Open Borders

Open Borders is a free immigration app from Border Crossing Law Firm, a private law firm, not the government. Track your USCIS case, see how your judge has decided cases like yours, check wait times and see which paths may be open. FREE. NO ADS. NO TRACKING. • Every tool is free, with no account; no ads, and nothing sold or shared with advertisers or data brokers. • Your Guide answers and notes stay on your device unless you share them; receipt numbers are checked with USCIS through the firm's server, never sold or shared. CASE STATUS • Add your USCIS receipt numbers; the app checks them about every hour. • A notification when a status changes, with a discreet mode for the lock screen. • Each status: USCIS's own words, a plain-language note and where your case is on the 7 steps. • How long it may take: USCIS's published time (8 in 10 cases finish within it), whether your case is past it (when USCIS accepts an inquiry), and how long similar, anonymous cases took. Typical times, not a promise. • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets: status, step, what's next and time left, never a name or receipt number on the Lock Screen. • Keep your dates: biometrics, interview, RFE deadlines and more. IMMIGRATION JUDGE PROFILES • A page for every sitting immigration judge, from the government's court records since 2021. • Due process indicators: ten warning signs on every judge's page, each explained: time to prepare, favoring the government, asylum ended without a hearing or rarely granted, fast denials, bonds set high or rarely granted. • Asylum grant rates, including by nationality; relief by type; hearings per case; time to the next hearing. • Bond in depth: how often the judge grants bond and the amounts set, year by year. • Every figure is shown in full, even from a few cases, with a note when numbers are small. • The judge in the news, reviewed by the firm. • They help you judge whether a hearing is likely to be fair; they describe past decisions, not predictions. • Court pages, notable numbers, who appointed each state's judges and the BIA roster. THE GUIDE • Plain-language questions lead to the paths that may apply: family-based green cards, asylum, cancellation of removal, waivers, TPS, DACA, U and T visas, naturalization and more. • Quick Start, Family-Based Options and Removal Relief when you want one topic at a time. • Case Notes collects what matters; export it as a PDF for an attorney. PROCESSING TIMES • USCIS's published times by form and office, and whether your case is past them. • The Visa Bulletin as a waiting line: which dates are being decided and how far it moved this year. • Department of Labor queues for employment cases. ALERTS AND NEWS • Firm alerts when a rule, fee or court decision changes what you should do. • An archive of reporting and records on immigration, civil rights and Montana immigration history. • An emergency guide for families after an ICE detention in Montana. PRIVACY, LANGUAGE AND ACCESS • An optional app lock (PIN, Face ID or Touch ID) hides the app from others using your phone. • English and Spanish, with Read Aloud and text scaling. • Made for iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad. WHEN YOU WANT A LAWYER • Book a phone or video consultation with the attorney who wrote the Guide. Consultations and legal services are paid (clear flat fees, monthly plans); all else is free. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Written by Shahid Haque, founder of Border Crossing Law Firm and a former law professor who has represented thousands of immigrants since 2008. IMPORTANT Open Borders is for adults 18 and older. It provides general educational information that may be incomplete or out of date and may not cover every fact or option in your situation. It is not legal advice, does not determine eligibility or recommend a filing strategy, and creates no attorney-client relationship. It is not affiliated with USCIS, ICE, CBP, EOIR, the BIA or any government agency. Have a qualified immigration attorney review your case before you act.