U.S. law generally requires that an asylum application be filed within one year of the applicant's last arrival in the United States. It is one of the first things reviewed in every asylum case, which is why any preparation should start with a simple question: when did you last enter, and how long ago was that?
The one-year clock runs from your most recent arrival. If you arrived, left, and came back, the latest entry usually controls. Your I-94 record or entry stamp is the cleanest proof of that date, which is why it belongs in your evidence from day one.
If more than a year has passed
The law recognizes exceptions — for changed circumstances (something meaningful changed in your country or your life that affects your claim) and extraordinary circumstances (something serious prevented filing, like a medical condition or being a minor). Whether an exception fits a particular case is exactly the kind of judgment a licensed attorney should weigh in on. If your filing would be past the year, Pro Se will flag it prominently and suggest attorney input rather than pretending the issue isn't there.
Withholding of removal — a related protection on the same Form I-589 — has no one-year deadline, which is one reason the form covers both.
What to do with this
Know your last arrival date. Keep proof of it. If you're inside the year, don't sit on it — an application filed early is an application whose deadline never becomes the story. This article is general information, not legal advice about your case; Pro Se by Law Aid Management LLC is not a law firm.