes effective October 2, 2020. For information regarding implementation, see Appendix: 2020 Fee Rule Litigation Summary.

Read More
Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM A - Part A - Public Services

1 USCIS-PM B - Part B - Submission of Benefit Requests

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

7 USCIS-PM A - Part A - Adjustment of Status Policies and Procedures

7 USCIS-PM F - Part F - Special Immigrant-Based (EB-4) Adjustment

7 USCIS-PM M - Part M - Asylee Adjustment

11 USCIS-PM A - Part A - Secure Identity Documents Policies and Procedures

POLICY ALERT - Clarifying Procedures for Terminating Asylum Status in Relation to Consideration of an Application for Adjustment of Status

August 21, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to update and clarify the procedures USCIS officers follow when termination of asylum status is considered in relation to adjudicating an asylum-based adjustment of status application.

Read More
Affected Sections

7 USCIS-PM M.6 - Chapter 6 - Termination of Status and Notice to Appear Considerations

Technical Update - Moving the Adjudicator’s Field Manual Content into the USCIS Policy Manual

May 21, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating and incorporating relevant Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) content into the USCIS Policy Manual. As that process is ongoing, USCIS has moved any remaining AFM content to its corresponding USCIS Policy Manual Part, in PDF format, until relevant AFM content has been properly incorporated into the USCIS Policy Manual. To the extent that a provision in the USCIS Policy Manual conflicts with remaining AFM content or Policy Memoranda, the updated information in the USCIS Policy Manual prevails. To find remaining AFM content, see the crosswalk (PDF, 350.49 KB) between the AFM and the Policy Manual.

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

3 USCIS-PM - Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole

4 USCIS-PM - Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees

5 USCIS-PM - Volume 5 - Adoptions

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Technical Update - Replacing the Term “Foreign National”

October 08, 2019

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “foreign national” with “alien” throughout the Policy Manual as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”].

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

10 USCIS-PM - Volume 10 - Employment Authorization

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

POLICY ALERT - Use of Form G-325A

October 25, 2018

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to remove references to Biographic Information (Form G-325A).

Read More
Affected Sections

7 USCIS-PM A - Part A - Adjustment of Status Policies and Procedures

7 USCIS-PM B - Part B - 245(a) Adjustment

7 USCIS-PM F - Part F - Special Immigrant-Based (EB-4) Adjustment

7 USCIS-PM L - Part L - Refugee Adjustment

7 USCIS-PM M - Part M - Asylee Adjustment

7 USCIS-PM O - Part O - Registration

POLICY ALERT - Refugee and Asylee-Based Adjustment of Status under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 209

March 04, 2014

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address adjustment of status applications filed by refugees and asylees under INA sections 209(a) and 209(b).

Read More
Affected Sections

7 USCIS-PM L - Part L - Refugee Adjustment

7 USCIS-PM M - Part M - Asylee Adjustment

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