English
EspañolWhat are the benefits of having refugee status?
If your application is approved, you will be able to travel to the U.S. and enter the country legally.
Also, with refugee status, you will be able to work legally in the U.S.1
After one year of being in refugee status in the U.S., you are required to apply for lawful permanent residence (a “green card”).2 After five years with a green card, you may decide to apply for U.S. citizenship.
If you didn’t include your family in your refugee application, you can apply to bring your spouse and unmarried children under 21 to the U.S. within the first two years of entering the U.S. as a refugee.1 “Children under 21” can include step-children and adopted children, but the rules about who may be included and what evidence to show are complicated.3
1 See USCIS website
2 8 CFR § 209.1
3 See INA § 101(b); 8 USC § 1101(b)
