What should I do after receiving Asylum granted status?
Steps after you have been granted asylum status (winning a trial/interview)
If you have been granted asylum status by an immigration court decision, look at the end of the decision to see if there is a deadline to file an appeal. If it says "Appeal Waived," you do not have to wait for anything. If it says "Appeal Due" with a date when the decision will take effect, you can proceed to the next steps after that date.
1. Obtain a Form I-94 after you have been granted asylum
This form is proof of your legal status and may be required by the DMV, insurance companies, SSA office and other organizations.
To get a Form I-94, you will need to make an appointment at your local USCIS office. To do so, call the USCIS call center at 800-375-5283 or contact a staff member via Emma chat on the USCIS website. Ask the staff member for an Info pass appointment. The staff member will accept your appointment request and tell you to expect a call back within 2 weeks. When you receive a call, you will be given the address of the nearest office, the date and time of your visit. On the specified visit day, bring your original court order, ID and 2 passport size photos. At the local office, you will receive an application for Form I-94. Some offices may issue the Form I-94 the same day, while others may tell you that your application has been accepted and you must wait for your next appointment to receive the completed Form I-94. If you were not issued a Form I-94 the first time and it has been more than 2 months, you may schedule another appointment at the same office. When you visit again, tell them that you have been waiting for more than 2 months and you need this form as soon as possible for other paperwork. This may speed up the process of getting your I-94 form.
If you received your asylum status after your USCIS interview, the Form I-94 will be mailed to you.
2. Obtaining/Replacing a Social Security Number (SSN)
Even if you have previously received an SSN with restrictions (Valid for work only with DHS authorization), you must replace it with an SSN without restrictions or inscriptions. The SSN number itself will not change.
Use the maps to locate a Social Security Administration office and select the office closest to you. Call the number listed and schedule an appointment to process your SSN.
On the day of your visit, you must bring:
If you do not have a Form I-94 when you visit the SSA office and the employee refuses to accept your documents, persistently ask to call the general manager and tell them that you already have status under the court order and they are required to accept your documents under that order. More experienced managers already know this or will be able to verify this information and help you send your documents without having an I-94 form.
3. Travel Document
If you plan to travel outside the U.S., you will need to apply for Form I-131 for a Refugee Travel Document. It is recommended that you apply for this document early, as the current processing time for travel document applications can be about a year. The travel document is valid for 1 year. After the expiration date you can reapply for a travel document. And so on until you receive your US passport.
Some countries accept this document and do not require a visa. Check the website of the embassy of the country you plan to travel to to see if they accept the U.S. Refugee Travel Document or if you need a visa to enter.
4. Applying for a green card
You can apply for a green card on Form I-485 almost as soon as you receive your status. You can see the changes as of February 2023 here.
5. Applying for U.S. Citizenship
You may apply for U.S. citizenship on Form N-400 after 4 years from the date the I-485 green card application was approved. This date will appear on the Approval Notice when your green card is approved.
If you have been granted asylum status by an immigration court decision, look at the end of the decision to see if there is a deadline to file an appeal. If it says "Appeal Waived," you do not have to wait for anything. If it says "Appeal Due" with a date when the decision will take effect, you can proceed to the next steps after that date.
1. Obtain a Form I-94 after you have been granted asylum
This form is proof of your legal status and may be required by the DMV, insurance companies, SSA office and other organizations.
To get a Form I-94, you will need to make an appointment at your local USCIS office. To do so, call the USCIS call center at 800-375-5283 or contact a staff member via Emma chat on the USCIS website. Ask the staff member for an Info pass appointment. The staff member will accept your appointment request and tell you to expect a call back within 2 weeks. When you receive a call, you will be given the address of the nearest office, the date and time of your visit. On the specified visit day, bring your original court order, ID and 2 passport size photos. At the local office, you will receive an application for Form I-94. Some offices may issue the Form I-94 the same day, while others may tell you that your application has been accepted and you must wait for your next appointment to receive the completed Form I-94. If you were not issued a Form I-94 the first time and it has been more than 2 months, you may schedule another appointment at the same office. When you visit again, tell them that you have been waiting for more than 2 months and you need this form as soon as possible for other paperwork. This may speed up the process of getting your I-94 form.
If you received your asylum status after your USCIS interview, the Form I-94 will be mailed to you.
2. Obtaining/Replacing a Social Security Number (SSN)
Even if you have previously received an SSN with restrictions (Valid for work only with DHS authorization), you must replace it with an SSN without restrictions or inscriptions. The SSN number itself will not change.
Use the maps to locate a Social Security Administration office and select the office closest to you. Call the number listed and schedule an appointment to process your SSN.
On the day of your visit, you must bring:
- a completed Form SS5
- a copy of the court order/interview
- passport or driver's license (ID)
- form I-94
If you do not have a Form I-94 when you visit the SSA office and the employee refuses to accept your documents, persistently ask to call the general manager and tell them that you already have status under the court order and they are required to accept your documents under that order. More experienced managers already know this or will be able to verify this information and help you send your documents without having an I-94 form.
3. Travel Document
If you plan to travel outside the U.S., you will need to apply for Form I-131 for a Refugee Travel Document. It is recommended that you apply for this document early, as the current processing time for travel document applications can be about a year. The travel document is valid for 1 year. After the expiration date you can reapply for a travel document. And so on until you receive your US passport.
Some countries accept this document and do not require a visa. Check the website of the embassy of the country you plan to travel to to see if they accept the U.S. Refugee Travel Document or if you need a visa to enter.
4. Applying for a green card
You can apply for a green card on Form I-485 almost as soon as you receive your status. You can see the changes as of February 2023 here.
5. Applying for U.S. Citizenship
You may apply for U.S. citizenship on Form N-400 after 4 years from the date the I-485 green card application was approved. This date will appear on the Approval Notice when your green card is approved.