Summary: On October 9, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is opening an asylum office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Beginning October 13, 2026, people who live in North Carolina or South Carolina and have filed or are filing for asylum with USCIS fall under the Charlotte Asylum Office.
What happened
USCIS asylum offices handle affirmative asylum cases, meaning asylum applications filed directly with USCIS by people who are not in removal proceedings in immigration court. These offices schedule and conduct asylum interviews.
According to the USCIS alert, the new office is located at 128 South Tryon Street, Suite 600, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, which is also its mailing address. Interviews and other services are by appointment only; the office does not accept walk-ins.
Who is affected
- Asylum applicants who live in North Carolina or South Carolina, including those whose cases were already pending before October 13, 2026, and those filing now.
- Family members included as dependents in those asylum applications.
USCIS says applicants under the new office’s jurisdiction may be scheduled for interviews in Charlotte, and that anyone who receives an interview notice should check it carefully for the appointment location. The alert does not say whether interviews already scheduled at other offices will be moved, or how the change will affect wait times.
What it means
For asylum seekers in the Carolinas, interviews may now take place at an office within their region. Because jurisdiction changed on October 13, interview notices are the best indicator of where a particular interview will take place. The change does not alter who qualifies for asylum or how USCIS decides cases; it changes which office handles cases from these two states.
The opening comes as USCIS continues to adjust its asylum operations. Asylum applicants also remain subject to the annual asylum fee created by the 2025 law known as H.R. 1, which USCIS adjusted for inflation effective October 16, 2026.
Source: USCIS – USCIS Opens Asylum Office in Charlotte (published October 9, 2026)
Wondering how this affects you or your family? Every case is different. Schedule a consultation with Attorney James Betzold, by phone or video, or call (833) 847-2335.
This article is a news summary for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration law changes often and every case is different; only a legal consultation with Attorney James Betzold can determine how this news applies to you.