Can you visit your home country if you get asylum?
James Williams
Published Apr 09, 2026
Asylees can travel outside the United States with refugee travel documents. It is essential that the asylee not return to her home country until she has become a U.S. citizen and can travel with a U.S. passport. Asylees must only travel with a United States issued Refugee Travel Document.
Can I apply for refugee from my home country?
When people flee their own country and seek sanctuary in another country, they can apply for asylum – the right to be recognized as a refugee and receive legal protection. An asylum seeker must demonstrate that his or her fear of persecution in the home country is well-founded.
Can you apply for asylum outside the country?
Unfortunately, the simple answer to can you apply for asylum outside the U.S. is no. You can’t apply for asylum from outside of the United States.
Can an asylum applicant travel?
Technically, asylum applicants CAN travel outside the U.S., but it’s usually not a good idea. If you decide to travel anyways, you will need to submit Form I-131, Application for Travel Document to USCIS in order to receive “advance parole” (permission to reenter the U.S. before your application is approved).
Who can provide an asylum?
Article 1(1) of the Declaration on Territorial Asylum states that a state can grant asylum by exercising its sovereign power to an individual who invokes his/her right under Article 14 of UDHR.
Can you cancel an asylum application?
Yes. Unless you have obtained a “green card” or lawful permanent resident status, you could lose your asylum status as well as the derivative asylum status given to your spouse and children if: The U.S. government has evidence that there was fraud in your asylum application.
What are the rules for asylum?
To be granted asylum, a person must demonstrate that he or she is a “refugee,” that he or she is not barred from asylum for any of the reasons listed in our immigration laws, and that the decision-maker should grant asylum as a matter of discretion.
How asylum works in the US?
Asylum has two basic requirements. First, asylum applicants must establish that they fear persecution in their home country. Second, applicants must prove that they would be persecuted on account of at least one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or particular social group.
Can asylum seekers bring family?
Unfortunately, asylum seekers are not able to bring family members to the U.S. until after they receive asylum. If you are granted asylum, you may bring qualifying children and your spouse to the United States by filing an I-730 petition.
Asylees can travel outside the United States with refugee travel documents. It is essential that the asylee not return to her home country until she has become a U.S. citizen and can travel with a U.S. passport.
Do immigrants have to seek asylum in the first country they come to?
To avoid abuses, European law, the Dublin Regulation, requires that asylum seekers have their asylum claim registered in the first country they arrive in, and that the decision of the first EU country they apply in, is the final decision in all EU countries.
Can I lose my asylum status?
Yes. Once your application for asylum has been accepted and you officially receive protection from persecution in the United States, you are classified as an “asylee.” The U.S. government can terminate or revoke this status in certain circumstances. You voluntarily went back to the country where you feared persecution.
How long does it take for asylee to get citizenship?
5 years
Refugees and asylees may apply for naturalization 5 years after the date of their admission to lawful permanent residence.
What is the difference between refugee and asylum?
A person who requests asylum in the United States is called an asylee. A person who requests protection while still overseas, and then is given permission to enter the U.S. as a refugee, is naturally called a refugee. A person who requests asylum in the United States is called an asylee.
Is a refugee the same as an asylum seeker?
Definition: An asylum seeker is someone who claims to be a refugee but whose claim hasn’t been evaluated. Someone is an asylum seeker for so long as their application is pending. So not every asylum seeker will be recognised as a refugee, but every refugee is initially an asylum seeker.
Can I get married while my asylum is pending?
Sometimes while people are here in the United States with a pending asylum case, they fall in love and get married. If that happens, in most situations, the person can get a green card based on that marriage if it is a valid marriage. That’s, of course, the number one thing, the marriage has to be valid.
Can you travel to a country where you have an asylum case?
The biggest travel “don’t” for asylum applicants is returning to the country where you have indicated that you fear persecution.
What are the requirements to win an asylum case?
To win an “Asylum” case, you need to show that there’s at least a ten percent chance that the government will harm you in your home country. These are the other important requirements to win a case for “Asylum:”. • You must show that the harm you would face or have faced in your home country is very serious.
When to apply for asylum in the United States?
You may apply for asylum regardless of your immigration status and within one year of your arrival to the United States. Filed your application after being in the United States for more than one year. However, you may qualify for an exception if you show extraordinary circumstances relating to your delay in filing.
What happens if you leave the United States without asylum?
You may not be able to return to the United States if you leave the country without permission while your asylum petition is still pending, or you may lose your asylee status if you travel to the country of claimed persecution.