How to Apply for an Adjustment of Status as an Asylee

If you are an asylee, you can apply for adjustment of status. You can apply to adjust to permanent resident status or register for permanent residence.

Application

To apply as an asylee, you must have been granted asylum and you must have been physically present in the US for one year after the grant of asylum. The application must be made on USCIS Form I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

Evidence  

You must attach a copy of the letter or Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record showing the date on which you were granted asylum. If you have ever been arrested, you must submit original papers of your arrest and the result of your arrest – conviction or acquittal. If you were convicted, you must submit evidence that you completed your sentence. If your arrest was expunged, you must provide a court certified copy of the expungement order. Where the offence charged is a traffic offence that did not involve an arrest and the penalty was less than $500 and did not involve drug or alcohol, you need not submit any documentation. You must submit your birth certificate or other permissible secondary evidence - church records, school records, census records and affidavits. If you have obtained a non-immigrant US visa, you must submit a copy of the page(s) of your passport containing the visa. Your application must be accompanied by two identical color photographs. You must also under a medical examination by a designated civil surgeon and submit the medical report on Form I-693 Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Report along with your application. If you are between 14 and 79 years of age, you must also submit a completed Form G-325A Biographic Information.

Processing

The completed Form I-485 must be filed with the USCIS office having jurisdiction over your place of residence in the US. You must pay an application fee of $930 by check. Applicant aged 14 and over must also pay a biometric fee of $80. You can pay both fees with a single check. The USCIS will inform you the time and location of your fingerprinting. Incomplete applications will be returned. The USCIS may contact you for more information or call you for an interview. You will be notified in writing by the USCIS about its decision on your application. If you leave the US before the USCIS decision without advance parole, your application will be deemed abandoned.

Getting legal help

If you want to apply for adjustment of status as an asylee, consult with an experienced US immigration attorney. The attorney can assist you with the process.