Apply for Asylum

Help for immigrants who are afraid to return to their home countries

Schedule an appointment with one of the organizations below to apply for asylum or to explore asylum as a defense in deportation proceedings. 

Asylum is a protection granted to people who fear persecution in their home country for their race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion.
 

Who can help

The organizations below can help immigrants find out if they qualify for asylum, and may be able to help them apply.

Print agency list

  • African Advocacy Network (AAN)

    Languages spoken:
    English Amharic Arabic French Portuguese Tigrinya Wolof

    Immigration legal services and case management for African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants

    3106 Folsom Street
    San Francisco, CA 94110

    Call 415-503-1032 www.aansf.org

    Hours
    Monday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Wednesday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Thursday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Friday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

    Languages spoken:
    English Arabic Farsi

    Immigration legal services for low-income Arab and Muslim immigrants

    522 Valencia St
    San Francisco, CA 94110

    Call 415-861-7444 www.araborganizing.org

    Hours
    Monday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Tuesday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Wednesday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Thursday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Friday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

    Languages spoken:
    English Mandarin Cantonese Filipino Vietnamese Korean Japanese Spanish

    Immigration legal and social services for low-income Asian Pacific Islander, Latino and immigrant communities.

    1121 Mission Street
    San Francisco, CA 94103

    Call 415-567-6255 www.apilegaloutreach.org

    Hours
    Monday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Wednesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Thursday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

    Languages spoken:
    English Spanish

    Immigration legal and social services for Latino, immigrant and low-income families

    3101 Mission Street #101
    San Francisco, CA 94110

    Call 415-642-4400 www.carecensf.org

    Hours
    Monday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Wednesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Thursday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

    Languages spoken:
    English Spanish Hindi

    Immigration legal services for Latino, immigrant and low-income families

    938 Valencia Street
    San Francisco, CA 94110

    Call 415-282-6209 www.dscs.org

    Hours
    Monday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Tuesday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Wednesday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Thursday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Friday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Immigration Center for Women and Children

    Languages spoken:
    English Spanish

    Immigration legal services for children and immigrants who are victims of domestic violence and other crimes

    3543 18th Street
    San Francisco, CA 94110

    Call 415-861-1449 www.icwclaw.org

  • Jewish Family & Children's Services

    Languages spoken:
    English Russian

    Immigration legal and social services for children, families and older adults, including Russian speaking and Eastern European clients

    2150 Post St.
    San Francisco, CA 94122

    Call 415-449-2900 www.jfcs.org/find-help/emigres

    Hours
    Monday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Wednesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Thursday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Jubilee Immigration Advocates

    Languages spoken:
    English Cantonese Mandarin Filipino Spanish French Vietnamese

    Immigration legal services for immigrants including Cantonese and Mandarin speakers

    100 Bush Street Suite 508
    San Francisco, CA 94104

    Call (415) 813-1958 jubileelegal.org

    Hours
    Monday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Wednesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Thursday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Friday: Closed
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Justice & Diversity Center-Homeless Advocacy Project

    Languages spoken:
    Spanish

    Immigration legal services for individuals or families are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, with a focus on individuals with mental health disabilities.

    125 Hyde Street
    San Francisco, CA 94102

    Call tel:415-865-9208 sfbar.org/hap

    Hours
    Monday: Closed
    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Wednesday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Thursday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Friday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Kids in Need of Self Defense

    Immigration legal services for unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in deportation proceedings

    200 Pine Street, 3rd Floor 
    San Francisco, CA 94104

    Call 415-694-7394 supportkind.org

  • LGBT Asylum Project

    Languages spoken:
    Spanish Portuguese

    Immigration legal services for LGBTQ immigrants applying for asylum

    526 Castro Street
    San Francisco, CA 94114

    Call tel:424-278-0922 lgbtasylumproject.org

    Hours
    Monday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Tuesday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wednesday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thursday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Friday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

    Languages spoken:
    English Spanish French

    Serbisyong ligal sa imigrasyon para sa mga imigrante, refugee at mga pamilyang low-income na naghahanap ng asylum

    131 Steuart Street #400
    San Francisco, CA 94105

    Call (415) 543-9444 www.lccr.com

  • Pangea Legal Services

    Languages spoken:
    English Spanish French Portuguese German Farsi Krio

    Immigration legal services and advocacy for immigrants, especially in the area of deportation defense

    350 Sansome Street, Suite 650
    San Francisco, CA 94104

    Call 415-254-0475 www.pangealegal.org

    Hours
    Monday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Tuesday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Wednesday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Thursday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Friday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • Tahrih Justice Center

    Languages spoken:
    English Spanish Hindi

    Immigration legal services for immigrant women and girls who are survivors of gender-based violence

    881 Sneath Lane, Suite 115
    San Bruno, CA 94066

    Call tel:650-270-2100 www.tahirih.org

    Hours
    Monday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Tuesday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Wednesday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Thursday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Friday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

  • The Bar Association of San Francisco

    Languages spoken:
    English Spanish Cantonese

    Immigration legal services for disadvantaged and underserved individuals

    301 Battery Street
    San Francisco, CA 94111

    Call (415) 982-1600 www.sfbar.org

    Hours
    Monday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Wednesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Thursday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Saturday: Closed
    Sunday: Closed

Show agencies that speak:

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Tahrih Justice Center

Tahrih Justice Center

Tahrih Justice Center

Tahrih Justice Center

Tahrih Justice Center

Tahrih Justice Center

Tahrih Justice Center

Tahrih Justice Center

LGBT Asylum Project

LGBT Asylum Project

LGBT Asylum Project

LGBT Asylum Project

LGBT Asylum Project

LGBT Asylum Project

LGBT Asylum Project

LGBT Asylum Project

Justice & Diversity Center-Homeless Advocacy Project

Justice & Diversity Center-Homeless Advocacy Project

Justice & Diversity Center-Homeless Advocacy Project

Justice & Diversity Center-Homeless Advocacy Project

Justice & Diversity Center-Homeless Advocacy Project

Justice & Diversity Center-Homeless Advocacy Project

The Bar Association of San Francisco

The Bar Association of San Francisco

The Bar Association of San Francisco

The Bar Association of San Francisco

The Bar Association of San Francisco

The Bar Association of San Francisco

The Bar Association of San Francisco

The Bar Association of San Francisco

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Jubilee Immigration Advocates

Jubilee Immigration Advocates

Jubilee Immigration Advocates

Jubilee Immigration Advocates

Jubilee Immigration Advocates

Jubilee Immigration Advocates

Jubilee Immigration Advocates

Jubilee Immigration Advocates

Pangea Legal Services

Pangea Legal Services

Pangea Legal Services

Pangea Legal Services

Pangea Legal Services

Pangea Legal Services

Pangea Legal Services

Pangea Legal Services

Jewish Family & Children's Services

Jewish Family & Children's Services

Jewish Family & Children's Services

Jewish Family & Children's Services

Jewish Family & Children's Services

Jewish Family & Children's Services

Jewish Family & Children's Services

Jewish Family & Children's Services

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS)

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

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You can also see contact information for all San Francisco immigration legal aid organizations.