Green Card for Refugees and Asylees

Family members who came as derivative refugees or asylees (spouse and unmarried children under 21) apply on their own I-485s. Some grounds of inadmissibility do not apply to refugees and asylees, and others can be waived for humanitarian reasons, family unity, or the public interest (Form I-602).

1. File Form I-485 after the 1-year mark, with proof of your status (usually your I-94) and a medical exam (Form I-693). Refugees generally need only the vaccination part of the exam if the overseas exam had no issues.
2. Attend biometrics. USCIS may interview you.
3. If approved, your green card is backdated: for refugees, to the date you arrived; for asylees, to 1 year before the approval date. That earlier date counts toward the 5 years before naturalization.

No Visa Bulletin wait applies. Congress removed the old 10,000-a-year cap on asylee green cards in 2005.

• Proof of your status: your I-94 showing refugee admission, or your asylum approval notice or immigration judge order.
• A passport, national ID, or other identity document, if you have one.
• Two passport-style photos.
• The medical exam form (Form I-693), or the vaccination record for refugees who qualify.
• Proof of 1 year of physical presence, such as leases, pay stubs, or school records, if USCIS asks.
• Certified court records for any arrest or charge, anywhere in the world.
• Form I-602 and supporting evidence if you need a waiver.

Keep copies of everything, and translate any document that is not in English.

Refugee and asylee green card cases have been affected by several 2026 actions:

How these rules apply can differ by nationality and case, and they continue to change. See travel ban and refugee cap 2026. The May 2026 USCIS adjustment memo is aimed at people in temporary visa status; refugee and asylee adjustment follows a separate section of the law (INA section 209). If your case is on hold or you receive a request to re-interview, speak to a licensed immigration lawyer or a nonprofit legal service.

Within 2 years of your admission as a refugee or your asylum grant, you can file Form I-730 for your spouse and unmarried children under 21 who were not included in your case. This "follow-to-join" process is separate from the green card. After you become a permanent resident you can also file Form I-130 for eligible relatives, and after you become a citizen, for more family members. Travel ban and consular interview restrictions apply to relatives abroad.

Before your green card, you need a Refugee Travel Document (Form I-131) to travel abroad and return. Travel to the country you fled can raise questions about whether you still need protection and may put your status at risk. After you get the green card, long trips abroad can still cause problems; see reentry permit.

• Refugees: the law requires you to apply after 1 year. A refugee who has not become a resident is expected to return to the Department of Homeland Security for inspection, so delaying can create problems.
• Asylees: asylum does not expire, but it can be ended if conditions change, for example if you go back to live in the country you fled. A green card gives you more secure status and a path to citizenship.
• Everyone: the sooner you become a resident, the sooner you can apply for citizenship and sponsor more relatives.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is different from asylum and does not lead to a green card by itself. If you have TPS, see TPS terminations and our humanitarian overview.

Many refugees and asylees qualify for free or low-cost help from nonprofit legal services and resettlement agencies. Only licensed lawyers and DOJ-accredited representatives can give immigration legal advice; learn how to verify a lawyer or representative and how to spot notario fraud. Get advice before you file if you have any criminal record, traveled back to your home country, or received a hold or re-interview notice.

Refugees do not pay the I-485 filing fee. Asylees should check the current fee on the USCIS fee schedule or with the fee calculator, because fee rules for humanitarian categories have changed in recent years. The medical exam is paid to the doctor. Fee waivers may be available for some forms; USCIS lists which forms qualify.