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; 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.

• A home-screen widget: status, step, what's next and time left; on a locked phone, never a name or receipt number.

• 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: how often the judge gives time to find a lawyer or prepare, how the judge rules on people's requests versus the government's, and how often the appeals board (BIA) sends decisions back.

• 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, with a note when it rests on few cases.

• The judge in the news, reviewed by the firm; court pages, notable numbers and who appointed the judges.

• They help you judge whether a hearing is likely to be fair; they describe past decisions, not predictions.

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: dates being decided now and this year's movement.

• Department of Labor queues for employment cases.

ALERTS AND NEWS

• Firm alerts when a rule, fee or ruling changes what you should do.

• An archive of reporting and records on immigration, civil rights and Montana.

• An emergency guide for families after an ICE detention in Montana.

PRIVACY, LANGUAGE AND ACCESS

• An optional app lock (PIN, fingerprint or face unlock) hides the app from others using your phone.

• English and Spanish, with Read Aloud and text scaling.

• Made for phones, foldables and tablets.

WHEN YOU WANT A LAWYER

• Book a phone or video consultation with the Guide's author. Consultations and legal services are paid (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, representing immigrants since 2008.

GOVERNMENT SOURCES

Open Borders is not a government app. Its data comes from USCIS (https://www.uscis.gov), the immigration courts (https://www.justice.gov/eoir), the State Department's Visa Bulletin (https://travel.state.gov) and the Department of Labor (https://flag.dol.gov).

IMPORTANT

Open Borders is for adults 18 and older. It offers general educational information that may be incomplete or out of date. It is not legal advice, does not determine eligibility and creates no attorney-client relationship, and it is not affiliated with any government agency. Have an immigration attorney review your case before you act.