If you have fled another country based on a “well-founded fear of persecution” based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, you may be eligible for Asylum in the United States. If you are granted asylum, after entering the United States either legally or illegally, you will be permitted to remain a resident in the United States. Both refugees from outside of the country and individuals who have entered the country illegally are eligible for asylum.
There are two pathways that individuals seeking asylum can follow: (1) Affirmative Asylum; and (2) Defensive Asylum.