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Asylum for F-1 Students · Miami
The University of Miami, FIU, FAU, Nova Southeastern, and the University of Florida draw students from Latin America, the Caribbean, and around the world. When a SEVIS termination or a visa revocation collides with a real fear of going home, asylum is one of the options we review.
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Students: status and protection
For students at Florida universities, reinstatement and asylum are not either-or. The right order depends on the termination reason, the date, and the danger at home.
Reinstatement (Form I-539 within 5 months, with a DSO recommendation) restores status. Asylum protects you if going home is dangerous. The order and timing of the two filings matters.
A revocation stops the visa working for travel; status inside the U.S. is a separate question, though since 2025 ICE has used revocations to terminate SEVIS records. Do not travel before a review.
An enrolled F-1 student can file affirmative asylum and keep studying. Approval leads to a green card a year later; the application itself does not end F-1 status.
The year runs from your last arrival, not from the school problem. Long-term students often need a changed-circumstances argument, which is fact-specific and must be documented.
Asylum opens a path to a work permit after 150 days pending. Unauthorized work before then can damage both the asylum case and any reinstatement.
Asylum is a serious step with consequences for travel and future non-immigrant visas. When the fear is real it is a strong protection; when it is not, another path fits better.
Free eligibility screener
Five questions that mirror what an asylum officer or immigration judge has to decide, written for students who are weighing status options at the same time. Nothing you enter leaves your device.
Students often have strong claims they discount: activism abroad, family targeting, religious minorities, LGBTQ+ identity, or refusing a group. Have it reviewed before deciding.
Free tool · Santos Khoury Law
Five confidential questions covering the core requirements, the one-year deadline, and the common bars.
100% confidential. Runs in your browser, nothing is stored or sent.
The one-year deadline and the details of your story can make or break an asylum case. Get a professional assessment before you file Form I-589, in your language.
Disclaimer: Asylum eligibility depends on the specific facts of your case, current case law in your circuit, and how your claim is documented and argued. This tool provides general information only and is not legal advice. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Santos Khoury Law.
Miami immigration facts
Miami Immigration Court
333 S Miami Ave, Suite 200, Miami, FL 33130
Est. wait 4.0 yrs · 15 judges · Pending 58,000
Orlando Immigration Court
3535 Lawton Rd, Suite 150, Orlando, FL 32803
Est. wait 3.6 yrs · 6 judges · Pending 22,000
Wait times and pending-case figures are estimates; confirm your hearing with your A-number through EOIR.
Most Miami-Dade and Broward arrests go to Krome or the Broward Transitional Center; overflow moves to Glades, Baker, and out-of-state facilities in Louisiana and Texas. Krome's population has grown sharply since 2025, and conditions there are a reason to move fast on bond.
Affirmative asylum interviews for Florida residents are generally scheduled through the Miami Asylum Office (Miami, FL).
USCIS field offices serving Florida: Miami, Hialeah, Kendall, Oakland Park, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville.
Our Miami office is on SW 147th Avenue, twenty minutes from Krome and the Miami Immigration Court. We appear in the Miami and Orlando immigration courts in person and by video.
Office: 2423 SW 147th Ave, Suite 2102, Miami, FL 33185Languages: English · Español · Português · العربية · Français · Hours: 24/7
Watch: our attorneys explain
Will Anyone Find Out If You Apply for Asylum?
The truth about confidentiality when you file an asylum application.
Do You Need a Lawyer to Apply for Asylum?
What an attorney adds to an asylum application and why it matters.
Can Travel Mistakes Hurt Your Asylum Case?
Why speaking with an attorney before you travel matters while your asylum case is pending.
What Happens If You Overstay Your Visa?
Overstaying a visa doesn't mean your options are gone, what to do next.
How to Prepare for an Affirmative Asylum Interview
What to expect and how to prepare before your affirmative asylum interview.
More on the video center or call 888-805-9065.
Common questions
Yes. A student who remains enrolled and in status can file an affirmative asylum application and keep the F-1 status while it is pending. Asylum also opens a path to a work permit after 150 days. Timing and the one-year deadline are the key questions.
Yes. A SEVIS termination ends F-1 status but does not bar asylum. Depending on the reason and the timing, reinstatement may also be possible. We review both paths together and choose the order that protects you.
Not necessarily. A visa revocation affects travel; your status inside the U.S. is a separate question, though since 2025 ICE has used revocations to terminate SEVIS records. Do not travel and do not assume you are out of status before an attorney reviews your record.
Affirmative asylum interviews for Florida residents are scheduled through the Miami Asylum Office. If you are placed in removal proceedings, the case is heard at the Miami, Orlando immigration courts, in person or by video.
It can. Asylum is a serious step with its own consequences for travel and future non-immigrant visas, and it should never be filed as a status stopgap. When the fear is real, it is a strong protection; when it is not, other paths fit better.
Designated School Officials manage SEVIS records and can issue a new I-20 or recommend reinstatement, but they cannot give legal advice or represent you before USCIS or the immigration court. We coordinate with school officials regularly.
Have a different question? Call 888-805-9065
Free and confidential
Send us your I-20, the SEVIS notice or revocation email, and a few lines about why you cannot go home. A lawyer reviews it within 24 hours, by WhatsApp, video, or phone.
