I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal
ALERT: Form I-589 Filing Location Change
Effective May 31, 2023, we updated the filing location for certain affirmative asylum applications submitted by mail. We expect this change to help streamline asylum processing and improve adjudication efficiency by digitizing paper filings. You should now mail your Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, to the lockbox that has jurisdiction over your place of residence instead of to the service center to ensure timely receipt of your application. However, we will accept forms filed at service centers until we publish a Federal Register notice finalizing this change.
Certain categories of affirmative asylum applicants must continue to mail their applications directly the Asylum Vetting Center. Online filing is also available to affirmative asylum applicants who are not in immigration court proceedings and who do not have to submit their application to the Asylum Vetting Center. See the “Where to File” and “Special instructions” sections below for more information and to learn where to file your application.
Effective immediately, applicants no longer need to submit a passport-style photo, multiple copies of the form, or multiple copies of supporting documentation when submitting Form I-589. Please see the Instructions for Form I-589 (PDF, 143.6 KB) for more information.
ALERT: Expeditious Asylum Adjudication for Certain Afghans
On Sept. 30, 2021, the president signed the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act. At the direction of Congress, citizens and nationals of Afghanistan or persons with no nationality who last habitually resided in Afghanistan, and who meet eligibility criteria, are entitled to certain benefits, including rapid adjudication of asylum applications.
Please follow the specific instructions on our Information for Afghans page.
Use this form to apply for asylum in the United States and for withholding of removal (formerly called “withholding of deportation”). You may file for asylum if you are physically present in the United States and you are not a U.S. citizen.
Obtain asylum in the United States by:
- Filing for affirmative asylum if you are not in proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR); or
- Filing for asylum defensively if you are in proceedings in front of an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) at EOIR. See “Where to File” section below for information about how to determine if you are in proceedings before EOIR.
If you fail to file Form I-589 within one year of your arrival in the United States, you may not be eligible to apply for asylum under section 208(a)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
May I file my Form I-589 with USCIS?
The Filing Instructions Tool provides information about where to file Form I-589 based on the information that you provide. The tool does not determine whether you are eligible for asylum.
For more information on whether you may file Form I-589 with USCIS, review the “Where to File” section below.
If you are eligible to file Form I-589 with USCIS, review the “Where to File” and “Special Instructions” sections below to learn whether you may file your Form I-589 online, or if you must file by mail.
What This Form Can Help You Do
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Who May File with USCIS
You may file your affirmative Form I-589 with USCIS if you are not a U.S. citizen, are physically present in the United States, and:
- You have never been issued an A-Number; or
- You have been issued an A-Number, but you are not currently in EOIR proceedings (see below for more information about how to check whether you are in EOIR proceedings); or
- You are an "unaccompanied alien child (UAC)" in removal proceedings.
You may not file your Form I-589 with USCIS if you are currently in proceedings with EOIR, unless you are a UAC as defined in 6 U.S.C. § 279(g)(2). You must file your Form I-589 with EOIR if you are in proceedings before an immigration judge or before the BIA and you are not a UAC.
The following steps will help you determine whether you are in EOIR proceedings:
- Step 1: Have you been issued an "Alien Number" (A-Number)? The A-Number begins with the letter “A” and is followed by 8 or 9 digits (for example, A123456789). This number is printed on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and EOIR correspondence and documents, including USCIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents.
- Step 2: If you have been issued an A-Number, check whether you are in EOIR proceedings by:
- Calling the EOIR Automated Case Information Hotline toll-free in the United States at 800-898-7180 (TDD 800-828-1120) or 304-625-2050 (local toll call), or
- Checking the EOIR Automated Case Information online system.
- Step 3: If the EOIR hotline or online system has information regarding your name and next hearing date, then your Form I-862, Notice to Appear (NTA), has been filed and docketed with EOIR and you are in EOIR proceedings. If you want to apply for asylum, you must file your Form I-589 with EOIR. To locate where to file your Form I-589 with EOIR:
- Use the EOIR hotline or online system to locate an address for the immigration court where you must file your Form I-589.
- You may also find immigration court information on the Department of Justice’s website.
- Step 4: If you are currently in EOIR proceedings and you were asked to provide your biometric and biographical information to USCIS for your Form I-589 filed with EOIR, please refer to the Instructions for Submitting Certain Applications in Immigration Court and for Providing Biometric and Biographic Information to U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (PDF, 178.54 KB) and the Instructions for Form I-589 (PDF, 143.6 KB) at Part 1, Section XII. Where to File, about how to submit this information.
Important: If you file your Form I-589 anywhere other than the immigration court identified by the EOIR hotline or online system, EOIR will reject your Form I-589 and send you a notice that specifies the address where you should file your Form I-589. If you file your Form I-589 with USCIS, we may reject your Form I-589. If you do not follow these instructions and any additional instructions from DHS or EOIR, your Form I-589 may be rejected or closed or it may take longer to process your Form I-589.
For more information about applying for asylum while in EOIR proceedings, see the section on Defensive Asylum Processing with EOIR on the Obtaining Asylum in the United States webpage.
