New Edition of Form I-589, Changes to Documentation Requirements, and
New Filing Location for Certain Affirmative Asylum Applications Submitted by Mail
New Form I-589 Edition
We published a new edition of Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, dated 03/01/23. Starting July 31, 2023, we will accept only the 03/01/23 edition of the form. Until then, we will continue to accept the 10/12/22 edition of Form I-589.
Documentation Requirement Changes
Effective immediately, applicants submitting Form I-589 no longer need to submit a passport-style photo, multiple copies of the form, or multiple copies of the supporting documentation. See the Instructions for Form I-589 for more information.
New Filing Location for Certain Affirmative Asylum Applications Submitted by Mail
We are changing the filing location for certain affirmative asylum applicants to submit Form I-589 by mail. This change is expected to help streamline asylum processing and improve adjudication efficiency by digitizing paper filings. Starting May 31, 2023, mail your Form I-589 to the lockbox with jurisdiction over your place of residence instead of to the service center to ensure timely receipt of your application. If you file at the old filing location, we will forward your application to the appropriate lockbox until we formalize this change through a Federal Register notice.
More Information
The following categories of affirmative asylum applicants must continue to mail their asylum application directly to the Asylum Vetting Center, following the instructions on the Form I-589 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; and
- Previously in Immigration Court Proceedings.
Online filing is also available and encouraged for affirmative asylum applicants who are not in immigration court proceedings and who do not have to submit their application to the Asylum Vetting Center as indicated above.
To avoid processing delays, carefully review the “Where to File” and “Special Instructions” sections of the Form I-589 page before submitting your application.
For more information on USCIS and our Asylum program, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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