Are you an immigrant with a spouse or children who is seeking asylum? If so, you likely have many questions on your mind. Can you add your children to your application? What about your spouse? Today we will answer these questions.
The first thing to note is that you can add family members to your asylum application, with a few caveats. You can only add children or a spouse. You will also need to supply documentation proving your relation. This may include marriage or birth certificates. The process is more straightforward for a spouse. With children, you can only include them if they are under 21 years old and have no spouse. If they do not fit that criteria, they must apply separately. Anyone you add to your application must already be in the United States.
Despite this, some people choose not to add family members to their application. Doing so forces them to depend on the result immigration officials give you. If the government grants you asylum, they will also receive asylum. However, if they deny your application, your family must appeal the decision with you. Instead of dealing with this possibility, some wait until they already have asylum. They may then petition to have children or a spouse granted asylum under their status.
For any immigrant, seeking asylum can be a stressful process. If you want to continue reading more about it, consider visiting the link here. It will bring you to our web page on asylum. You can also visit other pages to learn more about visas and other immigration matters.