What Documents Do You Need After Asylum Is Granted?
Getting an asylum approval can feel like the end of a very long journey. But in reality, an asylum grant is also the beginning of a new stage of your immigration process.
After asylum is granted, you may need to collect, update, or apply for several important documents. These documents can help you prove your immigration status, work legally, obtain or update your Social Security record, travel outside the United States when appropriate, and eventually apply for a Green Card.
The exact documents you receive depend on whether your asylum was granted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or by an Immigration Judge.
Here is a practical guide to the documents you should know about after asylum is granted.
1. Your Asylum Approval Notice or Immigration Judge's Order
The first document you should protect is the document showing that your asylum was granted.
If USCIS approved your asylum application, you may receive an asylum approval notice. If an Immigration Judge granted asylum, the judge's written order is an important record of the grant.
Keep the original document in a safe place and make several secure copies.
This document can be particularly important when you later apply for other immigration benefits or need to demonstrate that you have been granted asylum.
For example, USCIS's Form I-485 instructions specifically state that an asylee should submit evidence of asylum status, such as a USCIS asylum approval notice or an Immigration Court order granting asylum, when applying for adjustment of status.
2. Form I-94 Showing Asylum Status
Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, is another important document for many asylees.
When asylum is granted through Immigration Court and the decision becomes administratively final, USCIS generally issues documentation of asylum status, including a Form I-94 with an asylum stamp.
USCIS explains that if an Immigration Judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals grants asylum and the decision becomes final, USCIS generally creates and mails the documentation to the address provided to the court.
If the required documentation has not arrived after the applicable waiting period, USCIS provides instructions for contacting the agency.
An I-94 showing asylum status can also be useful as evidence of your immigration status when dealing with other government agencies.
3. Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
Many people are surprised to learn that an asylee does not need an EAD simply to have authorization to work.
Once asylum has been granted, an asylee is authorized to work in the United States based on the asylum status itself.
However, USCIS generally issues an Employment Authorization Document to asylees, usually under category A05.
This is different from the C08 category commonly associated with an asylum application that is still pending.
The distinction matters.
A person with a pending asylum application may have employment authorization based on the pending application. A person whose asylum has actually been granted has a different immigration status and employment authorization basis.
The Social Security Administration recognizes an unexpired Form I-766 showing category A5/A05 as evidence of asylee status.
If you were granted asylum by an Immigration Judge and your expected documentation or EAD does not arrive, you should follow the current USCIS post-order instructions rather than simply assuming that another application is required.
4. Social Security Card
If you already have a Social Security number, you may need to update your Social Security record after asylum is granted.
If you did not previously have an SSN, an asylee may generally apply for one using acceptable evidence of identity and asylum status.
The Social Security Administration specifically recognizes documents such as:
Form I-94 showing asylum granted;
an appropriate Form I-797 with the relevant I-94;
an EAD showing category A5/A05; or
an Immigration Judge's order granting asylum, subject to the applicable verification requirements.
One useful change after asylum is granted is that SSA treats an asylee as having permanent employment authorization for purposes of issuing the appropriate Social Security card.
This is important because a Social Security card issued before asylum may contain a restriction relating to DHS work authorization. After asylum is granted, you may be eligible for an unrestricted Social Security card, depending on your circumstances and SSA's verification of your status.
5. A Valid Passport or Other Identity Document
Your passport is not proof that asylum was granted, but it can still be an important identity document.
You should keep copies of:
your current passport;
expired passports containing relevant immigration history;
birth certificate, if available;
national identity documents, where applicable;
previous immigration documents; and
your asylum-related documents.
However, people granted asylum should be particularly careful about obtaining or using their home country's passport.
The fact that you have asylum does not automatically mean that every interaction with your country's government is harmless to your immigration status. Depending on the circumstances, obtaining protection from or voluntarily returning to the country from which you claimed persecution can raise serious immigration questions.
If you are considering renewing or obtaining a passport from your country of nationality, it is wise to obtain individualized legal advice first.
6. Refugee Travel Document
If you want to travel outside the United States after receiving asylum, a Refugee Travel Document can become one of the most important documents you need to consider.
An asylee generally uses Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, to apply for a Refugee Travel Document.
USCIS explains that refugees and asylees who want to travel internationally should obtain a Refugee Travel Document before leaving the United States.
The document is designed to facilitate travel and return to the United States, but it does not itself guarantee admission. You remain subject to inspection by U.S. immigration authorities when you return.
Travel also requires special caution for an asylee.
Returning to the country from which you claimed persecution can potentially create serious questions about whether you still need U.S. protection. Depending on the facts, travel to the country of claimed persecution can have consequences for asylum status or later immigration benefits.
For that reason, international travel after asylum should not be treated like an ordinary vacation-planning decision.
7. Documents for Your Green Card Application
An asylum grant is not the same thing as receiving a Green Card.
A person granted asylum may generally become eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence after meeting the applicable requirements, including the required period of physical presence in the United States.
When you eventually file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, USCIS requires evidence supporting the asylum-based adjustment application.
