Asylee

#What this actually means

An asylee is someone who has been officially granted asylum in the United States. That means they applied for protection, went through the process, and a judge or USCIS officer agreed that they'd face persecution in their home country based on one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Being an asylee is a specific legal status. It's different from being an asylum seeker (someone who has applied but hasn't been approved yet) and different from being a refugee (someone granted protection before entering the U.S.).

#Why it matters

Once you're granted asylum, you get real, tangible benefits: you can live and work in the U.S. legally, you can apply for a Social Security number, and you can eventually apply for a green card. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may also qualify for asylee status as derivatives.

Asylum status also starts the clock on your path to permanent residency. You're required to apply for a green card one year after being granted asylum, and you're eligible for citizenship four years after that.

#Where this comes up

• Affirmative asylum applications filed with USCIS (no court proceedings).
• Defensive asylum claims raised during removal proceedings in immigration court.
• Green card applications one year after the asylum grant.
• Naturalization applications four years after getting the green card.

#Key things to know

• Asylum must be filed within one year of arriving in the U.S., with very limited exceptions.
• Asylee status can be terminated if conditions in your home country change significantly or if the government discovers fraud in your application.
• Asylees can travel internationally, but traveling back to the country you fled can jeopardize your status. If you go back, the government may argue you weren't really in danger.
• You'll need a Refugee Travel Document to travel abroad — don't use your old passport from the country you claimed persecution in.