If you are a Chinese national, you may apply for asylum because of your country's population control policies. But the law limits such approvals to 1,000 per year. So if your case is successful, you will receive a "conditional grant" notice only. This put you on a waitlist for an authorization number for final approval. I last checked on this in October and the INS central office told me that there were about 4000 people on the wait list. So it takes about four years to get final approval for asylum.
A "conditional grant" does not give you any right except permission to work. You cannot get benefits, travel overseas or sponsor your family.
