Seeking asylum in the United States can be a long, difficult, and confusing process. Even if you have a lawyer to represent you, navigating the asylum system can be a challenge. Asylum law expert Jason Dzubow has helped hundreds of people obtain protection in the United States. Since 2010, he has been writing about asylum issues and answering questions on his blog The Asylumist. In this new book, The Asylumist: How to Seek Asylum in the United States and Keep Your Sanity, Mr. Dzubow has collected his most helpful and popular blog posts, updated them, and sorted them by topic.
This book covers issues such as presenting an effective application for asylum and avoiding common pitfalls, alternative paths to obtaining legal status in the United States, how to work effectively with a lawyer, and how to find a pro bono (free) attorney to assist with your case. The Asylumist walks you step-by-step through the process at the Asylum Office, the Immigration Court, and the Board of Immigration Appeals, and helps you better understand such issues as traveling outside the U.S. while your case is pending or after asylum is granted, working with an interpreter, and how to deal with delay.
Mr. Dzubow also provides advice for lawyers interested in an asylum law career and discusses how the Biden Administration can improve our nation’s dysfunctional asylum system.
Whether you are thinking about filing for asylum or already have a case pending before the Asylum Office or the Immigration Court, The Asylumist: How to Seek Asylum in the United States and Keep Your Sanity will help you better understand the process and will empower you to present the best possible application for protection in the United States.
To learn more or purchase a copy of the book (paperback or e-book), please visit The Asylumist: How to Seek Asylum in the United States and Keep Your Sanity.
For media inquiries, please contact Mr. Dzubow by text message at (202) 468-0415 (note that I do not check voice messages on this number; only texts).
All profits from this book will be donated to asylum-related non-profits.
Praise for The Asylumist: How to Seek Asylum in the United States and Keep Your Sanity
“[A]n essential ‘problem-solving tool’ for asylum applicants, attorneys, policy makers, and anyone interested in ensuring that asylum seekers obtain the protection that they need and deserve….” Paul Wickham Schmidt, Former Chair, Board of Immigration Appeals
“Jason Dzubow is a thoughtful and balanced voice…. he offers pragmatic advice and valuable insights on asylum and many other issues in the immigration arena.” MaryBeth Keller, Former Chief Immigration Judge of the United States
“Providing life-saving information to asylum seekers…. Accessible and easy to digest….” Léonce Byimana, Executive Director, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International
“Jason’s clear, practical, and often-times-entertaining approach to explaining the U.S. asylum application process is both helpful and refreshing during a time of chaos and dysfunction for those seeking protection in the United States.” Dree K. Collopy, Author of AILA’s Asylum Primer
“Written by one of the nation’s foremost experts on asylum law, Jason Dzubow’s The Asylumist: How to Seek Asylum in the United States and Keep Your Sanity provides clear, straightforward advice on how to navigate all aspects of the asylum process in ways that maximize the possibility of success.” Kathy Doan, Executive Director, Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
“Jason Dzubow… has managed to make the labyrinth of US asylum law clear and approachable with procedural insights and case anecdotes that make the reader feel not just enlightened but represented…. The plain speaking in this manual is both accessible and inspirational, with uplifting reminders about why we open our arms and hearts to those seeking protection from persecution in other lands.” Judith G. Edersheim, Founding Co-Director, The MGH Center for Law, Brain and Behavior, Harvard Medical School
“[O]ne of the country’s top experts in asylum law shares his knowledge in a readable and easy-to-understand format.” Ahmad Sear Zia, Anchor and Editor, Voice of America
“Having been both a Supervisory Asylum Officer and an Immigration Judge, I can attest that he touches on the most crucial issues for anyone navigating our government’s asylum process.” Judge Paul Grussendorf (Retired), Author of My Trials: Inside America’s Deportation Factories
“This book contains helpful practical advice that will benefit asylum seekers, attorneys, and law students.” Stephen Yale-Loehr, Professor of Immigration Law Practice at Cornell Law School and Co-Director of the Cornell Law School Asylum and Convention Against Torture Appellate Clinic
“The Asylumist synthesizes a wealth of information and perspectives from Jason Dzubow’s many years of work as a recognized advocate for asylum seekers. It is sure to become a valuable, go-to resource.” Katharine Clark, Managing Attorney for Immigration, Ayuda-Maryland
Hi Jason,
I have been in the us since 2018, my mom applied for asylum and i was listed as a dependent, her case is still pending. In june, I got married to a non citizen, unfortunately in january 2026 I found out that getting married removed me from my moms case. I also had tps until november 2026, my country is not on the tps list anymore. I am working with a lawyer to submit my own case but I don’t know what to expect. Is my work permit still valid? I have been working since I didn’t know I was out of my moms case. If not, are there any repercussions for working with that work permit? Thank you
Unfortunately, you are correct. As soon as you married, you stopped being a dependent on her case and your work permit would technically not be valid any more (as the work permit exists only because you were a dependent on the pending asylum case). Working without permission would normally not have any consequences for an asylum case, but if you were seeking other immigration benefits (such as a green card based on employment, for example), it could affect eligibility for that. Also, while you were on your mother’s asylum case, you were exempt from the one-year asylum filing bar, but after you were married and were removed from her case, you no longer have an exception to that bar. You are supposed to file your own asylum case within a “reasonable time” of losing your dependent status. You should work with your lawyer to try to explain this. One option may be to have your wife file for asylum (assuming she has a case, and has been in the US for less than a year or has her own exception to the one-year bar) and you can be a dependent on her case. Or if you had TPS until November 2025 (?), that could be an exception for you (your comment says you had TPS until November 2026, but I think that is a typo; if you do still have TPS status, then that is a good exception to the one-year bar). I wrote more about the one-year bar on January 18, 2018, but your lawyer should be able to assist with this issue. Take care, Jason
I have received GC a year ago, after 1 year of court asylum approval, I also received travel document once to i got my approval, but expired after 1 year already, i wasnt able to get any visas, i want to travel to a third country (not my country of origin), yet with my country of origin’s passport i got last year from their embassy in US (since wasnt able to get visas with RTD), can i use my country passport to travel along outside US to a third country with my GC? am I safe to come back and US entry ? what do you advise?
