The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) discusses asylum and refugee status together in many cases because the two are very similar under immigration law. This is because both types of status are only available to those who meet the statutory definition in 8 U.S.C. §1101(a)(42).
This definition is anyone who is unable or unwilling to return to or seek protection from their country of nationality or residence “because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”
The primary difference between asylum and refugee status is that asylum is granted to those already in the U.S. or seeking admission at a port of entry, while refugee status is granted to those located outside the U.S. People already in the U.S. may seek asylum regardless of their immigration status.