It can be difficult to know when and how to apply for asylum, especially when you have just escaped a difficult situation in your home country. The experienced asylum lawyers at Bretz & Coven, LLP want to help. Here are their answers to the most common questions about asylum in the U.S.
You may qualify for asylum if you are a refugee—defined under U.S. law as someone outside his or her country of residence, who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
How you apply for asylum depends on your circumstances. In all cases, you must submit a Form I-589. However, the location at which you submit the form varies, depending on if you:
You are not required to bring a lawyer, but applicants with New York City immigration asylum attorneys are much more likely to succeed in their asylum applications.
You must list your spouse and children on your Form I-589, regardless of whether they are with you in the United States, or want to be included in your asylum application. However, you may ask to include your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 in your application.
Most asylum applicants receive a decision within six months of their application, barring unusual circumstances.
The immigration attorneys at Bretz & Coven, LLP successfully have represented hundreds of asylum applicants, from uncomplicated first-time applicants to individuals already in removal proceedings. If you are contemplating applying for asylum, or want to appeal an adverse asylum decision, contact our experienced immigration attorneys right away.
We invite you to contact us online or by phone, at 212-267-2555, or to visit our conveniently located offices in downtown Manhattan, to discuss your application for asylum and any other immigration concerns you may have. For an office appointment in Metro Park, New Jersey, call 1 (732) 313-0075.