To apply for political asylum, you can file a Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, directly at the sea port, airport, or border control. Otherwise, you can request asylum within one year of your arrival to the United States. Fill out your Form I-589 application and send it to one of the following mailboxes depending on your location:
- Mailbox: Texas Service Center
Attn: Asylum
P.O. Box 851892
Mesquite, TX 75185-1892
Location: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Western; Pennsylvania counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland.
- Mailbox: California Service Center
P.O. Box 10881
Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-0881
Location: Arizona, California counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, or Ventura, Guam, Hawaii; Nevada counties of Clark, Esmerelda, Nye, or Lincoln.
- Mailbox: Nebraska Service Center
P.O. Box 87589
Lincoln, NE 68501-7589
Location: Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin; any county in California or Nevada that was not listed.
- Mailbox: Vermont Service Center
Attention: Asylum
75 Lower Welden St.
St. Albans, VT 05479-0589Location: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont; a county in Pennsylvania that was not listed