Who it's for
PiBye for US immigration attorneys
Immigration files carry some of the most sensitive identifiers in practice: A-numbers, receipt numbers, passport numbers and, in asylum, VAWA, T and U matters, the fact of the application itself. Federal rules restrict the government's disclosure of that information, and bar guidance ties AI use to confidentiality and informed consent. Use AI on a copy with those details replaced, keep the key on your own computer, and apply your own confidentiality judgment.
Last reviewed · 3 sources
Why these files are different
8 CFR 208.6 says information "contained in or pertaining to any application for refugee admission, asylum" and related protection "shall not be disclosed without the written consent of the applicant", except as the section permits. 8 U.S.C. 1367 bars government officials from permitting use or disclosure of "any information which relates to an alien who is the beneficiary of an application for relief" under the T, U and VAWA provisions.
Both provisions govern government officials and records, not an attorney's own tools. We have found no source that says whether pseudonymized AI input satisfies them. They do show how sensitive the fact of the application is, which is why the matter type itself can be identifying.
What to replace in an immigration file
- Client, petitioner, beneficiary and family names
- A-numbers, USCIS receipt numbers, passport and visa numbers, SSNs
- Home addresses, employers and schools
- Dates of birth (state the age if eligibility depends on it)
- In protection cases, the abuser's or trafficker's name and location as well
Professional guidance
Florida Bar Ethics Opinion 24-1 recommends obtaining "the affected client's informed consent prior to utilizing a third-party generative AI program if the utilization would involve the disclosure of any confidential information." Redaction reduces what you disclose; it does not replace that analysis.
Where PiBye fits
How PiBye handles this
PiBye recognizes A-numbers, SSNs, EINs, passport numbers including passport machine-readable lines, names, addresses and dates of birth on your Mac, including in scanned notices, and shows every replacement for review. The AI drafts from the approved copy; the real details go back into the declaration, brief or letter locally.
1.0.1 · macOS 14.8.5 or later · Apple Silicon · 1.1 GB
Frequently asked questions
Can I use AI on an asylum declaration?
That is a confidentiality and consent judgment for you and your client. If you do, the AI should see a copy with names, numbers, places and the persecutor's identity replaced, and you should read it before sharing.
Does PiBye handle USCIS scans?
It runs on-device OCR on scanned PDFs and images and detects A-numbers and other identifiers in the text. OCR can misread, which is why every copy is reviewed.
Sources
- 8 CFR § 208.6: Disclosure to third parties, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 25 September 2026.
- 8 U.S. Code § 1367: Penalties for disclosure of information, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 25 September 2026.
- Ethics Opinion 24-1, The Florida Bar, January 19, 2024. Checked 17 September 2026.