Form EOIR-31 Request for Recognition of a Non-Profit Religious, Chari

OMB# 1125-0012

U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review

Request for Recognition of a Non-Profit Religious,
Charitable, Social Service, or Similar Organization

INSTRUCTIONS
PREPARATION OF APPLICATION:
To apply for Recognition of a Non-Profit Religious, Charitable, Social Service, or Similar Organization under 8 C.F.R. § 1292,
you must fully and accurately answer all questions on the attached Form EOIR-31. This form must be signed and submitted by an
officer or individual authorized to act for the organization. A separate Form EOIR-31 must be filed for each branch office of an
organization seeking recognition. In the event of a merger or consolidation of two organizations where one or both have already
been individually accorded recognition, the newly created organization must file a new application for recognition (Form EOIR31). Your responses must be typed or printed legibly in ink. Do not leave any questions unanswered or blank. As much as possible
answer all questions directly on the form. If there is no room to respond fully to a question, please continue your response on an
additional sheet of paper. Please indicate the number of the question being answered next to your response on the additional sheet
of paper. For more information on applying for recognition, see the EOIR website at: http://www.justice.gov/eoir/ra/raroster.htm.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
You should submit documentary evidence to establish your organization’s eligibility for recognition. Failure to submit all
supporting documentation may result in the denial of your application.

RECOGNITION IS NOT ACCREDITATION:
Recognition, if granted, does not provide automatic accreditation to the organization’s employees or associates. A recognized
organization may seek from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) accreditation of particular employees or associates, who
are not licensed attorneys, by requesting either full accreditation (allowing appearances before the Department of Homeland
Security, Immigration Courts, and the BIA) or partial accreditation (allowing appearances before DHS only) for such persons.
There is no EOIR form for accreditation requests; rather, an organization may make such requests on organizational letterhead, supported by documentary evidence, establishing that each proposed representative is of good moral character and
meets the requirements of 8 C.F.R. § 1292.2(d). Accreditation requests may be made simultaneously with or subsequent to the
filing of this recognition application (Form EOIR-31). We caution that failure to demonstrate availability of staff with adequate
knowledge and experience in immigration law and procedure may result in the disapproval of the recognition application.
Please indicate on this form whether a simultaneous request for accreditation of an individual is being submitted. If so, please list
the name of the proposed representative and the type of accreditation being sought (full or partial). The request for accreditation
should include the following supporting documents: resume and certificates of training, letters of recommendation and evidence
of advocacy and research skills (if seeking full accreditation).

WHERE TO FILE:
This application and all supporting documents must be filed with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

PROOF OF SERVICE:
A complete copy of this application and any request for accreditation as well as all supporting documents must be served on
the local District Director for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of DHS and the local Chief Counsel for
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of DHS who have jurisdiction over the area in which the organization is
located.

Form EOIR-31
Rev. May 2013

OMB# 1125-0012

U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review

Request for Recognition of a Non-Profit Religious,
Charitable, Social Service, or Similar Organization

For Official Use Only:

Date Received (mm/dd/yyyy)

Mail To:

Recognition & Accreditation Program Coordinator

Executive Office for Immigration Review
Board of Immigration Appeals, Clerk’s Office
Post Office Box 8530
Falls Church, VA 22041
(preferred for most mailings)

1.

OR

Name of Organization Applying for Recognition

Recognition & Accreditation Program Coordinator
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Board of Immigration Appeals, Clerk’s Office
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2000
Falls Church, VA 22041
(courier, overnight, or in-person deliveries)

requests recognition pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 1292.2(a) and

(b) so that it may apply for accreditation of persons of good moral character to represent others in immigration
proceedings before the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) of the Executive Office
for Immigration Review (EOIR) and/or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS).

2.

Organization’s Address:

3.

Number and Street (Do not use P.O. Box)

City

State

Phone Number

Fax Number

Email Address

Zip Code

@

By signing this form, you certify that the organization is a non-profit religious, charitable, social service, or
other (specify:
) organization established in the United
States. Attach proof of the organization’s non-profit status, and if applicable, provide a brief, detailed
statement of the organization’s relationship to its parent organization.

