Asylum Division Training Programs

The USCIS Asylum Division’s Training Section provides training on a national level as well as on a local level in the field offices. 

All Asylum Officers are required to attend and complete the Asylum Officer Basic Training Course (AOBTC), which is a national training course that is specific to asylum adjudications.  Instructors for this course are from HQ Asylum Division and field Asylum offices, as well as non-governmental organizations, law universities, and the UNHCR. 

The training course includes topics such as international refugee law and the U.S. Asylum Program’s role in world-wide refugee protection, U.S. asylum law and its interpretation by the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal appellate courts, interviewing techniques, researching country of origin information, and decision-making/writing.  Separate training sessions address interviewing survivors of torture, identifying possible cases of victims of trafficking, handling cases of children, and handling claims that may be specific to women.  The training course also includes lessons regarding the Asylum Program’s history, organizational structure, mission, goals, and values, ethics, and an overview of the Asylum Program’s process and procedures. Other topics covered include fraud identification and evaluation techniques, and national security concerns.  

The Asylum Division also requires that regular training be conducted in each of the field offices.  There are up to three Quality Assurance and Training Officers (QA/Ts) in each of the 8 field Asylum Offices who are responsible for coordinating weekly training sessions and training new Asylum Officers. The Asylum Division requires that each field Asylum Office hold a weekly training session of up to four hours.  The topics are determined by the needs of the particular office and include the same variety of topics as listed above. Also, headquarters may request that training on a particular issue, such as new case law or new procedures, be conducted in all Asylum Offices. In addition, supervisors are required to attend a two-week advanced training course in legal issues with a focus on reviewing the work product of Asylum Officers for legal and procedural accuracy and consistency with Asylum Division policy. 

Asylum Division staff are encouraged to attend professional and/or career development training activities provided by both the Training Academy and the Asylum Division.  The Asylum Division provides opportunities for the professional development of its staff including the following:

• Instructor Training Course - Required for all QA/Ts and available for all Supervisory Asylum Officers
• Summer School in Forced Migration, Oxford, England
• Refugee Detail training

As appropriate, Asylum Officers may receive permission from local management to attend related local training classes or professional conferences provided by sources other than the Asylum Division or the USCIS Academy.