Who Is Eligible to Apply for Asylum?
To apply for asylum in the United States, you must meet certain criteria:
Fear of Persecution: You must have a well-founded fear of persecution in your home country. This persecution must be based on one or more of the following protected grounds:
Race
Religion
Nationality
Political opinion
Membership in a particular social group
Presence in the United States: You can apply for asylum if you are physically present in the United States or arriving at a U.S. port of entry. Unlike other forms of immigration relief, it doesn’t matter whether you entered the country legally or illegally; you can still file for asylum.
One-Year Filing Deadline: In general, you must file your asylum application within one year of your arrival in the United States. There are exceptions to this rule if there are significant changes in your circumstances or if extraordinary situations prevented you from filing on time.
Persecution by Government or Non-State Actors: The persecution you fear must come from either your home country’s government or non-state actors that the government cannot or will not control, such as extremist groups or militia.