Many people do that because the RTD takes a long time to get, expires quickly, and is not accepted by all countries. Using your passport could raise issues with the original asylum case, as the US government may want to know why you use the passport and if you renewed your passport, why the home country would issue a passport to someone it seeks to persecute. If you do not fear the government, but instead fear non-state actors (such as terrorists), that is easier to explain, but even if you fear the government, you can probably explain. I do not know of a GC holder who previously had asylum who got into trouble for using the home country passport, so it is probably ok, but you should be prepared to explain why you used the passport if asked. I wrote more about this issue on May 25, 2022. Take care, Jason
Hi, my partner came to the USA and was given a credible fear interview, met with immigration numerous times and was mailed a green card that expires in 2027. He has been in the country 9 years, living and working and rarely contacted by USCIS except for the preliminary things mentioned above. However, they are now showing up in EOIR for a master hearing. We’ve submitted an application for asylum but obviously it’s much passed the one year mark. We are confused why this is happening if his green card is set to expire in 2027.
I think you need to talk to a lawyer, as I am not sure what is happening based on your question. If he had a GC, he would only lose that in one of a few ways. If he committed a crime or left the US for a long period of time, or – if he had a 2 year conditional green card based on marriage – he did not file to get the permanent card (but I think that would not apply here, as he is not required to file for the permanent card until 90 days before the conditional card expires). Anyway, I think he needs a lawyer to determine what happened and chart a path forward. Take care, Jason
Helo Jeson
are there possibilities to get asylum decisions immediately after interview ?
thank you
That often happens in Immigration Court, but it never happens at the Asylum Office. At the Asylum Office, the officer has to finish the security check, write up the decision, and give it to a supervisor for approval, and so they never issue the decision the same day. The fastest decision I ever saw was only 3 days (including a weekend) and slowest is several years and counting. Take care, Jason
Hey Jason , just found This blog.
I have my interview after 8 years waiting , i never updated my case and i got married to a person that is asylu
Petitioner too, her appointment for interview was schedule for a day after mine.
Do you think if I update my case and added her as dependent does she needs to go to that appt? Or just with mine is enough?
It is up to you – you will have to update your case and include info about her, but you do not have to add her as a dependent to your case. Sometimes, if a dependent and a principal both have their own asylum cases, they will try to make one person withdraw their case. Technically, you should each be able to be a principal in your own case and a dependent in your spouse’s case, but the asylum office does not seem to like that. Also, it may be too late to add the person as a dependent, though if you ask at the interview, they do sometimes allow that. If your spouse is not a dependent on your case, and if you receive asylum, you can file an I-730 to give your spouse status as an asylee dependent. The issue is that the I-730 probably takes 1 to 2 years to get status. Given that there are a lot of variables here, I recommend you talk to a lawyer about the specifics for the cases, and to decide on how best to proceed. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I love reading your posts and my husband and I are having problem with him AOS care because he applied for asylum back in 2011 and got an interview then denied and ordered to be removed in 2012. He had an attorneys for his case appeal , of course it was dismissed up to 9th circuit. Then he met me in 2012-2013, we got married in 2015. I petitioned his I-130 and approved in 2018, we had an interview for GC, approved, but it turned out not to be USCIS jurisdiction to adjust because it was EOIR case judge denied for motion reopening and termination the case and AOS. We spent so much money I mean a lot of money for attorneys but no good result. But his 10 yrs bar ended two years ago 2022, so I asked and advised by an attorney to file I-212 and adjust his status without leaving the states. Of course he has had ups and down last 14 yrs emotionally and he has had DUI s and paid the dues, took the classes etc. do we have a chance to get his AOS through I-212?