Filing With USCIS
If you are eligible to apply for asylum with USCIS as outlined in the section above, you may file your Form I-589 with USCIS online or by mail depending on your situation. The mailing address to file your paper Form I-589 will depend on where you live and whether you are subject to the Special Instructions (see section below).
To determine whether you may file your Form I-589 with USCIS online or by mail, use our Filing Instructions Tool.
Note: You cannot file online and must file your Form I-589 by mail if:
- You are an unaccompanied alien child (UAC). UACs must file by mail to the address listed in the chart below to ensure we identify their Form I-589 appropriately.
- DHS previously issued you a Form I-862, Notice to Appear (NTA), but you have never been in EOIR proceedings. You may file your Form I-589 with USCIS by mail. For more information about how we will process your Form I-589, see our What Happens After You File Form I-589 With USCIS page.
- Your asylum application falls into one of these categories and must be filed by mail at the Asylum Vetting Center as per the Special Instructions section of this page:
- Loss of Derivative Status After Asylum Approval but Before Adjustment of Status (Nunc Pro Tunc)
- Loss of Derivative Status After Initial Filing but Before Final Decision
- Simultaneous Filing as a Principal Applicant and a Derivative Applicant
- Previously Issued a Final Action by USCIS on a Form I-589
- Previously in Immigration Court Proceedings
Note: See the Special Instructions section below for more information about when Form I-589 must be filed at the Asylum Vetting Center and the mailing instructions. If a Form I-589 is required to be submitted to the Asylum Vetting Center, it cannot be submitted online or by mail to the locations listed in the chart below.
Where to File with USCIS by Mail
If you are not required to file your Form I-589 with the Asylum Vetting Center as indicated in the Special Instructions section of this page, then use this chart to determine where to mail your Form I-589.
| If you live in: | Then file your Form I-589 with the: |
|---|---|
| USCIS Dallas Lockbox U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS |
| USCIS Chicago Lockbox U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS FedEx, UPS, or DHL deliveries: USCIS |
We may require biometric services, at no cost to you.
See our Filing Instructions Tool to determine whether to file your Form I-589 online or by mail.
Filing Tips: Go to our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to help ensure we will accept your Form I-589.
We will reject any Form I-589 that is missing the explanation of why you are applying for asylum or that is missing any addendums that you reference in your Form I-589.
Do not forget to sign your Form I-589. We will reject any unsigned form.
Below are instructions for how to file a Form I-589 that you cannot file at the locations listed in the “Where to File” section above because your Form I-589 requires special handling.
When you file your Form I-589, you must include a letter explaining why you are filing with the Asylum Vetting Center and identifying which category below applies to your Form I-589. If your Form I-589 does not match any of the categories listed below, we will reject it, with instructions to file with the appropriate service center.
The following Forms I-589 must be filed with the Asylum Vetting Center:
- Loss of Derivative Status After Asylum Approval but Before Adjustment of Status (Nunc Pro Tunc): If you are currently a derivative asylee, but you are unable to adjust status to lawful permanent resident due to a loss of derivative relationship, then you may submit a new Form I-589 and request a grant of asylum nunc pro tunc. In your letter, please provide information about your previous Form I-589 and explain that you are now filing independently as a principal applicant.
- Loss of Derivative Status After Initial Filing but Before Final Decision: If you withdrew from a principal’s Form I-589 as a dependent, or if you lost derivative status by marriage, divorce, or death of the principal applicant, then you may submit a Form I-589 as a principal applicant. In your letter, please provide information about your previous Form I-589 and explain that you are now filing independently as a principal applicant.
- Simultaneous Filing as a Principal Applicant and a Derivative Applicant: If you are already listed as a derivative applicant on another pending Form I-589, you may file a Form I-589 as a principal applicant. Also, you and your spouse may file separate Forms I-589 at the same time as principal applicants and list each other as derivative applicants. In your letter, please provide information about any previous Form I-589 and explain that you are now filing independently as a principal applicant.
- Previously Issued a Final Action by USCIS on a Form I-589: If you previously filed Form I-589 with USCIS, you may be eligible to file a new Form I-589 with USCIS if you have not been placed into immigration court proceedings after USCIS denied or dismissed your Form I-589, including if we dismissed it after you withdrew your Form I-589.
- Previously in Immigration Court Proceedings: If you have reason to believe we have jurisdiction over your Form I-589 and you were previously in immigration court proceedings, then you may submit a Form I-589.
If your Form I-589 matches a category listed above, you must mail your Form I-589 to USCIS at the address below:
Mailing by U.S. Postal Service (USPS):
USCIS Asylum Vetting Center
P.O. Box 57100
Atlanta, GA 30308-0506
Mailing by FedEx, UPS or DHL:
DHS-USCIS Asylum Vetting Center
401 W. Peachtree St. NW, Suite 1000
Atlanta, GA 30308
- Asylum
- Affirmative Asylum Frequently Asked Questions
- The Affirmative Asylum Process
- Types of Affirmative Asylum Decisions
- Obtaining Asylum in the United States
- What Happens After You File Form I-589 with USCIS
- Revised Guidance on Informal (“Camp”) Marriages (PDF, 997.34 KB)
- Asylum Merits Interview with USCIS: Processing After a Positive Credible Fear Determination