Santos Khoury founding partners Matthew Khoury and Fernando Santos

Asylum for F-1 Students · Austin

Asylum for F-1 Students in AustinKeep Your Status, or Protect Yourself. Often Both.

The University of Texas at Austin, Texas State, Texas A&M, and Rice bring tens of thousands of international students to Central Texas. Since 2025, SEVIS terminations and visa revocations have reached these campuses, and asylum is one of the options we review for students who cannot safely return home.

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4.9 ★★★★★ · 500+ Google reviewsFounding Partners Matthew Khoury, Esq. & Fernando Santos, Esq.

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Students: status and protection

SEVIS Terminated, Visa Revoked, Afraid to Return: How the Paths Fit Together

For students at Texas 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.

Schedule a Free Consultation Call 888-805-9065

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.

Austin immigration facts

The Courts, Facilities, and Offices That Decide Austin Cases

Immigration courts

Austin has no immigration court of its own. Cases from Austin and Central Texas are assigned to the San Antonio Immigration Court, about 80 miles south, or heard by video. Detained cases go to the docket of the facility holding the person.

Houston Immigration Court
606 Lamar St, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002
Est. wait 3.8 yrs · 14 judges · Pending 52,000
Dallas Immigration Court
1100 Commerce St, Suite 600, Dallas, TX 75242
Est. wait 3.5 yrs · 8 judges · Pending 31,000
San Antonio Immigration Court
800 Dolorosa St, Suite 300, San Antonio, TX 78207
Est. wait 3.3 yrs · 10 judges · Pending 25,000
Harlingen Immigration Court
2009 W Jefferson Ave, Harlingen, TX 78550
Est. wait 2.8 yrs · 6 judges · Pending 15,000
El Paso Immigration Court
700 E San Antonio Ave, Suite 550, El Paso, TX 79901
Est. wait 2.5 yrs · 5 judges · Pending 12,000

Wait times and pending-case figures are estimates; confirm your hearing with your A-number through EOIR.

ICE detention facilities

Texas holds more ICE detainees than any other state. Austin-area arrests usually go first to T. Don Hutto in Taylor or to Pearsall, then anywhere in the state as beds open. Transfers across Texas within the first week are the norm, which is why we locate the person first and file the bond request at the facility that actually holds them.

T. Don Hutto Residential Center, Taylor, TX: 35 miles from Austin, the closest ICE facility to the city
South Texas ICE Processing Center, Pearsall, TX
Montgomery Processing Center, Conroe, TX
Houston Contract Detention Facility, Houston, TX
Bluebonnet Detention Center, Anson, TX
Prairieland Detention Center, Alvarado, TX
IAH Secure Adult Detention Facility, Livingston, TX
Port Isabel Detention Center, Los Fresnos, TX
El Paso Service Processing Center, El Paso, TX
Camp East Montana, El Paso, TX: opened in 2025 at Fort Bliss

Someone detained? Call now

USCIS and asylum offices

Affirmative asylum interviews for Texas residents are generally scheduled through the Houston Asylum Office (Houston, TX).

USCIS field offices serving Texas: Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, El Paso, Harlingen.

How we serve Austin

Immigration law is federal, so our attorneys represent Austin and Central Texas clients in the San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas immigration courts and at every Texas detention facility, by video and in person.

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 Austin, 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 Austin?

Affirmative asylum interviews for Texas residents are scheduled through the Houston Asylum Office. If you are placed in removal proceedings, the case is heard at the Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Harlingen, El Paso immigration courts, 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

Free and confidential

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.

Call 888-805-9065 Book a Free Consultation

Every case is different. Outcomes cannot be guaranteed.