Title: Asylum or Refugee Status: Who Is Eligible? | Nolo
Headings: Asylum or Refugee Status: Who Is Eligible?
Asylum or Refugee Status: Who Is Eligible?
If you've fled your home country and are afraid to go back, you might qualify for asylum or refugee status in the U.S.
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What Is Persecution?
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If You Think You're Eligible for Asylum

Content: That number went to record lows during the Trump Administration, though the Biden Administration has pledged to raise it. People who have already made it to the U.S. border or the interior (perhaps by using a visa or by entering illegally) can, in theory, apply for asylum status. This also became much more difficult under the Trump Administration, owing to ever-changing policies such as " Wait in Mexico. " Then later, following the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Trump Administration extended a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Order giving permission to border agents to expel anyone who arrived without an entry visa or permission, without conducting interviews to see whether they have a credible fear of persecution. Litigation on these matters is ongoing, and again the Biden Harris Administration is working to undo the damage. Once a person is granted, both refugee and asylee statuses allow staying in the United States indefinitely. Asylees and refugees are given permission to work and are allowed to apply for a green card within one year of either entering the United States as a refugee or being approved for asylum. But not everyone qualifies for asylum or refugee status. You must meet some strict requirements, as described in this article. In particular, you must show two things: