Submitting the Application

What? Submit three copies of your full application: one original and two copies of all documents. If you are including application for family members, only one application for each is needed. Keep at least one copy of your application for your own records.

Where? The address to mail your full asylum application varies based on what state and part of the United States you live in. Please refer to page 10 of the I-589 instructions to find your correct mailing address. You can also find the location of your nearest Asylum Office here.

Another useful resource when deciding on what asylum office to submit your application to is this Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin. Maintained by USCIS, this table that provides approximate time frames for USCIS’ Asylum Division. This table applies only to those asylum applicants who are not minors (those over 18 years of age) and those who have not had their asylum interview rescheduled.

The table lists approximately when the asylum offices are currently scheduling asylum interviews for these applications. This system provides these asylum applicants an estimate, not a guarantee, for when they might expect their interview to be scheduled.

Is there a fee? There is no fee to submit the I-589 Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal. A lawyer may charge for their services, and you must pay postage to mail your application. However, there is no filing fee. NOTE: there is an ongoing USCIS review of their filing fee schedule; USCIS may make changes in the near future, so please do monitor their website.

See Interview and Next Steps for what to expect after submitting your application.