Immigration courts
Boston Immigration Court
15 New Sudbury St, Suite 320, Boston, MA 02203
Est. wait 3.8 yrs · 10 judges · Pending 30,000
Wait times and pending-case figures are estimates; confirm your hearing with your A-number through EOIR.
Asylum for F-1 Students · Massachusetts
Asylum for F-1 Students in MassachusettsKeep Your Status, or Protect Yourself. Often Both.
Massachusetts hosts more international students per capita than any state: Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Northeastern, UMass, Tufts, and dozens of colleges. Since 2025, SEVIS terminations and visa revocations have hit these campuses hard, and asylum is one of the options we review for students who cannot safely return home.
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Students: status and protection
SEVIS Terminated, Visa Revoked, Afraid to Return: How the Paths Fit Together
For students at Massachusetts universities, reinstatement and asylum are not either-or. The right order depends on the termination reason, the date, and the danger at home.
- 01
SEVIS terminated: two paths at once
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.
- 02
Visa revoked
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.
- 03
Filing while in status
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.
- 04
The one-year rule for students
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.
- 05
Work authorization
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.
- 06
Travel and future visas
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
Would Asylum Protect You? Screen Your Claim in Two Minutes.
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.
- Past harm or a well-founded fear of harm if you return
- A protected ground: political opinion, religion, nationality, race, or a social group
- Who the persecutor is and whether your government would protect you
- The one-year deadline and the changed-circumstances exception
- Common bars
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
Asylum Eligibility Screener
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.
Question 1 of 50%
Have you been harmed or threatened in your home country, or do you fear serious harm if you return?
Think You May Qualify?
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.
Massachusetts immigration facts
The Courts, Facilities, and Offices That Decide Massachusetts Cases
ICE detention facilities
Massachusetts arrests are usually held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility or transferred to Strafford County in New Hampshire, and increasingly to facilities in Texas and Louisiana. Hearings for detained New England cases run through the Boston Immigration Court and the Chelmsford court.
- Plymouth County Correctional Facility, Plymouth, MA: the main ICE detention site in Massachusetts
- Strafford County Department of Corrections, Dover, NH: many Massachusetts arrestees are transferred here
USCIS and asylum offices
Affirmative asylum interviews for Massachusetts residents are generally scheduled through the Boston Asylum Office (Boston, MA).
USCIS field offices serving Massachusetts: Boston, Lawrence.
How we serve Massachusetts
Our attorneys are admitted in Massachusetts and appear at the Boston Immigration Court and the Chelmsford court, in person and by video.
Languages: English · Español · Português · العربية · Français · Hours: 24/7
Watch: our attorneys explain
Asylum and Status Questions Students Ask
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
F-1 Student Questions From Massachusetts, Answered
Can an F-1 student apply for asylum without losing status?
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.
My SEVIS record was terminated. Can I still apply for asylum?
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.
My F-1 visa was revoked. Do I have to leave the United States?
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.
Where would my case be handled in Massachusetts?
Affirmative asylum interviews for Massachusetts residents are scheduled through the Boston Asylum Office. If you are placed in removal proceedings, the case is heard at the Boston immigration court, in person or by video.
Will applying for asylum affect my OPT or future visas?
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.
Can my DSO or international student office handle this?
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
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Your Degree, Your Safety, Your Future. Start With One Conversation.
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.