New York · est. 2013Saturday, September 5, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Forms · Humanitarian

Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness

LRIF gave certain Liberian nationals who had been continuously present in the United States since November 20, 2014 a one-off route to permanent residence, without a petition or a visa number. The filing window closed on December 20, 2021, so it is now relevant only to cases still pending or being reopened.

Typical time: USCIS publishes no separate median for LRIF cases. The programme is closed to new filings.Fees: The original Form I-485 fee applied. No new filings are possible, so the only live costs are motions and appeals at $800.

Who it is for. Liberian nationals continuously present since November 20, 2014, and their spouses and unmarried children, who filed before the deadline.

The forms, in order

2 forms
I-485I-290B
  1. 1

    Confirm whether an application was filed before the December 20, 2021 deadline

    Who
    The applicant or their representative
    When
    The filing window is closed
    Fee
    $0

    New applications can no longer be filed under LRIF.

  2. 2

    Respond to any outstanding USCIS request for evidence on a pending case

    I-485

    Who
    The applicant
    When
    By the deadline in the notice
    Fee
    $0 beyond the original filing fee
  3. 3

    If the case was denied, consider a motion to reopen or reconsider

    I-290B

    Who
    The applicant
    When
    Within 30 days of the denial
    Fee
    $800, waivable on Form I-912

Where it goes wrong

  • The filing deadline of December 20, 2021 has passed and Congress has not extended it.
  • Anyone told they can still 'apply for LRIF' is being misled.
  • People who missed the window generally need a different route entirely - asylum, a family petition, or cancellation of removal.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

  • The programme remains closed. USCIS keeps the page up for pending cases and motions only.

Related processes

Sources: uscis.gov · uscis.gov