Overview: A refugee is someone who is located outside of the United States, is of special humanitarian concern to the United States, demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group and is not firmly resettled in another country, is admissible to the United States.

Asylum may be granted to people who are already in the United States and are unable or unwilling to return their home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. If you are granted asylum, you will be allowed to live and work in the United States.

The only difference between asylum status and refugee status is the placea person asks for the status: asylum is asked for in the United States while refugee status is asked for outside of the United States.

If you are admitted to the United States as a refugee or a qualifying family member of an asylee, then you are required by law to apply for green card(permanent residence), 1 year after your entry into the United States.

If you are granted asylum in the United States, then you may apply for green card(permanent residence), 1 year after the grant of your asylum status.