A motion to reopen is a request to the original decision maker to review a decision.  The motion must be based on factual grounds, such as the discovery of new evidence or changed circumstances, and “state the new facts to be provided in the reopened proceedings and be supported by affidavits or other documentary evidence.” If the underlying application or petition was denied due to abandonment (e.g., failure to respond timely to a request for evidence or a notice of intent to deny), a motion to reopen may be filed if it can be shown that: The requested evidence was not material, The required initial evidence was submitted with the application or petition, The request for appearance or additional evidence was complied with during the allotted period, or The request for evidence or appearance was not sent to the address of record. A motion to reconsider is a request to the original decision maker to review a decision based on new or additional legal arguments.  The motion must establish that the decision was incorrect based on the evidence of record at the time of that decision, and it must state the reasons for reconsideration.  A motion to reconsider must be supported by “any pertinent precedent decisions to establish that the decision was based on an incorrect application of law or [USCIS] policy.”  Unlike a motion to reopen, new evidence or changed circumstances cannot support the filing of a motion to reconsider. How do I file a motion? Most motions are filed on Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, with the appropriate fee.  If your motion needs to be filed on a different form, your denial notice will include the appropriate form information. Please note that a written letter submitted to USCIS is not considered a motion.  Motions must be filed on the appropriate form and submitted with the required fee (unless a request for a fee waiver was approved). Motions regarding an asylum decision do not require a Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion (or any other DHS form).  A filing fee is also not required for motions regarding an asylum decision.  You or your representative of record must submit any motion within 30 days of the decision and indicate if the motion seeks to reopen or reconsider.  However, failure to file a motion to reopen before this period expires may be excused at the discretion of the Asylum Office Director if you demonstrate that the delay was reasonable and beyond your control.  Either the principal applicant or a dependent may file a motion to reopen or reconsider. When do I file a motion? Generally, motions should be filed within 30 days from the date of the decision (not from the date it was received).  The time for you to file your motion to reopen can only be extended at the discretion of USCIS if you demonstrate that the delay was reasonable and beyond your control. Where do I file a motion? Your denial notice will include information about which

When Can I Apply for Naturalization? If you were granted asylum in the United States, a maximum of one year of your time in asylee status counts as permanent residence Please note, if you waited longer than a year to apply for your green card, that extra time will not count towards your naturalization You can also turn in your USCIS Form N-400 (Citizenship Application) 90 days before your required years of permanent residence have passed. This 90-day period compensates for the fact that USCIS might not act on your application (or call you in for an interview) for at least that amount of time. Refugees and asylees may apply for naturalization 5 years after the date of their admission to lawful permanent residence. More details can be found on https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship. Usually, a person becomes eligible for naturalization after starting the 5 years period  of being a permanent resident.  But, in case of asylees, they become eligible for naturalization 4 years after the approval of their permanent resident (Green Card) application as their permanent residence starting day is dated 1 year back from the approval of the Green Card application. Your Immigration File It gives the U.S. Immigration Citizenship Services (USCIS) another chance to review your immigration file and your life events after you received the asylum If you recently obtained U.S. asylum, be mindful of this possibility and ensure that you do not do anything that could hurt your future citizenship And If you are ready to apply for naturalization now, you should carefully consider and address any of these issues that might apply to you Scenario 1 USCIS will Recheck Whether or not Your Asylum Claim was Bona Fide? When USCIS reviews a former asylee’s application for naturalization, it wants to make sure that the person’s underlying asylum claim was bonafide USCIS might look closely at the person’s naturalization application and history in the United States to make sure that it is consistent with the reasons he or she requested asylum For example, if a man requested asylum because he feared persecution in his home country based on his sexual preference of liking a same-sex partner But he married a woman instead of a man USCIS might wonder if he lied about his sexual orientation on his asylum application If a Christian pastor fled his home country because the government was persecuting Christians, but now is a practicing Muslim USCIS could believe that he lied about his religion to receive asylum In both of these cases, the underlying asylum claim might truly be bona fide, and the person’s life might simply have changed significantly since the application for asylum Nevertheless, USCIS will look closely at the application and could deny it if the applicant cannot offer a strong explanation for the discrepancies You should be able to explain such changes is by providing corroborating documentation Include a letter explaining the change in life circumstances along with your application. Scenario 2 USCIS Will Examine Your Travel History If a