USCIS opens an asylum office in Charlotte for applicants in North and South Carolina

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is opening an asylum office in Charlotte, North Carolina, the agency announced on 9 October 2026. The office opens on 13 October.

People living in North Carolina or South Carolina who have filed for asylum, or who are filing now, will fall under the Charlotte Asylum Office's jurisdiction and may be scheduled for their interview there, USCIS said.

Where it is and how it works

The office is at 128 South Tryon Street, Suite 600, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202.

USCIS said that "interviews and other services are by appointment only" and that "asylum offices do not accept walk-ins."

The agency told applicants to read their interview notice carefully, because the notice states where to appear. Anyone who needs to reschedule before the appointment can call the USCIS Contact Center on 1-800-375-5283. USCIS also pointed applicants to its Asylum Office Locator and to its page on disability accommodations.

What to bring to an asylum interview

USCIS's own guidance on preparing for an affirmative asylum interview applies in Charlotte as it does elsewhere. Applicants should bring identification such as a passport, other travel documents or a Form I-94, a copy of their Form I-589 asylum application, and the originals of any birth certificates, marriage certificates or other documents they submitted with it. Documents that are not in English need a certified English translation. A spouse and any children under 21 who are included in the application must attend too.

One rule is worth noting for readers whose first language is Tigrinya or Arabic. USCIS does not provide interpreters, except for applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing. Applicants who are not fluent in English must bring their own interpreter, who has to be at least 18 and fluent in both English and the applicant's language. The applicant's attorney, a witness testifying for the applicant, or a representative of the government of the applicant's country cannot act as interpreter.

Arriving without a competent interpreter leads to the interview being cancelled and rescheduled. USCIS counts that as a delay caused by the applicant, which affects eligibility for a work permit under Form I-765.

Interviews generally last at least an hour, and no decision is given on the day. Applicants who miss an interview have to ask for a new date and show "exceptional circumstances." If 10 days pass with no request, the application can be dismissed or the case referred to an immigration judge, depending on the person's status.

Part of a wider change

The Charlotte opening follows another in the south-eastern United States this year. The USCIS Atlanta Asylum Office opened on 8 July 2026 to serve applicants in Georgia and Alabama, according to Vasquez Law Firm, an immigration practice in North Carolina, which noted at the time that North Carolina applicants were not covered by it.

USCIS has also expanded closer to home for many readers. As Asmara Post reported on 3 September, the agency opened a field office in Addis Ababa on 9 September to handle document verification, fraud investigations and DNA testing in family-based immigration cases.

Readers starting an asylum claim in the United States or elsewhere can find the official starting points in the Asmara Post guide "Asylum & Residency: getting started." This article is general information and is not legal advice.

This report draws on the USCIS alert of 9 October 2026 and USCIS guidance on preparing for an affirmative asylum interview, and on information published by Vasquez Law Firm.