Important documents can include:
evidence of your asylum grant;
identity documents;
passport-style photographs, when required;
immigration records;
evidence concerning your physical presence;
required medical examination documentation, when applicable;
documentation concerning family members, when applicable; and
other evidence requested by the Form I-485 instructions.
The exact evidence depends on your circumstances, so you should always use the current USCIS Form I-485 instructions when preparing the application.
8. Documents for Your Spouse or Children
If you were the principal asylum applicant and your spouse or unmarried children under 21 were not included with you in the United States, you may have another important immigration option.
A principal asylee may generally use Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, for qualifying family members.
There is an important time limit.
Current USCIS Form I-730 instructions generally require the petition to be filed within two years after the principal applicant's asylum grant, although USCIS may waive that limitation for humanitarian reasons.
Therefore, newly granted asylees should not simply put family immigration paperwork aside for several years.
If your spouse or qualifying children are outside the United States, preserving marriage certificates, birth certificates, passports, identity records, and other relationship evidence can be very important.
9. Keep Your Immigration File Together
One of the smartest things an asylee can do after approval is create a permanent immigration file.
Your file can contain:
Asylum approval notice or Immigration Judge order
Form I-94
EAD, if issued
Social Security card and SSN records
Passport and identity documents
Birth certificate
Marriage certificate, if applicable
Children's birth certificates, if applicable
Form I-730 records, if filed
Form I-485 records when you later apply for permanent residence
Refugee Travel Document and previous travel records
USCIS receipt notices and correspondence
Immigration Court and BIA decisions, if applicable
Copies of previously filed immigration forms
Do not rely only on physical documents.
Keep secure digital copies as well. Immigration cases can last for years, and documents that seem unimportant today may become extremely useful when you apply for permanent residence or citizenship later.
10. What If You Were Granted Asylum by an Immigration Judge?
This is an especially important situation.
If an Immigration Judge grants asylum, you should determine whether the decision is administratively final.
USCIS states that when an Immigration Judge or the BIA grants asylum and the decision becomes final, USCIS generally creates and mails documentation of the asylum status.
If 45 days have passed after the decision became administratively final and you have not received the expected documentation, USCIS provides instructions for contacting its Contact Center.
Do not assume that you need to file a completely new asylum application merely because you have not yet received the physical documentation.
Instead, first determine the status of the court decision and follow the current USCIS post-order instructions.
11. What If Your Name or Address Changes?
After asylum is granted, keeping your government records consistent is extremely important.
If you move, make sure the appropriate immigration agencies have your current address. USCIS emphasizes the importance of keeping the mailing address updated because important immigration documents may be sent by mail.
A mismatch between your address, immigration records, Social Security records, and other official documents can create unnecessary problems.
Similarly, if you legally change your name, keep the court order or other legal documentation proving the change.
12. Documents You Should Not Throw Away
Even after asylum has been granted, do not throw away the documents from your original asylum case.
Keep copies of:
Form I-589;
asylum interview notices;
USCIS notices;
biometrics notices;
Immigration Court documents;
BIA decisions, if applicable;
evidence submitted in support of the asylum claim;
prior EADs;
previous I-94 records;
passports containing immigration history; and
correspondence from USCIS, EOIR, DHS, or the Department of State.
Some of these documents may become relevant years later when you apply for a Green Card or U.S. citizenship.
A Simple Post-Asylum Document Checklist
After asylum is granted, check whether you have the following:
☐ Asylum approval notice or Immigration Judge's order
☐ Form I-94 showing asylum status, where applicable
☐ A05/A5 EAD, if issued
☐ Social Security card
☐ Passport and identity documents
☐ Birth certificate
☐ Marriage and children's birth certificates, if applicable
☐ Refugee Travel Document, if international travel is needed
☐ Copies of Form I-589 and supporting documents
☐ Immigration Court/BIA records, if applicable
☐ USCIS notices and correspondence
☐ Documents needed for a future Form I-485 application
☐ Form I-730 records, if family members qualify
Conclusion
Receiving asylum is a major immigration milestone, but it is not the point where you should stop paying attention to your documents.
Your asylum approval, I-94, EAD, Social Security record, travel documentation, family petitions, and eventual Green Card application can all become important parts of your immigration history.
The safest approach is to keep a complete immigration file and use the current USCIS and government instructions whenever you apply for a new benefit.
Most importantly, do not assume that every person granted asylum has exactly the same paperwork. The documents you need can differ depending on whether asylum was granted by USCIS or an Immigration Judge, whether you already have an SSN or EAD, whether you have qualifying family members, and whether you plan to travel or apply for permanent residence.
Official Sources
USCIS — Immigration Benefits in EOIR Proceedings: USCIS official guidance
USCIS — Form I-485 Instructions: Form I-485 Instructions
USCIS — Form I-730 Instructions: Form I-730 Instructions
USCIS — Refugee Travel Document information: USCIS travel-document guidance
Social Security Administration — Evidence of Asylee Status: SSA guidance for asylees
Disclaimer
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. U.S. immigration law and government procedures can change, and individual cases may have different requirements. For advice about a particular asylum, immigration, travel, family-petition, or adjustment-of-status case, consult a qualified U.S. immigration attorney or an accredited representative.
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