4.

If the organization is chartered, attach a copy of the Charter, Constitution, Articles of Incorporation, and/or By-laws.

5.

What charges or membership dues, if any, are charged to clients?
Attach
a fee schedule, if applicable, with a list of services, specifying the full range of charges and explaining when
charges are reduced or waived. Also provide a detailed statement of the organization’s sources and amounts of
funding other than dues or fees.

6.

Attach a detailed statement regarding the knowledge, information, and experience in immigration and
nationality law and procedure available to the organization. Also attach a list of library and/or internet resources.

7.

Provide a description of the specific immigration legal services the organization will provide.

8.
Resumes and any immigration training certificates for staff members should be attached. A description and/or diagram

of the organizational structure of the organization should be included, that shows the supervision of staff members.

Any supervision or assistance provided by attorneys should be documented, including proof of the immigration practice

experience of the attorneys. Any arrangement to consult with other recognized organizations or attorneys should be
documented.
9.

-

Indicate whether an accreditation request is being made at this time.
q Yes
q No
If you answered yes, you must answer the following questions:
(a) Provide the name of the proposed representative:
(b) Indicate the type of accreditation sought for this individual:
q Partial q Full
(Attach a separate sheet if more than one accreditation request is being made).

SIGN HERE

X

Signature

.

(Type or print) Name and title of authorized official of organization

You must complete the Proof of Service on the reverse

Form EOIR-31
Rev. May 2013

PROOF OF SERVICE
(You Must Complete Both)

I,

,

(Print Name)

I,

,

(Print Name)

mailed or delivered a copy of this Form EOIR–31 and
its attachments to the local District Director for USCIS
of DHS on

mailed or delivered a copy of this Form EOIR–31 and
its attachments to the local Chief Counsel for ICE
of DHS on

at

at

(Date - mm/dd/yyyy)

(Number and Street)

(Date - mm/dd/yyyy)

(Number and Street)

(City, State, ZIP Code)

- SIGN
HERE

(City, State, ZIP Code)

- SIGN
HERE

X

X

HAVE YOU SUBMITTED?
q Completed Form EOIR-31, including proof of service
q Proof of nonprofit status (IRS document)
q Copy of Charter, Constitution, By-Laws and/or Articles of Incorporation
q Fee schedule for all immigration services provided and membership dues, if applicable
q List of law library contents and/or online resources
q Funding sources and budget
q Organizational chart and a description of the specific immigration legal services the organization will provide
q Staff resumes, certificates of training, letters of recommendation and evidence of advocacy and research skills
q Requests for accreditation with supporting documentation, if applicable
q Written confirmation of any agreement(s) made to consult with other nonprofit organization(s) or private attorney(s)
on a pro bono basis in more complicated cases or other acceptable arrangements to demonstrate adequate
knowledge and experience in immigration law and procedure. Matter of EAC, Inc. (Recognition) 24 I&N
Dec 556 (BIA 2008)
q Copy of BIA decision on prior recognition application, if applicable
For more information about applying for recognition, visit the EOIR website at http://www.justice.gov/eoir/ra.htm.
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.
We try to create forms and instructions that are accurate, can be easily understood, and which impose the least possible burden on you to provide us
with information. The estimated average time to review the form, gather necessary materials, complete the form, and assemble the attachments is 2 hours.
If you have comments regarding the accuracy of this estimate, or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions reducing
this burden, you may write to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, Office of the General Counsel, 5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2600, Falls
Church, Virginia 22041.
The information is authorized by 8 U.S.C. §§ 1103, 1229a, 1362 and 8 C.F.R. 1292.2 in order to request recognition of a non-profit religious, charitable,
social service or similar organization. The information you provide is mandatory and required to obtain recognition. Failure to provide the requested
information may result in denial of your request. EOIR may share this information with others in accordance with approved routine uses described in
BIA-002, Roster of Organizations and their Accredited Representatives Recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Form EOIR-31
Rev. May 2013