Home › Visas › Seek Protection
Seek Protection

Understand your options for safety and support.

If you are afraid to return home or have experienced harm, the details matter. This page explains common protection routes so you can prepare for a careful conversation with a qualified professional.

YOUR PLANS, EXPLAINED SIMPLY

You do not need to share everything here.

Start with a general question. Keep sensitive documents and detailed accounts of harm for a private conversation with a qualified legal professional.

Get help with your questions
EXPLORE YOUR SITUATION

Different plans. Different requirements.

03 routes explained
01Asylum

I fear persecution if I return to my home country.

Asylum may protect eligible people in the U.S. or arriving here who meet the legal definition of persecution linked to a protected ground.

What to check

There are filing deadlines, exceptions, and other eligibility limits. Get advice promptly, especially if you have a hearing or removal notice.

Bring to the conversationYour location, arrival date, any filing or hearing deadlines, and a brief outline of your concern.

Read the Asylum guide
02TPS

My country may have a current temporary protection designation.

Temporary Protected Status can cover eligible people already in the U.S. from designated countries who meet the required dates and other rules.

What to check

Country designations and court orders can change. TPS itself does not provide a direct path to a green card.

Bring to the conversationYour nationality, arrival and residence dates, and any previous TPS application.

Read the TPS guide
03U visa

I was harmed by a qualifying crime and helped authorities.

For certain victims who suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and have been, are being, or are likely to be helpful to authorities.

What to check

A qualifying crime and an authorized certification are part of the requirements. Reporting a crime alone does not guarantee eligibility.

Bring to the conversationWhether an authority is involved and whether you have legal support. You do not need to upload a police report here.

Read the U visa guide
BEFORE YOU SPEAK WITH SOMEONE

A few details make the advice more useful.

You can start with the basics. These questions help a professional understand what you need.

  1. Are you currently in the United States?
  2. Do you have an upcoming filing deadline or hearing?
  3. Do you already have a lawyer or accredited representative?
  4. What is a safe way and language for someone to contact you?
Request visa support
COMMON QUESTIONS
Are asylum and TPS visas I can simply apply for abroad?

No. They are protection processes with their own location and eligibility rules. Refugee processing abroad is a separate process.

What if these descriptions do not cover my situation?

Other protections may exist, including options related to trafficking or abuse. A qualified professional should review the facts; you do not need to choose a category on your own.

This is general information, not a decision about your eligibility. Requirements and procedures can change. A licensed attorney or accredited representative can review your circumstances.

Go deeper with official information

Check the government guidance when planning your next step.

USCIS asylum information ↗Current TPS country information ↗Victims of crime ↗

Explore another reason for your move

Work in the U.S. Join Family Get a Green Card Invest & Build Study & Visit