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Legal Information: Federal

Immigration

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Updated: 
December 17, 2020

What are the benefits of asylum status?

If your asylum application is approved, you will be allowed to live and work legally in the U.S.1 You will be able to apply for lawful permanent residence (a “green card”) after you have been in asylum status in the U.S. for one year.2 Unfortunately, you will not qualify for public benefits.

Note: When you apply for a green card (permanent residence), your spouse and children are also eligible to apply for a green card if they were admitted to the United States as asylees following your grant of asylum, or if they were already in the U.S. with you and were included in your grant of asylum.3

For a more complete list of benefits, you can go to the USCIS website’s “Benefits and Responsibilities of Asylees” page.

1USCIS website
2 INA § 209(b); 8 USC § 1159(b); 8 CFR § 209.2(a)(1)(ii)
3 USCIS website