Important Information About Applying for Asylum
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In order to qualify for asylum in the United States you must prove that you fear returning to your home country because of something that happened to you there, or that you fear will happen to you if you return, based on one or more of the following five reasons:
- Your race
- Your religion
- Your nationality
- Your political opinion
- Your belonging to a particular social group
- If you are over 18 years old you must apply for asylum within one-year of entering the United States
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In order to apply for asylum you must complete Form I-589, Application for Asylum
- Free copies of Form I-589 can be viewed and downloaded at https://www.uscis.gov/i-589
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It is important to complete every question on Form I-589 and to review the Form I-589 instructions carefully to ensure that you correctly complete Form I-589
- Free copies of the Form I-589 instructions can be viewed and downloaded at https://www.uscis.gov/i-589
- A free video to help you complete Form I-589 is available in Spanish at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6MIpFnBuUI
- You do NOT have to pay a filing fee in order to file Form I-589, it is free of charge
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If you are in removal proceedings in immigration court you must file your asylum application with the immigration court where your case is located. You can file in person at the filing window or with the immigration judge at your immigration court hearing
- This is called a defensive asylum application
- Enter your A number into the immigration court online system at https://acis.eoir.justice.gov/en/ to find out your case is located and the date of your next hearing
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If your A number is not in the immigration court system, or you have never been issued an A number, you can file your application online or file it by mail by sending it to the appropriate USCIS Service Center address
- This is called an affirmative asylum application.
- Additional assistance for affirmative asylum process is available at https://www.rifnyc.org/affirmative-asylum
- You can file a work permit application 150 days after filing your asylum application
**This information is not legal advice. This is for informational purposes only**
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