Can I Use AI to Prepare My Asylum Case Documents?

With AI tools now available to anyone with a smartphone, many immigrants are turning to chatbots and AI writing assistants to help prepare their asylum applications. It feels fast, free, and smart — but is it actually safe for something as serious as your asylum case? Immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin weighs in with a clear warning.

What the Attorney Says

Attorney Ilya Fishkin strongly advises against using artificial intelligence to prepare asylum documents. His concern is straightforward: AI makes mistakes and provides incorrect information. While it may seem like a convenient shortcut, relying on AI output for a legal case can lead to serious errors that put your application — and your future in the United States — at risk.

Fishkin acknowledges that AI is not entirely without value. In the hands of a knowledgeable professional, it can offer ideas or point in a useful direction. But that is a very different thing from trusting AI to give you a correct, specific legal answer. As he puts it, AI is simply not at the level where it can reliably tell a person the right answer to a concrete legal question.

The danger is that many people use AI and come away feeling confident — as if they now know everything they need to know. That false sense of certainty is exactly what worries Fishkin. Asylum law is complex, fact-specific, and unforgiving of errors. A mistake in your personal statement, an incorrectly answered question, or a misunderstood legal standard can have consequences that are very difficult to undo.

What You Should Do

Based on attorney Fishkin's guidance, here are safe, practical steps to take:

• Do not rely on AI-generated text or legal answers for your asylum case. Even if the output looks polished and confident, it may contain factual or legal errors you won't be able to spot on your own.
• Treat AI as a starting point for general understanding, not as a legal advisor. If you use AI at all, use it only to get a broad sense of a topic — never as the final word on what to write or how to answer a question in your application.
• Consult a qualified immigration attorney. An experienced lawyer can review your specific situation, catch errors, and make sure your documents accurately and effectively represent your case.
• Be cautious of overconfidence. If you've used AI to research your case and feel like you have all the answers, that feeling itself is a warning sign. Seek a professional second opinion before submitting anything.

FAQ

Q: Is it okay to use AI just to help me write my personal statement for asylum?

A: Attorney Fishkin advises against it. AI can produce text that sounds convincing but contains incorrect information. Your personal statement is one of the most critical parts of your asylum case, and errors there can seriously harm your application.

Q: Can an immigration attorney use AI as part of their work?

A: According to Fishkin, AI in the hands of a knowledgeable professional can be useful for generating ideas or direction. However, even then, it is not a substitute for legal expertise — it is a tool, not an authority.

Q: What's the real risk of using AI for asylum documents?

A: The main risk Fishkin identifies is that AI gives wrong information while making users feel certain they have the right answer. In asylum cases, acting on incorrect legal information can lead to mistakes that are very hard to correct later.

Based on an interview with immigration attorney Ilya Fishkin, NY Bar. This information is for general purposes only and is not legal advice.