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What It Takes to Win Asylum in the U.S.
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Many fleeing persecution in their native countries find the United States to be a welcoming place. However, even as the country has welcomed for centuries those fleeing from persecution, getting asylum is extremely difficult. This is because the criteria to be granted asylum is so strict that few satisfy the requirements. At Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC, we have experienced asylum lawyers who routinely help clients in the Chicago area to successfully apply for asylum.
Eligibility for Asylum
To apply for asylum in the U.S., you must be a refugee as defined under U.S. immigration law. If you meet the definition of refugee, then you can apply for asylum by filing the proper paperwork with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is just the beginning of the long and arduous asylum application process, but an experienced immigration lawyer in Chicago can make things much less arduous with improved chances of success.
If your application passes the initial test to determine whether you are eligible, then next, an immigration officer will determine whether there are facts or circumstances about you that will bar you from being approved for asylum. These can be anything provided under the law, but the most common are as follows.
Timing
The law requires that one must file an application for asylum within one year of entering the United States. So, if you have made it into the U.S., you must make sure you apply for asylum within one year. In this case, you will be applying under the “affirmative” asylum process. This means you are applying for asylum before being placed in deportation or removal proceedings. You will be applying for asylum with USCIS, which will decide whether to approve or deny your case. You must be physically present in the U.S. to affirmatively apply for asylum, though you can apply at an entry point to the U.S., such as an airport or border checkpoint.
However, the U.S. government will now generally presume anyone who unlawfully enters the United States through the southwest land border or adjacent coastal border areas is ineligible to apply for asylum unless they can prove that an exception to the law applies. Unaccompanied children are exempted from this presumption.
You can also apply for asylum “defensively,” which means applying for asylum after you have been placed in deportation or removal proceedings. In this case, your application will be decided by an immigration judge.
Making an Asylum Case
Whether you are affirmatively or defensively applying for asylum, you must convince either USCIS or an immigration judge that you have suffered persecution in the past based on the various grounds provided under the law. You must also convince the USCIS or immigration judge that you have a “well-grounded” fear of persecution in your native country.
Although some applicants can prove their asylum cases with plenty of documents and other evidence, many are not able to do so. If you do not have a boatload of documents and other supporting evidence, then it is best to have an experienced immigration lawyer help you file a strong case with what you have and rely on other publicly available information that can help strengthen your case.
If you are in the Chicago area and believe you have an asylum case, contact our office today and schedule an appointment to learn how we can help you.
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I am incredibly grateful to Mr. Burton for his outstanding legal assistance in my immigration case, from my first consultation he heard me patiently demonstrating exceptional professionalism, expertise, and a genuine commitment to my case. Immigration process can be overwhelming and stressful, but he and his team provided clear guidance every step of the way, always answering my questions promptly and reassuring me with their deep expertise. Thanks to their…
I had an outstanding experience working with Brittni Rivera. From our very first consultation, she demonstrated deep expertise, professionalism, and genuine care for my case. Navigating immigration processes can be incredibly stressful, but Brittni made the entire journey much more manageable and transparent. She were always responsive to my questions, provided clear guidance at every step, and never made me feel like just another case. Thanks to her hard work…
Highly recommend this firm. I had the pleasure of working with Lauren McClure and she is absolutely the best. She was very helpful and walked me through every step of the process, she is patient and she got the job done. I am very grateful with her and her team for helping me with the process of my case. Thank you so much.
I have worked with Kevin Raica for my VAWA application. Let me tell you he has been AMAZING. Unlike other lawyers Kevin has always went above and beyond for me. Kevin is not in it for the money he is in it to HELP people and make a difference. He has walked me through the entire process and always answers any questions I have no matter what. This law firm…
The attorney is an excellent person and very professional. I am very grateful to the entire team—they are attentive to everything, and I consider her the best in all of the U.S. Thank you once again for everything.
Mr. Burton helped my mother with her case. He was always polite, clear, and always answered my questions in a professional and diligent manner. Our case ran smoothly, and we never ran into any issues. I also want to greatly thank the paralegal that also managed my case, Stephanie Nunez, she was always willing and very helpful with my mother, a genuinely good person. I will forever recommend Justin and…
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. Justin Burton! He is an outstanding specialist in his field and an attorney who quite literally changed our family’s life. Mr. Burton demonstrated a highly professional approach and exceptional dedication to our case. He stands out for his extensive knowledge of immigration law and, beyond that, is a person of great integrity. I can wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Justin Burton and…
I would like to start this review with a big thank you for the immigration lawyer, Nicole Provax, who has done a successful and amazing work on my dad’s case! She was dedicated in walking us through the whole process, keeping excellent communication with us, and despite the little hurdles that came up along the way, she was able to get the case to continue progressing! I’m forever grateful of…
I had the pleasure of having Brittni Rivera as our attorney working on our immigration green card process for my Husband and I .... from beginning to the end.. the best most professional guidance you could ask for. I highly recommend her ... and Donald Rogers too.. thanks again for all your help.
We had the pleasure of having Justin Burton on my parents case. From the moment we reached out, his staff was incredibly welcoming and took the time to really listen to our concerns. We never felt rushed or like just another case, Justin made sure we understood every step of the process and answered all our questions with patience and clarity. What really impressed us was how Justin and staff…
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