Effective Dates: 12/03/2024 - Present

Identification Number:
EM-24058
Intended Audience:All RCs/ARCs/ADs/FOs
Originating Office:ORDP OISP
Title:Enumeration: Online Verification of Asylee Status through the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review
Type:EM - Emergency Messages
Program:Records Maintenance (Earnings & Enumeration)
Link To Reference:See Reference at the end of this EM.
 
Retention Date: 06/03/2025
    A. Purpose
      This emergency message (EM) announces an alternative method for verifying asylee status granted through the Department of Justice (DoJ)- Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR).

    B. Background
      An asylee is a non-citizen who’s granted asylum by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or the Department of Justice (DoJ), Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) (RM 10211.205). Asylum may be granted to individuals who are unable or unwilling to return to their countries of nationality, seek the protection of their countries of nationality or are persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution (RM 10211.001).

      SSA treats individuals granted asylum as lawful permanent resident (LPR) non-citizens with permanent employment authorization and issues them unrestricted social security number (SSN) cards (cards without a legend). Individuals applying for, but not yet granted asylum are NOT treated as LPR’s and, if work authorized, receive an SSN card with the legend “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION”. SSA must verify an asylee’s status to ensure the correct SSN card is issued.

      Currently,       RM 10211.213 states if the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Initial Verification (IV) response does not verify DoJ EOIR granted asylee status, technicians should request verification through the DoJ/EOIR case status telephone line.

      This EM provides instructions for an alternative option of verifying asylee status via EOIR’s online case information website.
    C. EOIR Verification Process
      If the SAVE IV response does not verify asylee status, request verification through EOIR using one of the following methods:
        1. EOIR online verification
          a. Access the EOIR website via EOIR Automated Case Information
          b. Enter the 9-digit alien registration number (A#) from the evidence of asylee status. If the A# only has 8 digits, enter a zero followed by the 8 digits. Then click “Submit” for decision information.
          c. See the EOIR automated messages in RM 10211.213 Step 4 to determine if the applicant was granted asylum and follow the appropriate next step(s).
            NOTE: If there is no EOIR information in the system for the A# entered, the system will indicate that the A# did not match a record or the case has not been filed with the Immigration Court. Go to RM 10211.213 Step 7.
        2. EOIR telephone verification
          Follow steps in RM 10211.213 to verify asylee status by calling the EOIR verification case status line: (800) 898-7180
    D. Documenting verification in SSNAP
      Currently, the Social Security Number Application Process (SSNAP) “SAVE Verification” screen only includes a selection option for asylee verification using the EOIR phone procedure. Technicians should continue to document EOIR asylee verification, in SSNAP, as a phone verification for both telephone and online verifications- until further notice.

      In the       Remarks on the Summary screen in SSNAP, document that the EOIR verification was completed via the EOIR online verification process.

    Direct all program-related and technical questions to your Regional Office (RO) support staff using vHelp or Program Service Center (PSC) Operations Analysis (OA) staff. RO support staff or PSC OA staff may refer questions, concerns, or problems to their Central Office contacts.

    References:
    RM 10211.205 - Evidence of Asylee Status for an SSN Card
    RM 10211.211 - Evidence of Asylee Status When an Order of the Immigration Judge is Submitted
    RM 10211.213 - Verifying Asylee Status Through the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)
    EM-24058 - Enumeration: Online Verification of Asylee Status through the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review - 12/03/2024