1. An application for asylum must be filed within 1 year of an applicant’s arrival to the United States to be considered properly filed and be adjudicated (very limited exceptions to this rule).
2. The spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age can benefit from an approved asylum application, thus they can join the principal asylee here in the United States.
3. An asylum applicant can apply for emplyment authorization after 150 days of a pending, properly filed application. However, such employment authorization would not be granted until at least 180 days i.e 30 days after the 150 days.
4. The spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age are also employment eligible pursuant to anapproved asylum application.
5. Asylum status is for an indefinite but temporary period. This basically means that an asylee may have his/her status revoked if for instance there are changed circumstances in his/her country making the basis of the original grant non existent.
6. Although an asylee is not required by law to adjust status to that of a lawful permanent resident, (LPR), because of 5 above, it may be beneficial so to do. Eligibility to adjust status accrues to the asylee after one year of the grant of asylum.
7. During the pendency of the application, an asylum applicant can only travel with proper authorization or he/she would be deemed to have abandoned the application.
8. Where the asylum applicant travels to the country of feared persecution during the pendency of the application, he/she is also presumed to have abandoned the application unless if there were compelling reasons for such travel.
9. Upon grant of asylum, an asylee should be wary of travelling to the country of feared persecution as such travel may become a basis for revocation especially where the asylee has reavailed himself/herself of the protection of the said country of persecution.
10. Conviction for an aggravated felony or any other very serious crime (amongst others) would render one ineligible for asylum.
