I-730 Refugee and Asylee Family Petitions: Bringing a Spouse or Child to Safety

After asylum is granted or refugee status is approved, many families ask how a spouse or child can receive protection too. Form I-730 is the main petition used by qualifying refugees and asylees to request derivative status for eligible family members.

The case depends on more than proving family relationship. Applicants must review when the marriage or parent-child relationship existed, whether the child remains eligible, and whether identity documents are consistent across passports, civil records, and prior immigration filings.

Delays can happen when names, birth dates, translations, or country documents do not match. Some cases also require careful planning around interviews, security checks, DNA requests, or travel documents after approval.

Families should gather marriage certificates, birth records, photos, prior applications, asylum or refugee approval documents, and proof of ongoing relationship. New Horizons Legal helps protected families organize I-730 filings with a focus on consistency, timing, and reunification.