There are different bars and different waivers, and so I am not sure whether he is trying to waive the bar for being ordered deported or some other bar. Some bars, for example the unlawful presence bar, do not go into effect until a person leaves the US. Also, if there was ever a court case (which there was here) and he never left the US after the court case, I think a motion to reopen is still needed. I do not know the specifics of the situation, and so maybe the most recent filing is the right approach. Maybe you want to try to talk to the lawyer again to have him walk through exactly what he has done and explain what he filed, so you can better understand what is happening. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, i came to USA on September 14, 2024. Can I apply for Ethiopia TPS ?
I think you arrived too late to qualify – check the requirements at http://www.uscis.gov for Ethiopian TPS to see what is needed. If you are not sure, you can talk to a lawyer who does TPS; I do not do much of that, and so if there are any loopholes or exceptions, I would not know about that, though I doubt it. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Can a derivative asylee who holds a green card renew their passport and travel to their country of origin for an urgent reason for few weeks? The derivative asylee plans to use their green card and passport for the trip, but will use the Refugee Travel Document to return to the USA.
Thank you.
It should be fine – when a derivative travels to the home country, there is no effect. If the principal indicated in the asylum case that the whole family is in danger, it would be a good idea for the dependent to be able to explain why they returned and how they stayed safe, just in case they are asked, but I think it is unlikely they would be asked. Take care, Jason
intend to apply asylum because of my fear of future persecution if goes back to home country
Hi Jason,
Thankyou for all you do!
As a pending asylum person (been waiting for 7+ years) can I apply for adjustment of status for employer sponsor based category? I want to make sure this is acceptable for applying. Is pending asylum a status from where a i485 can be granted?
You can apply for that. Whether you are eligible, and whether you would need to leave the US to get the GC depends on the specifics of the case. I wrote about these issues on August 28, 2018 and September 6, 2018, and maybe those posts would give you an idea, but you will probably need to talk to a lawyer about specifics to know for certain. Take care, Jason
Once i get citizenship based on Asylum and wants to go home country do i have enter my home country with the US passport or i can enter it with my home country passport? I guess after getting citizenship there is no issue to visit home country i just wanna double check
I think there is probably no issue, but if the trip causes the US government to think that the original asylum case was fake, the US government could try to reopen the citizenship case. The Trump Administration had created a task force to look into such cases, and I do not know the status of that task force since Biden came into office. I have had clients return to their country once they are citizens and no one has had any problem, but it does not hurt to be prepared to explain about this if you are asked, and also, to keep all your asylum documents in case you ever need those for any reason. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I have been interviewed for my asylum case just before one year on 11/2/2022. But still I can’t get the decision Yet. I try to ask the progress in the asylum office so many times both walking and through e mail but they told me that they are currently short staff therefore, my question here is there any possibility can I go further. I have been suffering a lot for the last 8 years and my family still at back home.
Unfortunately, this is a common story. I wrote about some ideas to get a decision on June 2, 2021 and maybe that will help, but it sounds like you have already tried most of those things. If so, you might consider a mandamus lawsuit – we wrote about that on October 2, 2018. This is where you file a lawsuit to force them to give you a decision. If nothing else works, that should. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Is it possible to expedite the request while I’m on the shortlist? My child is in my homeland and I have not seen her for 2 years. I’ve been on the shortlist since February and now want to apply for the expedition (no interview since February). My child has an illness and had surgery a few month ago.My family is not able to take care of him anymore. Furthermore, my ex-husband is threatening to k*ll my child. Everything seems to have deteriorated, and there is a war in my country.
The question is: Can I go to my asylum office on walk-in days and just apply for the expedition? Of course with all proofs and my documents
I would email them and try walking in as well. I wrote about expediting on March 23, 2022 and included some tips there. If that fails, you might consider a mandamus lawsuit, as that seems to be needed to get an interview these days. If you have someone to help you, maybe you can relocate your child to another place – even if the case were approved quickly, the process of bringing family members here can take 2 years or more (you can try to expedite, but even if that works, it will likely take months). Good luck, Jason
Hi Jason,
So while filling form i765 to my 10 yrs old child, do i have to sign as an applicant or as a preparer? do i have to put my information as a preparer? Thanks
I would put the info as preparer. For the signature, it is probably better if you write the child’s first name and then put your initials after the name. That is how we do it and we have not had a problem. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
My asylum case is approved and my 10 year old daughter also got dependent asylum approved, my question is how can i get SSN for her? I went to social security office but they said that I-797A with i94 attached is not enough. Can I apply for EAD for her?? Thanks
Yes – it is common to apply for EADs for children in this situation. The first EAD based on asylum approved is free and you can request an SSN for her when you complete the I-765 form for her EAD. Take care, Jason