If you want to seek asylum in the U.S., you must complete Form I-589 (Application for Asylum as well as for Withholding of Removal) within a single year of arriving into the country, with the specific exception being outlined by USCIS. It is also necessary to prove a valid fear of persecution in your origin country stemming from one of the factors: race, religion, nationality, politics, or being apart of a specific social group. As part of the asylum process, an affirmative case will go through an interview with an asylum officer, while a defensive case may be heard if referred to immigration court. You are required to be present right in the U.S. when applying, and it may include both your spouse and children who are under 21 years of age (not yet married). If you are granted asylum you can additionally apply using Form I-730 (Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition). This allows you to bring eligible family members to the U.S. within a couple of years of approval receipt. You can also apply for work authorization while your decision is pending by way of filing Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) within 150 days after you file your asylum application. Nonetheless, it will be an EAD after 180 days only if there are no delays caused by the applicant. If granted asylum, you are considered work authorized and do not need an EAD, although you may still apply for one. Denial of asylum signifies that your work authorization will be brief — it stops 60 days after the denial or when your EAD expires, whichever comes first provided that you do not appeal the decision. Following almost a full year after acquiring asylum, you are able to apply in order to gain a green card (lawful permanent residence) through filing Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). If any family members received derivative asylum, they will need to file their own Form I-485 form.