What is the difference between an asylee and a refugee?
Asylees and refugees must meet the same legal definition of a refugee: that they have been persecuted in the past and/or have a “well-founded” fear of persecution in the future because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, by their government or by persons the government cannot or does not wish to control. The difference between refugees and asylees is where the determination that a person fits this definition is made. Refugee status is granted to people who are outside the United States, while asylum status is granted to people who enter the United States on their own and then apply for asylum from within the U.S.
Related Questions
- What about family reunion for US relatives with immediate family members overseas who are not eligible to file AORs, I-730 Refugee/Asylee Relative Petitions or other immigrant petitions?
- Can a refugee submit an AOR and an I-730 Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition?
- What is the difference between a refugee and an asylee?
