1240.49—Ancillary matters, applications.

(a) Creation of the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. The respondent may apply to the immigration judge for suspension of deportation under section 244(a) of the Act; for adjustment of status under section 245 of the Act, or under section 1 of the Act of November 2, 1966, or under section 101 or 104 of the Act of October 28, 1977; or for the creation of a record of lawful admission for permanent residence under section 249 of the Act. The application shall be subject to the requirements of 8 CFR parts 1240, 1245, and 1249. The approval of any application made to the immigration judge under section 245 of the Act by an alien spouse (as defined in section 216(g)(1) of the Act) or by an alien entrepreneur (as defined in section 216A(f)(1) of the Act), shall result in the alien's obtaining the status of lawful permanent resident on a conditional basis in accordance with the provisions of section 216 or 216A of the Act, whichever is applicable. However, the Petition to Remove the Conditions on Residence required by section 216(c) of the Act or the Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions required by section 216A(c) of the Act shall be made to the director in accordance with 8 CFR part 1216. In conjunction with any application for creation of status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence made to an immigration judge, if the respondent is inadmissible under any provision of section 212(a) of the Act and believes that he or she meets the eligibility requirements for a waiver of the ground of inadmissibility, he or she may apply to the immigration judge for such waiver. The immigration judge shall inform the respondent of his or her apparent eligibility to apply for any of the benefits enumerated in this paragraph and shall afford the respondent an opportunity to make application therefor during the hearing. In a relevant case, the immigration judge may adjudicate the sufficiency of an Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A (Form I-864), executed on behalf of an applicant for admission or for adjustment of status, in accordance with the provisions of section 213A of the Act and 8 CFR part 213a. In exercising discretionary power when considering an application under this paragraph, the immigration judge may consider and base the decision on information not contained in the record and not made available for inspection by the respondent, provided the Commissioner has determined that such information is relevant and is classified under the applicable Executive Order as requiring protection from unauthorized disclosure in the interest of national security. Whenever the immigration judge believes that he or she can do so while safeguarding both the information and its source, the immigration judge should inform the respondent of the general nature of the information in order that the respondent may have an opportunity to offer opposing evidence. A decision based in whole or in part on such classified information shall state that the information is material to the decision.

(b) Voluntary departure. The respondent may apply to the immigration judge for voluntary departure in lieu of deportation pursuant to section 244(e) of the Act and § 1240.56.

(c) Applications for asylum or withholding of deportation. (1) The immigration judge shall notify the respondent that if he or she is finally ordered deported, his or her deportation will in the first instance be directed pursuant to section 243(a) of the Act to the country designated by the respondent and shall afford him or her an opportunity then and there to make such designation. The immigration judge shall then specify and state for the record the country, or countries in the alternative, to which respondent's deportation will be directed pursuant to section 243(a) of the Act if the country of his or her designation will not accept him or her into its territory, or fails to furnish timely notice of acceptance, or if the respondent declines to designate a country.

(2) If the alien expresses fear of persecution or harm upon return to any of the countries to which the alien might be deported pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of this section, and the alien has not previously filed an application for asylum or withholding of deportation that has been referred to the immigration judge by an asylum officer in accordance with § 1208.14(b) of this chapter, the immigration judge shall:

(i) Advise the alien that he or she may apply for asylum in the United States or withholding of deportation to those countries; and

(ii) Make available the appropriate application forms.

(3) An application for asylum or withholding of deportation must be filed with the Immigration Court, pursuant to § 1208.4(b) of this chapter. Upon receipt of an application that has not been referred by an asylum officer, the Immigration Court shall forward a copy to the Department of State pursuant to § 1208.11 of this chapter and shall calendar the case for a hearing. The reply, if any, of the Department of State, unless classified under the applicable Executive Order, shall be given to both the applicant and to the Service counsel representing the government.

(4) Applications for asylum or withholding of deportation so filed will be decided by the immigration judge pursuant to the requirements and standards established in 8 CFR part 1208 after an evidentiary hearing that is necessary to resolve factual issues in dispute. An evidentiary hearing extending beyond issues related to the basis for a mandatory denial of the application pursuant to § 1208.13 or § 1208.16 of this chapter is not necessary once the immigration judge has determined that such a denial is required.

(i) Evidentiary hearings on applications for asylum or withholding of deportation will be open to the public unless the applicant expressly requests that it be closed.

(ii) Nothing in this section is intended to limit the authority of the immigration judge properly to control the scope of any evidentiary hearing.

(iii) During the deportation hearing, the applicant shall be examined under oath on his or her application and may present evidence and witnesses in his or her own behalf. The applicant has the burden of establishing that he or she is a refugee as defined in section 101(a)(42) of the Act pursuant to the standard set forth in § 1208.13 of this chapter.

(iv) The Service counsel for the government may call witnesses and present evidence for the record, including information classified under the applicable Executive Order, provided the immigration judge or the Board has determined that such information is relevant to the hearing. When the immigration judge receives such classified information he or she shall inform the applicant. The agency that provides the classified information to the immigration judge may provide an unclassified summary of the information for release to the applicant, whenever it determines it can do so consistently with safeguarding both the classified nature of the information and its source. The summary should be as detailed as possible, in order that the applicant may have an opportunity to offer opposing evidence. A decision based in whole or in part on such classified information shall state whether such information is material to the decision.

(5) The decision of an immigration judge to grant or deny asylum or withholding of deportation shall be communicated to the applicant and to the Service counsel for the government. An adverse decision will state why asylum or withholding of deportation was denied.

(d) Application for relief under The respondent may apply to the immigration judge for relief from deportation under sections 241(a)(1)(H) and 241(a)(1)(E)(iii) of the Act.

(e) General. An application under this section shall be made only during the hearing and shall not be held to constitute a concession of alienage or deportability in any case in which the respondent does not admit his alienage or deportability. However, nothing in this section shall prohibit the Service from using information supplied in an application for asylum or withholding of deportation submitted to an asylum officer pursuant to § 1208.2 of this chapter on or after January 4, 1995, as the basis for issuance of an order to show cause or a notice to appear to establish alienage or deportability in a case referred to an immigration judge under § 1208.14(b) of this chapter. The respondent shall have the burden of establishing that he or she is eligible for any requested benefit or privilege and that it should be granted in the exercise of discretion. The respondent shall not be required to pay a fee on more than one application within paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section, provided that the minimum fee imposed when more than one application is made shall be determined by the cost of the application with the highest fee. Nothing contained in this section is intended to foreclose the respondent from applying for any benefit or privilege which he or she believes himself or herself eligible to receive in proceedings under this part.

Code of Federal Regulations

[62 FR 10367, Mar. 6, 1997, unless otherwise noted. Redesignated in part and duplicated in part from part 240 at 68 FR 9838, 9840, Feb. 28, 2003, as amended at 71 FR 35757, June 21, 2006]