Eligibility for Asylum or Refugee Status

Asylum or Refugee Status: Who Is Eligible?

Asylum and refugee status are special legal protections available to people who have left their home country for their own safety and are afraid to return.

When, How to Include Family Member Dependents on Your Asylum Application

If you want your family members in the U.S. to receive approval of asylum along with you, they can be included in your application -- but such a step may also result in the whole family facing removal proceedings together.

Chances of Winning a Grant of Asylum in the U.S.

Your asylum application will be decided based on your unique facts, evidence, and witness statements. Moreover, asylum officers and Immigration Judges have a certain amount of discretion, and your chances might vary depending on who gets assigned to your case.

Risks and Benefits of Affirmatively Applying for Asylum

If you haven’t yet been stopped by U.S. immigration officials or placed in removal (deportation) proceedings, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the best and worst of what could happen next.

Which Countries Do Most People Granted Asylum in the U.S. Come From?

Over the years, both the mix of people applying for asylum (protection from overseas persecution) in the U.S. and the people whose applications are granted has varied a great deal.

How to Get a Referral to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

How refugees can become eligible for referrals to USRAP, where they can request such referrals, and what alternatives they should consider before choosing this route to the United States.

Does Illegal Entry to the U.S. or Lying and Using False Documents at Entry Create Problems When Applying for Asylum?

Crossing the U.S. border without permission or using lies or false documents makes many applicants for immigration benefits inadmissible to the U.S.—what about asylum applicants?

Can I Apply for U.S. Asylum If I'm From India?

Despite being the world’s largest democracy with 1.22 billion people, thousands of Indians regularly leave India to seek asylum.

Can I Apply for U.S. Asylum If I'm From Mexico?

It is extremely difficult to gain asylum from Mexico. Here you will learn the reasons why.

Can I Apply for Asylum After Deportation and Illegal Reentry?

Although the law doesn't explicitly bar your application, this area of law is unclear, and you'll need a lawyer's help.

I Waited Too Long to Apply for Asylum in the United States: Can I Apply for Asylum in Canada?

The Safe Third Country Agreement between the U.S. and Canada says that (with some exceptions) you can apply for asylum only in the first country you arrived in.

Can I Sponsor a Refugee to Come to the United States?

Many Americans who are concerned about the plight of people fleeing violence or war in other parts of the world wonder whether they can individually sponsor a refugee. Unfortunately the news on this is not good.