- Nepali asylum denials rose from 318 in fiscal 2025 to 458 in fiscal 2026.
- Nationwide courts recorded 138,889 asylum denials in fiscal 2026.
U.S. immigration judges granted asylum to 58 Nepali applicants in fiscal 2026, the lowest annual count since 2003. Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) figures cover decisions in immigration court.
The count was just above the 57 grants in fiscal 2003. It measures the number of grants, not an asylum grant rate.
The high point in the fiscal 2001–2026 series came in fiscal 2023, when judges granted asylum to 675 Nepali applicants. The latest figure marks a sharp departure from that peak.
These figures cover immigration judge decisions in federal immigration court. USCIS grants on affirmative asylum applications are excluded.
The categories also separate asylum grants from other relief. A grant of other relief is not an asylum grant.
| Fiscal year | Nepali asylum grants |
|---|---|
| FY2023 | 675 |
| FY2026 | 58 |
The series counts immigration judge decisions
The grant total is one part of the court record. Immigration courts recorded 458 asylum denials for Nepali applicants in fiscal 2026, compared with 318 in fiscal 2025. Other forms of relief were recorded separately, at 40 in fiscal 2026 and 67 in fiscal 2025.
The year-to-year pattern shifted quickly after the 2023 peak. Grants fell to 540 in fiscal 2024 and 304 in fiscal 2025 before reaching 58 in fiscal 2026. Denials rose from 133 in fiscal 2023 to 134 in fiscal 2024, then reached 318 and 458 in the next two fiscal years.
A grant count and a grant rate answer different questions. The count gives the number of people granted asylum in a given period; a rate compares grants with a defined set of decisions. The headline’s low refers to the annual count.
The figures describe court outcomes for Nepali applicants, not affirmative applications decided by USCIS. They also do not combine asylum with other forms of relief. That separation is necessary when comparing the categories.
Nepali and nationwide outcomes differ across the full series
Across fiscal 2001–2026, asylum grants accounted for 68.3% of categorized outcomes involving Nepali applicants. Nationwide, the comparable share was 34.5%. Both percentages use categorized outcomes that include denials and grants of other relief in the denominator.
The totals behind those shares include 10,752 categorized Nepali outcomes: 7,342 asylum grants, 3,139 denials and 271 grants of other relief. Nationwide over the same period, courts recorded 1,135,897 categorized outcomes, including 391,496 asylum grants, 693,388 denials and 51,013 other-relief grants.
The more recent national figures also include multiple outcome types. In fiscal 2026, immigration courts recorded 10,516 asylum grants, 138,889 denials and 9,108 grants of other relief nationwide. Those are court outcomes, not a count of affirmative USCIS decisions.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review reported that courts completed 973,669 cases in fiscal 2026, up from 798,975 in fiscal 2025. The pending caseload fell by 421,741 cases during fiscal 2026. Those systemwide measures provide workload context; they do not identify a reason for the change in Nepali asylum grants.
A historical court series cannot give an individual applicant’s current case status. Applicants checking a live proceeding should use ACIS or Respondent Access.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
