Obtaining a Green Card For An Asylee

If USCIS granted you asylum status, you are eligible to apply for a green card (permanent residence) immediately after receiving your grant of asylum. Your spouse and children are also eligible to apply for a green card if they were admitted to the United States as asylees or were included in your grant of asylum.

You are not required to apply for a green card; however, it may be in your best interest to do so. You may no longer qualify for asylum status with the right to remain permanently in the United States if:

• country conditions change in your home country or
• you no longer meet the definition of an asylee due to changed circumstances.

Eligibility Criteria

If you are an asylee, you may apply for a green card immediately after being granted asylum if you:

• Have been physically present in the United States for at least 1 year after being granted asylum;
• Continue to meet the definition of a asylee (or continue to be the spouse or child of such asylee);
• Have not abandoned your asylee status;
• Are not firmly resettled in any foreign country; and
• Continue to be admissible to the United States (A waiver may be available to you if you are now inadmissible).

Application Process

To apply for a green card, you must file the Form I-485 (link to: https://www.uscis.gov/i-485) , Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status.

Note: When your green card is granted, you (and your derivative family members) will have your date of adjustment of status rolled back 1 year from the date your green card is granted.

Supporting Evidence for Form I-485

If your asylum status is granted, you should file a Form I-485 with the following supporting documentation (in this order):

• Completed and signed Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
• Completed and signed Form I-693, Report of Medical Exam and Vaccination Record, if required. For more information, see

• • the Instructions for Form I-693
  • the Immigration Medical Examination
  • • Asylees must pay the Form I-485 application fee and the fingerprint fee
    • Applicants under the age of 14 do not need to submit a fingerprint fee
    • • Asylees may also submit a copy of their approval notice granting asylum or a copy of the immigration judge’s orders showing that you were granted asylum

      Note: You must submit any foreign language documents with a certified English translation. The translator must certify that he/she is competent to perform the translation and that the translation is accurate. Note that translations submitted without a legible copy of the foreign document are not sufficient.

      Family Members of Asylees

      The USCIS asylum program accepts new Form I-589 applications from derivative asylees (spouses or children of a principal asylee) who no longer meet the definition of a spouse or child of the principal asylee in order to provide such individuals with a way to become a permanent resident.

      Note : In certain cases, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) may allow you to retain the classification of “child” even if you have reached age 21. To determine if the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) applies to you, see our Child Status Protection Act page.

      Family Application Process

      You must prepare a separate Form I-485 application packet for yourself (the principal asylee) and for your spouse and each child who received derivative asylee status if they also want to obtain a green card.

      You may submit several different application packages in the same mailing package. To hold each application packet together, please use a single staple or a paper clip.

      Change of Address

      If your address changes, you must inform USCIS in writing within 10 days of moving.

      You may meet this requirement by:

      • Mailing Form AR-11 , Alien’s Change of Address Card, to the address on the form; or
      • Completing “Step 1” on the Online Change My Address form.

      You should NOT mail the AR-11 to the correct address AND complete the online change of address.

      While your asylum application is pending with the Asylum Office, you must ALSO notify the Asylum Office within 10 days after you change your address in one of the following ways:

      • Complete “step 2” of “on the online form (see the “Change My Address” page)
      • Mail an original or copy of Form AR-11 to the Asylum Office
      • Mail a letter with your old and new address information to the Asylum Office
      • Provide your new address to the Asylum Office in-person
      • Provide your new address to the asylum officer at your interview
      • Call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283

      Services

      • Asylum
        • Application Procedures For Your Child
        • Application Procedures For Your Spouse
        • Asylum and Withholding of Removal
        • Benefits and Responsibilities of Asylees
        • Convention Against Torture (CAT)
        • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (for DREAMers)
        • Discretionary Denial of Asylum
        • Effect of a Grant of Asylum or Withholding of Removal
        • Family of Refugees & Asylees
        • FAQ – Asylum and Withholding Of Removal
        • FAQ: Asylum Eligibility and Applications
        • Firm Resettlement
        • I-601 Hardship Waiver
        • I-601A, Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver
        • Ineligibility to Apply for Asylum
        • LGBT
        • Minor Children Applying for Asylum by Themselves
        • Nationality
        • Obtaining a Green Card For An Asylee
        • Obtaining an Employment Authorization Document After an Asylum Application
        • Obtaining Asylum in the United States
        • One Child Policy – PRC
        • Preparing For Asylum Interview
        • Procedure for Filing for Asylum or Withholding of Removal
        • Rescheduling Asylum Interview
        • The Two Paths to Obtaining Asylum in the United States
        • What is Credible Fear or Torture?
        • What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?
        • Who is Eligible for Asylum?
        • Who is Eligible for Withholding of Removal?
        • Who is Prohibited from Asylum and Withholding of Removal?
        • Avoiding Sanctions For I-9 Violations
        • Document Abuse and Anti-Discrimination
        • Government Resources for Employers
        • How Do I Complete a Form I-9?
        • How Do I Examine a Form I-9?
        • How Do I Prevent Discrimination as an Employer?
        • How Do I, the Employer, Examine Documents?
        • I-9 Audits: 7 Tips for Employers
        • What are Employee Rights?
        • What are Employer Penalties?
        • What are the Penalties for Form I-9 Violations?
        • What are the Pros and Cons of E-Verify Registration?
        • What Happens with a Form I-9 Audit?
        • What is E-Verify?
        • FAQ About Family Based Immigration
        • Adjustments of Status
          • 180 Day Portability Rule
            • 180 Day Portability Rule FAQs
            • Rules Governing I-485 Portability to a New Employer under AC21
            • The Impact of Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Filing on H-1 or L-1 Status
            • FAQ About Advance Parole
            • Aging Out in Consular Processing
            • Benefits of Consular Processing
            • Consular Processing vs. Adjustment of Status
            • FAQ About Consular Processing
            • Steps for Consular Processing
            • Appealing a Denied EAD Application
            • Applying For An EAD (Employment Authorization Document)
            • Documents Needed For Applying For An EAD
            • EAD and Labor Certification
            • EAD and Pending I-485 Status
            • Eligibility to Apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
            • Employed Without an Employment Authorization Document
            • FAQ for Employment Authorization Documents
            • Interim Employment Authorization Document
            • FAQs – 245(i)
            • Requirements to Claim the Benefits under Section 245(i)
            • Who Benefits from the Amendment to INA Section 245(i)?
            • Who is Not Protected under INA Section 245(i)?
            • Age Out Issues in Employment-Based Immigration
            • Age Out Issues under the Rule of Concurrent Filing and CSPA
            • Children of Asylum & Refugee Applicants
            • Children of Permanent Residents and Applicants for Permanent Residency
            • CSPA and Children of United States Citizen
            • Effective Date of the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)
            • The Child Citizenship Act of 2000
            • The Definition of a Child According to U.S. Immigration Law
            • Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Naturalized Citizens
            • (Non-Mexicans) Who Wish to Apply for Visas in Mexico
            • Change of Status
            • Conditions and Limitations of a Third Country Visa (TCV)
            • E-2 Investors
            • Extension of Stay
            • Third Country National (TCN) Processing of Nonimmigrant Visas in Canada and Mexico
            • Third Country Visa
            • Visa Delays
            • Child Citizenship Act of 2000
            • Definition of a Child according to U.S. Immigration Law
            • Dual Citizenship
            • FAQ – N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship
            • FAQ about Citizenship
            • Losing or Renouncing United States Citizenship
            • Naturalization
            • Naturalization Test Questions and Answers
            • Naturalization Through Military Service