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 EOIR-31). 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.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 an Optional Form EOIR-31A to apply for accreditation, or an organization
may request accreditation 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
may be requested 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 District Director for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of DHS and the Chief
Counsel for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of DHS in the jurisdiction where the organization is
located. To identify the appropriate DHS offices, consult the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov/about-
us/find-uscis-office and the ICE website at http://www.ice.gov/contact/opla/.
U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Request for Recognition of a Non-Profit Religious,
Charitable, Social Service, or Similar Organization
Form EOIR-31
Rev.
Oct. 2014
R&A Coordinator
Board of Immigration Appeals
Office of the Chief Clerk
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2000
Falls Church, VA 20530