INTRODUCTION

In addition to introductory materials and pages that guide in-depth research of asylum law issues, this site includes guidance on how to complete basic investigative and administrative tasks such as locating immigration forms or determining the status of an application your client has filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  The topics are organized in roughly the sequence you would encounter them over the course of a typical asylum case. 

This guide assumes that you are beginning with a pre-defined research goal derived from your casework and that you at least have some idea of how to define the research question.  However, it does not necessarily assume any background in immigration law.  Since a basic understanding of immigration law generally and asylum law in particular will be very helpful in your casework and is often crucial to spotting issues during the intake and early interviews with a client, it is strongly suggested that you take the time to review some of the background resources listed in the first few sections. 

KEY TO SYMBOLS

Symbol

Meaning
Fee-based, subscription, or members-only service.  (For HLS students, AILA's InfoNet is the only such resource to which you may not have access.)
Timely--contains the latest information and keeps up with the constantly changing field of immigration law.
An especially good print resource--worth the trouble of dusting off a hard copy.  (Many of these will be available somewhere in the office.)
"Tinkerbell" resource--so called because (1) practically everybody in the field believes in it and considers it authoritative, and/or (2) it it will lead you to the information you need with almost magical efficiency.

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS

AO Asylum Officer
BIA Board of Immigration Appeals
Board Board of Immigration Appeals
CIS Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services
DOJ Department of Justice
EOIR Executive Office of Immigration Review
EWI Entry/Entered Without Inspection
ICE Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
IJ Immigration Judge
INA Immigration and Nationality Act
NTA Notice to Appeal
The Act Immigration and Nationality Act
UDI Undocumented Immigrant (includes both EWIs and persons who were inspected on entry but have overstayed the expiration of their nonimmigrant status)
USCIS Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services