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How do I build one master timeline from many documents?

Build a source-linked asylum case timeline from travel, medical, police, work, school, message, and photograph records without inventing dates.

Published August 24, 2026Last reviewed August 24, 2026General information
Not legal advice.US Asylum Help provides general information, research links, and organization tools. We do not determine eligibility, deadlines, strategy, evidence sufficiency, or what anyone should say or file in an individual immigration matter.

How do I build one master timeline from many documents?

Last reviewed: August 24, 2026

General information only. A timeline is an organization tool, not a substitute for source evidence or legal analysis.

Create one chronological table with columns for date, place, event, source, people involved, and confidence in the date. Enter objective records first—travel, medical, police, school, work, messages, photographs—then add remembered events.

When sources conflict, do not silently choose the version you prefer. Record both dates or spellings, link each to its source, and flag the conflict. Use ranges such as approximately March 2022 when that is genuinely all you know.

Give every source a stable filename or exhibit reference so the timeline points back to the underlying document. Keep the timeline factual and short; put longer explanations in separate notes. Preserve old versions when a material correction is made.

A master timeline should help an attorney locate and compare evidence. It should not become a polished replacement for original records or be used to force uncertain memories into exact dates.

Official resource

For legal significance or credibility questions, have a qualified representative review the timeline together with the underlying records.

Official sources & current information

Verify changing requirements at the source.

This section identifies government links contained in this guide. The government page, form instructions, court notice, or other controlling document should be checked for current requirements.

U.S. Department of Justice / EOIRjustice.gov
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