Asylum Benefits

You are authorized to work in the United States for as long as you remain in asylum status. Your dependents listed above are also authorized to work in the United States so long as they retain derivative asylum status. To obtain a photo-identity document from the INS evidencing your employment authorization, you and your dependents listed above must each apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). You are not required to pay a fee with your initial request for an EAD. However, when you submit an application to renew your EAD, you must pay a fee or request a fee waiver under 8 C.F.R. 103.7(c). To apply for an EAD, submit a separate Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for each qualifying family member to the Nebraska Service Center, P.O. Box 87765, Lincoln, NE 68501-7765.

You may immediately apply for an unrestricted Social Security card at any Social Security office. To get an Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5) or to get more information about applying for a Social Security card use www.ssa.gov on the Internet, call the toll free number 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local Social Security office. When you go to a Social Security office to apply for a Social Security card, you must take your I-94 card showing you have been granted asylum status. If available, you should also take some kind of identity document, such as an EAD or your passport. For directions to the Social Security office nearest you, call the SSA toll-free number or visit the website listed above.

You are eligible to receive a variety of services under Title I or the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Such services include job search assistance, career counseling, and occupational skills training. These and other services are available at local One-Stop Career Centers. To obtain information about the Center nearest you, please call 1-877-US2-JOBS. The information is also available online through America’s Service Locator at www.servicelocator.org.

You may request derivative asylum status for any spouse or child (unmarried and under 21 years of age) who is not included in this decision and with whom you have a qualifying relationship. To request derivative asylum status, you must submit a Form I-730, Refugee and Asylum Relative Petition, to the Nebraska Service Center, P.O. Box 87730, Lincoln, NE 68501-7730. The Form I-730 must be filed for each qualifying family member within 2 years of the date you were granted asylum status, unless the INS determines that this time period should be extended for humanitarian reasons.

You may apply for lawful permanent resident status under section 209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act after you have been physically present in the United States for a period of one year after the date you were granted asylum status. To apply for lawful permanent residence status, you must submit a separate Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, for yourself and each qualifying family member to the Nebraska Service Center, P.O. Box 87485, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68501-7485. If you have a child who turns 21 years old prior to the completion of the adjustment process, you should contact the asylum office with jurisdiction over your case for additional instructions regarding the adjustment process.

You may be eligible to receive assistance and services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). ORR funds and administers various programs, which are run by state and private, non-profit agencies throughout the U.S. The programs include cash and medical assistance, employment preparation and job placement, and English Language training. Many of these programs have time limited eligibility periods that begin from the date of your grant of asylum. Therefore, if you wish to seek assistance, it is important that you do so as soon as possible after receipt of this letter. To find out what programs are available and where to go for assistance and services in your state, you may sign on to the ORR website at Programs | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov).