How are laws changing for asylum seekers?

This page provides time-sensitive updates for asylum seekers about: asylum, work permits, social security numbers, immigration court, driver's licenses, TPS, parole, detention, ICE, SIJS, birthright citizenship, self-deportation, and travel. The most recent changes are marked NEW or UPDATED below.

Asylum (updated October 30)

• New initial filing fee. The U.S. government has announced a new $100 initial filing fee to apply for asylum in immigration court or USCIS.

• New annual asylum fee. There is also a new annual asylum fee of $100 per year. ASAP members are fighting this annual asylum fee in a lawsuit. On October 30, a judge decided that no asylum seekers are currently required to pay the annual asylum fee. However, this pause is temporary, and if your asylum application has been pending for more than 1 year, you may be required to pay the fee soon. You can read the most recent updates about the USCIS annual asylum fee here, and the immigration court annual asylum fee here.

• USCIS letters: Some asylum seekers who applied for asylum with USCIS have received letters dismissing their cases. If you received a USCIS letter, read this resource for possible next steps. 

• Immigration court cases: The government is ending some cases in immigration court before the asylum seeker receives a full hearing. This could happen because of problems with fees, facts in the asylum application, what country you are from, or other reasons. If this happens in your case at an immigration court hearing, you are likely to be detained. Read what to know before an immigration court hearing. If you have not spoken with a lawyer about your asylum case before, you can look for a lawyer.

• Permanent residence. If you have won asylum, your asylee status is still valid, and you can apply for permanent residence (Form I-485). Previously, USCIS had stopped processing permanent residence applications for people who had won asylum, but they said they have restarted processing them again.

• New application. If you are currently in the U.S. and you have not submitted an asylum application, you can still submit one if you are eligible. Applying for asylum is a complicated decision that depends on your specific circumstances. Learn more about asylum.

Work permits based on asylum (updated November 4)

• Starting on October 30, 2025, the government is changing the rule about automatic extensions for people renewing their work permits. If you applied to renew your work permit before October 30 and before your work permit expiration date, the new rule does not apply and your work permit is still extended for 540 days. But if you renew your work permit as an asylum seeker on or after October 30, your work permit will expire on the expiration date. Learn more here.

• The U.S. government has announced a new fee of $550 to apply for a first work permit as an asylum seeker. (Before, there was no fee.) The fee to renew an asylum-based work permit increased by $275. If you are renewing your work permit online, it now costs a total of $745. If you are renewing your work permit by mail, it now costs a total of $795. Learn more here.

• If you currently have a work permit based on a pending asylum application, your work permit is still valid.   

• If you applied for asylum and you do not have a work permit yet, you can still apply for a work permit 150 days after the government receives your asylum application.

• If you are applying for your first work permit as an asylum seeker, the government is supposed to make a decision on your work permit application within 30 days. However, processing delays are getting worse. If you do not receive a decision within 25 days, there are steps you can take, but they may not work. 

Social Security Numbers (updated October 7)

• Immigrants can still apply for social security numbers in their work permit applications. 

• In the past, immigrants would receive a social security card automatically when their work permit was approved. However, news reports have said that social security numbers are no longer being sent automatically to many immigrants.

• After you receive your first work permit, you can schedule an in-person appointment and fill out a form to apply for a social security card. You can watch this video or learn more here.

• In Spring 2025, the U.S. government cancelled social security numbers for a small number of immigrants. If you believe your social security number was canceled, you may want to consult with a lawyer. 

• Social security offices may be sharing information with immigration agencies.

Immigration court hearings (updated October 30)

• If you have a case in immigration court, your case is still active until the judge makes a decision. Check your case status every week in case there is a new decision or a new hearing date.

• Detention: Starting in May 2025, the government has been detaining many immigrants at immigration court hearings. As of October 2025, the government has slowed down arrests in some immigration courts, but continues the arrests in others. If you do not attend your immigration court hearing, you will most likely receive a deportation order. Read more here.

• Ending cases: The government is ending some cases in immigration court before the asylum seeker receives a full hearing. This could happen because of problems with fees, facts in the asylum application, what country you are from, or other reasons. If this happens in your case at an immigration court hearing, you are likely to be detained. Read more here.

• Administrative Closure: If your immigration court case was previously administratively closed (your case is still in court but not scheduled for future hearings), check the status of your case. Many immigration court cases that were administratively closed, even for years, are being scheduled for new hearings. To check your case status, call the court hotline at 1-800-898-7180 or go to this website.

Driver’s Licenses and Commercial Driver's Licenses (NEW)

• Many asylum seekers and other immigrants are eligible for driver’s licenses. Learn about your state’s requirements here. 

• On September 29, 2025, the government said that asylum seekers and some other immigrants could no longer receive new commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), which are special licenses for driving large and heavy vehicles. But immigrants have won a temporary victory and can continue to apply for new CDLs for now! Learn more about the rule here.

• After the CDL rule was announced, many ASAP members wrote to us right away. They told us they had trained for years to become truck drivers, and explained how difficult this change would be for their families. As always, ASAP did our best to answer their legal questions. And if they were interested, ASAP helped members to get involved in another organization’s lawsuit to challenge this policy. On November 10, a judge blocked the rule so that immigrants can continue to receive CDLs while the lawsuit proceeds!

Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

• The U.S. government is trying to end TPS for certain countries: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, South Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. Immigrants are challenging these actions in multiple lawsuits. Learn about the current status of TPS for different countries here.

• The U.S. government has announced new fees to register for TPS and apply for a work permit based on TPS. It has also announced that new work permits based on TPS will only be valid for one year. Read more here.

• People with TPS can also apply for asylum or other types of immigration status if eligible. This can be a complicated decision that depends on your specific circumstances. If you decide to apply for another immigration status, it is best to apply before your TPS expires if possible.

Parole

• Some parole programs ended: The government has stopped accepting new immigrants through these parole programs: CBP One parole, parole for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), Ukraine (U4U), Afghanistan (OAW), or El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia (Family Reunification).

• Early termination: Many people who received CBP One parole or CHNV parole received notices ending their parole and work permits early. Immigrants who received CHNV parole are fighting the early termination in a lawsuit.

• After parole ends: Even if your parole ends, if you have another pending immigration application such as asylum, that application remains valid and you can continue with it. If you have a work permit that is not based on parole, that work permit also remains valid. If you have a case in immigration court, your case is still active until the judge makes a decision.

• Submitting new applications: If you have parole and you do not already have another pending immigration application, you may want to consider applying before your parole ends, if you are eligible. Some people with parole could be eligible for asylum or other types of immigration status. However, this can be a complicated decision that depends on your specific circumstances. Every time you complete a new application, you are providing updated information to the government that they may not have already.

Detention, deportation, and raids

• The U.S. government is conducting immigration raids, creating new detention centers, and detaining many immigrants. The government is also expanding the use of a faster deportation process called “expedited removal” for some immigrants.

• Here are some safety measures that asylum seekers can take to protect themselves and their families in the United States. 

• If you have a loved one who is detained, learn about immigration detention. 

• If you have an upcoming immigration court hearing, read important updates about the risk of detention.

• You may have seen or heard recent messages from the U.S. government saying that immigrants should “self-deport." Here are things to know.

ICE check-ins

• Some immigrants have check-ins with ICE, and some do not. 

• The government has begun detaining more people during ICE check-ins. Learn more, including what you can do to prepare.

• If possible, talk to a lawyer before you go to your next ICE check-in. Find legal help here. 

• If you are detained at an ICE check-in, and you are afraid to return to your country of origin, you can tell as many immigration officers as possible that you are afraid to return to your country of origin and you want to seek asylum. 

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

• You can still apply for SIJS as a new applicant. Pending SIJS applications are still being processed. 

• The U.S. government has announced a new $250 fee to apply for SIJS.

• Previously, if you won SIJS, you could immediately apply for a work permit through a process called “deferred action.” But as of April 2025, this is no longer possible. If you win SIJS after April 2025, you will generally need to wait until you are eligible for permanent residence before you can apply for a work permit. If you currently have a work permit based on SIJS deferred action, your work permit is valid until it expires, unless you receive a notice ending your work permit early.

• If you are granted SIJS, you may be eligible for permanent residence (a green card). However, there are currently long delays. When you apply for a green card, you can apply for a work permit based on the pending green card application.

• You can apply for asylum or other types of immigration status at the same time as you apply for SIJS. This can be a complicated decision that depends on your specific circumstances.

Birthright citizenship

• The government is currently required to recognize the U.S. citizenship of all babies born in the U.S.!

• On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order that tried to restrict birthright citizenship. Thankfully, the Executive Order is now being blocked by multiple court orders called “injunctions” – including in ASAP members’ case. The Supreme Court will most likely make a decision about the birthright citizenship Executive Order by June or July 2026. Learn more here.

Travel

• As of May 7, if you are traveling by plane within the United States, you will need a “REAL ID” such as a work permit or valid passport from any country. Read more.

• When you travel by land within the United States, you may encounter immigration officials or immigration checkpoints. They could ask questions about your immigration status or ask for documentation. Consider carrying a U.S. ID or other proof of your immigration status. However, please know that as of October 2025, the government has been detaining drivers and passengers traveling by car or bus at immigration checkpoints, even if they have valid driver’s licenses and work permits.

• The U.S. government has also announced new travel restrictions for citizens of some countries, listed below. 

  • Starting on June 9, 2025, citizens of these countries will not be allowed to enter the U.S. (with some exceptions): Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

  • Starting on June 9, 2025, citizens of these countries will not be allowed to enter the U.S. when using certain visas (with some exceptions): Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. 

  • There are exceptions to these June 9 travel restrictions. Read more.

  • The U.S. government announced they are canceling visas for people from South Sudan.

  • Starting on August 20, 2025, citizens of Malawi and Zambia will need to pay a $5,000-$15,000 “visa bond” to the U.S. government if they are granted a tourist or business visa to visit the U.S. Read more.