Millions of children, women and men around the world flee their home countries to rebuild their lives. They might be refugees from armed conflict, human rights violations including torture, or economic crises such as severe hunger or extreme poverty. They may also be persecuted because of their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or political opinions.
Asylum gives protection from removal (deportation) to the country in which they fear persecution. The United States grants asylum to people who have fled their homelands because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. People granted asylum are called asylees and are allowed to live in the United States permanently. However, they can’t be returned to their home countries unless the situation in those countries changes so that they no longer fear persecution or harm.
A person is eligible for asylum if she can prove the following:
The persecution she fears is based on her religion, political opinion, race, nationality, or membership in a particular social group. For example, women from certain cultures are subject to female genital cutting which can be considered persecution under international refugee law. France, Canada and the United States have changed their immigration policies to allow women who are subject to this form of persecution to be granted asylum or a stay of deportation.
If a person is granted asylum, she can begin working immediately. USCIS doesn’t require that asylees obtain Employment Authorization Documents (work permit cards), but many do for convenience and identification purposes. After one year, asylees can apply to adjust their status to legal permanent residence (green card) with CIS. They can sponsor spouses, minor children and unmarried adult sons or daughters for green cards.