Important Information about Filing for Asylum with USCIS 

Effective May 9, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will reject affirmative asylum applications improperly filed at service centers instead of the lockbox with jurisdiction over your place of residence.  

Background
We announced this change in filing location on May 31, 2023, and finalized the associated revision to Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, in the Federal Register, 88 FR 60703 (Sept. 5, 2023). We expect this change to help streamline asylum processing and improve adjudication efficiency by digitizing paper filings.   

Filing Information
Certain categories of affirmative asylum applicants must continue to mail their applications directly to the Asylum Vetting Center. Unaccompanied children in immigration court proceedings must mail their applications to the lockbox. 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 of our Form I-589 webpage for more information and to learn where to file your application. You can also use our Filing Instructions Tool to determine where to file your Form I-589.  

USCIS is committed to providing accurate and timely immigration data to the public.

For additional information, visit our Asylum webpage.