Benefits and Responsibilities of Asylees
Obtaining Employment Authorization and Assistance
Asylees are authorized to work in the United States regardless of whether or not they are in possession of an employment authorization document (EAD). However, an asylee may want to obtain an EAD in order to meet other obligations. For example, the EAD, which is evidence of both identity and employment authorization, can be presented to an employer as a List A document of the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (Form I-9). The EAD can also serve as evidence of alien registration, which is required by law to be carried by registered aliens at all times.
Since October 1, 2006, the Asylum Division generates and issues secure Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to applicants who are granted asylum. Asylees will receive the secure Form I-766 EAD card in the mail within seven to ten days after the date they are issued their asylum approval letters. The Form I-766 EAD will be issued for a 2-year validity period. This will provide most asylees sufficient time to apply for and receive adjustment of status before the validity period of the EAD expires. Asylees who do not receive their card within ten days should contact the Asylum Office that adjudicated their case.
An asylee is also eligible to receive a variety of services under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Such services include job search assistance, career counseling, and occupational skills training. These and other services are available at local One-Stop Career Centers. To obtain more information about One-Stop Career Centers, asylees may call 1-877-US2-JOBS. The information is also available on-line by clicking on the America’s Service Locator link to the right.
Obtaining a Social Security Card
An asylee may immediately apply for an unrestricted Social Security card at any Social Security office. The asylee can get an Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5) or more information about applying for a Social Security card by going to the Social Security Administration website listed under Related Links, calling the toll-free number 1-800-772-1213, or visiting a local Social Security office.
Derivative Asylum Status
An asylee may request derivative asylum status for any spouse or child (unmarried and under 21 years of age as of the date the asylee filed the asylum application, as long as the asylum application was pending on or after August 6, 2002) who is not included in the asylum decision and with whom the asylee has a qualifying relationship. To request derivative asylum status, the asylee must submit a Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, to the appropriate USCIS Service Center based on the applicant’s state of residence in the U.S. The Form I-730 must be filed for each qualifying family member within two years of the date the asylee was granted asylum, unless USCIS determines that this time period should be extended for humanitarian reasons. For more information about benefits for family members of asylees, click on the “Securing Immigration Benefits for Spouses and Children of Asylees” link on the right. Those already granted asylum or refugee status may obtain more information on how to get derivative asylum status for spouses or children by clicking on "How Do I" Guides for Refugees and Asylees under Related Links and then choosing “How Do I Help My Relative Get Refugee or Asylee Status in the United States?”
Adjustment of Status
An asylee may apply for lawful permanent resident status under section 209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act after the asylee has been physically present in the United States for a period of one year after the date he or she was granted asylum status. To apply for lawful permanent residence status, the asylee must submit a separate Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, for himself or herself and each qualifying family member. More information can be found by clicking on “Asylee or Refugee Adjustment to Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Status” under Related Links or by clicking on "How Do I" Guides for Refugees and Asylees and then choosing “How Do I Become a Permanent Resident of the United States?”
Assistance and Services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
An asylee may be eligible to receive assistance and services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). ORR funds and administers various programs, which are run by state and private, non-profit agencies throughout the United States. The programs include cash and medical assistance, employment preparation and job placement, and English language training. Many of these programs have time-limited eligibility periods that begin from the date the asylee is granted asylum. An asylee can find out what programs are available and where to go for assistance and services in his or her state by calling 1-800-354-0365. For more information about possible benefits, see the website of the Office of Refugee Resettlement under Related Links.
Travel Documents
Asylees are subject to special rules with regard to traveling outside the United States. If an asylee plans to depart the United States, he or she generally must obtain permission to return to the United States before departure by obtaining a Refugee Travel Document (RTD). The asylee’s qualifying family members, if any, will also have to obtain refugee travel documents before leaving the United States. An RTD may be used for temporary travel abroad and is required for readmission to the United States as an asylee. If an asylee does not obtain an RTD in advance of departure, he or she may be unable to re-enter the United States or may be placed in removal proceedings before an Immigration Judge. To apply for an RTD, an asylee will need to submit a Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, with the required fee or request for fee waiver under 8 CFR § 103.7(c) to the proper location. For more information about refugee travel documents, click on "How Do I" Guides for Refugees and Asylees under Related Links and then choose “How Do I Get A Refugee Travel Document?” Additional information can also be found by clicking on the Fact Sheet, “Traveling Outside the United States as an Asylum Applicant, an Asylee, or a Lawful Permanent Resident Who Obtained Such Status Based on Asylum Status”, listed under Related Links.
Change of Address
Asylees are required to notify USCIS of any change in address within 10 days of any such change using Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card. For more information on how to change your address, see “How Do I Change My Address with USCIS?” under Related Links.
Selective Service Registration
All male asylees between the ages of 18 and 26 must register for the Selective Service. To obtain information about the Selective Service and how to register, an asylee may visit the Selective Service website listed under Related Links or obtain a Selective Service “mail-back” registration form at his or her nearest post office.
