Form I-589 Asylum Application: Fees, Where to File, and Translating Your Evidence

What the form is

USCIS describes Form I-589 as the form to apply for asylum in the United States and for withholding of removal. The USCIS page for the form was last reviewed on September 30, 2026, and lists the form edition date as 07/28/26. Forms are published in several languages for reference, but USCIS accepts only the official English version, completed in English.

The page also repeats the one-year rule from the statute: if you fail to file Form I-589 within 1 year of your arrival in the United States, you may not be eligible to apply for asylum under section 208(a)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Where the application is filed

• With USCIS, as an affirmative application, if you are physically present in the United States and either have never been issued an A-Number, or have an A-Number but are not currently in proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).
• With EOIR, if you are currently in proceedings before an immigration judge or before the Board of Immigration Appeals. USCIS states that you may not file with USCIS in that case, with an exception for unaccompanied children.

Since July 28, 2026, an interim final rule allows USCIS to refer certain affirmative asylum applications to the immigration court without an interview. USCIS still offers an interview before it grants or denies asylum.

Fees in October 2026

• Asylum application fee: $100. It does not change on October 16, 2026.
• Annual Asylum Fee: $102 now, $105 from October 16, 2026. It is owed for each year the application is pending.
• Initial work permit for an asylum applicant (Form I-765): $560 now, $570 from October 16, 2026. Renewal: $275.

USCIS explains the Annual Asylum Fee this way. It applies to the principal applicant only. It cannot be waived. USCIS sends a notice, and you should pay within 30 days, online through your USCIS account. As long as the fee remains payable, USCIS cannot approve the asylum application. An interim final rule that took effect on May 29, 2026 wrote these fees and the consequences of non-payment into the regulations.

What USCIS says about supporting documents

• Do not submit passport-style photos, multiple copies of the form, or multiple copies of supporting documentation.
• All supporting documents submitted in a language other than English must be accompanied by an English translation.
• The general USCIS rule at 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) adds that the translator must certify the translation as complete and accurate and certify his or her competence to translate.

If your case is in immigration court

The court has its own rule, 8 CFR 1003.33. Any foreign language document offered by a party must be accompanied by an English translation and a certification signed by the translator, printed legibly or typed. The certification must state that the translator is competent to translate the document and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of the translator's abilities.

Each immigration court publishes its address and filing window hours. We list all 71 courts by state with the details from the official court pages.

Evidence in Russian and Ukrainian that is usually translated

• Identity documents: birth certificate, internal passport or ID card, marriage and divorce certificates.
• Papers from authorities: summonses, search and detention records, court decisions, police certificates.
• Medical records that document injuries or treatment.
• Military ID and call-up notices.
• Written statements of relatives and witnesses, letters, printed messages.
• News articles and reports in Russian or Ukrainian that you submit about events in your region.

Every page you submit is translated in full, with stamps, seals, and handwritten notes, and each translation comes with a certification. Names and dates are kept identical across all documents, with names spelled as in your passport.

Timing

The translation rules do not set deadlines. The deadlines come from the one-year rule, from USCIS notices, and from the immigration judge. A personal statement and a full set of evidence can run to dozens of pages, so translation should start as soon as you know which documents go into the file.