USCIS Offers Free Interpreters to Asylum Seekers for the Next Six Months | The NY Journal
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They will offer free informative talks on requirements to obtain residency and citizenship.
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John Moore / Getty Images
Asylum seekers who do not speak English will be able to access an interpreter for free for the next six months for their interview with the agents of the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency announced Tuesday.
The temporary rule is intended to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus through the use of telephone interpreters contracted by the Government for affirmative asylum interviews at no cost to the applicant, he announced USCIS in a statement.
Until today USCIS required asylum seekers who do not speak English to bring an interpreter at your affirmative asylum interview. The current measure suspends this rule for 180 days.
The agency will provide interpreters in 47 languages different for immigrants.
USCIS cautioned that interpreters are carefully screened and must pass rigorous background checks and meet a high level of proficiency. Besides these professionals already serve regularly as interpreters for border detection interviews.
The new rule cautions that those asylum seekers who cannot continue to interview in English or any of the 47 available languages listed must continue to provide their own interpreter.
Organizations like Indigenous Front of Binational Organizations (FIOB) Los Angeles has highlighted that indigenous asylum seekers from Mexico or Central America face major problems communicating with agents because many of them do not even speak Spanish.
Among the list of languages that will be available by USCIS for free are Quiché, the language spoken indigenous Mexicans and Central Americans.
The agency cautioned that if the applicant needs an interpreter for one of the 47 languages, but one of these hired professionals is not available at the time of the interview, the appointment will be rescheduled.
The temporary rule will amend existing regulations of the Department of Homeland Security for 180 days and will take effect on September 23.
USCIS underscored that on March 23, 2021, asylum seekers who are unable to continue the interview in English will again need to provide their own interpreter.
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