What records should I keep while waiting for an asylum interview?
Last reviewed: August 24, 2026
General information only. USCIS procedures and scheduling can change. Follow current notices and official instructions for your case.
Keep every USCIS notice, the exact filed I-589, identity and travel records, address-change confirmations, biometrics records, and copies of later evidence. Continue preserving new factual material relevant to events or conditions rather than waiting until an interview is scheduled.
Maintain a simple change log when an address, phone number, family circumstance, or important factual record changes. Use official USCIS procedures for required updates; a private spreadsheet is only an organizational aid.
Keep proof of every submission or update. Store original records separately from annotated working copies, and maintain a secure backup. If you move, do not assume ordinary mail forwarding replaces any required immigration address-change procedure.
Do not assume an interview will occur on a particular timetable or that every case will follow an older procedural sequence. Check current USCIS notices and asylum pages before taking a procedural step.
Official sources
- USCIS — Asylum: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum/asylum
- USCIS — Change of Address: https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange
- USCIS — Contact Center: https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter
For case-specific procedural questions, seek qualified legal help.