Refugee Registration Up for Renewal: Form I-590: A Potential Shortcut to Citizenship

On May 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a notice announcing they were requesting renewal of Form I-590, the form used to register for classification as a refugee. USCIS intends to renew Form I-590 without any changes to the form or current agency guidance overseeing the intake and approval of aliens seeking to claim refugee status.

Renewing this form for another 3 years will make revising related regulations more burdensome and complicated, while implicitly cementing insufficient refugee criteria until the next administration takes office. CRF will file comments both opposing the renewal of this collection and urging the present administration to drastically reform the refugee approval process.

Issues

Form I-590

The refugee application form asks only one question about the applicant’s reason for fleeing, with little verification required, resulting in an exceedingly low burden of proof. In September 2023, over half of all applicants were granted asylum, reflecting how relaxed the standards are for obtaining refugee status.

“Well-Founded Fear of Persecution”

In 2024, over one hundred thousand refugees were admitted into the United States, each claiming refugee status due to a “well-founded fear of persecution.” USCIS guidance states that credible testimony alone is sufficient to meet the applicant’s burden, meaning refugee admissions are dictated almost entirely according to the subjective believability of a given applicant.

Objective Basis of Subjective Fear

Current policies conflict with the established four-prong test to determine a “well-founded fear of persecution,” lowering the standard to offer refugee status even to those who are unlikely to be punished by their persecutor and extending refugee admissions far beyond what was originally intended.

Solutions

Revise Form I-590 to increase the burden of proof required to demonstrate a legitimate well-founded fear of persecution.

Increase the administrative burden associated with refugee applications to deter fraudulent attempts to claim refugee status.

Limit admissions of those claiming refugee status until America’s present illegal immigration problem is under control.

As of March 2025, there are an estimated 18.6 million illegal aliens residing in the U.S. despite massive deportation efforts. The surge in illegal immigration over the past four years means national security should take priority over expanding humanitarian aid.

The current refugee system fails to ensure that only those truly facing crisis or persecution are admitted, since it relies on subjective criteria and personal testimony rather than clear, consistent standards. Renewing this process will keep refugee definitions vague and easy to exploit, so policies should be reformed to better protect both U.S. national security and genuine victims. CRF will urge USCIS to revise Form I-590 and related policies in our comments, and recommend that the public do the same.