• As the petitioner, you must be a principal refugee or asylee. This means that you were granted refugee or asylee status directly and did not obtain it through a relative.
• You entered the United States as a refugee within the past 2 years or were granted asylum within the past 2 years.
• You remain in refugee or asylee status or have become a permanent resident (received a Green Card). If you have already become a U.S. citizen through naturalization, you cannot petition to obtain derivative refugee or asylee status for a relative. However you may still be able to help family immigrate to the United States. See the Family of U.S. Citizens page for more information. 
• The family relationship had to exist before you came to the United States as a refugee or were granted asylum:
  • If you want to file for your spouse, you had to be married before you entered as a refugee or were granted asylum. See the Application Procedures: Getting Derivative Refugee or Asylum Status for your Spouse page for more information.
  • Your child had to be conceived (this means the mother was already pregnant) or born before you entered as a refugee or were granted asylum. See the Application Procedures: Getting Derivative Refugee or Asylum Status for your Child page for more information.

File Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition. (This form is free to file. To download the form and instructions, see the I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition page.)

For more information on refugees and asylees, see the Humanitarian page.

More Information

• "How Do I" Guides for Refugees and Asylees

Forms

• Humanitarian Benefits Based Forms
• I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition

Other USCIS Links

• Refugees and Asylum
• Humanitarian

External Links

• Visa Bulletin