Talk To A Chicago Immigration Attorney
312-332-2550
What is Affirmative Asylum?
Looking for A Specific Post? Search Below
Affirmative action is when someone who fears persecution in their native country applies for protection under U.S. asylum law. Preparing and filing an affirmative asylum application is a very involved process with stringent requirements that must be satisfied if the application is to be approved. As is the case in many immigration matters, it is best for one seeking asylum to have the assistance of an experienced immigration attorney.
To successfully pursue an asylum application, the applicant must go through a series of steps as follows:
Apply for Asylum
To apply for asylum, you will need to file Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within one year of your last entry into the United States. Your application will be rejected if you file it after the one year has ended unless you can establish that you qualify for an exception provided under the law.
Bars to Asylum Application
Your application for asylum can be rejected or denied on grounds you are barred from applying for asylum if you:
- Filed your application more than one year after you last arrived in the United States
- Previously filed an asylum application which was denied by USCIS or by an immigration judge or by the Board of Immigration Appeals
- Can be removed (deported) to a safe third country under an agreement between the United States and that country or others the U.S. government has agreements to receive individuals in your similar situation.
The law provides exceptions to these bars, whether you qualify for those exceptions is something you will need to discuss and be advised by an experienced asylum lawyer.
Fingerprinting and Background Checks
After you have submitted your application, you will receive an appointment notice to have your fingerprints taken. Your spouse and children should come with you to the appointment if you also seek asylum status for them.
Interview Notice
You will next receive a notice of your interview date. Depending on where you live, this interview will be scheduled with an asylum officer either at USCIS’s eight asylum offices across the country, the two asylum sub-offices, or at a USCIS field office near you. The interview notice will inform you about the date, location, and time of your asylum interview.
Interview
You have the option to appear by yourself, but you may also bring a lawyer or USCIS accredited representative to the interview. In either case, you must also bring your spouse and any children who you have included in your application as seeking derivative asylum benefits.
Determination of Asylum Application
Following your interview, the asylum officer interviewing you will determine whether you:
- Are eligible to apply for asylum
- Meet the definition of a refugee as defined under the law
- Are barred from being approved for asylum under the applicable law
Call an Immigration Lawyer
If you believe you are eligible to apply for asylum and are in the Chicago area, contact us today, and one of our experienced lawyers will provide you with consultation on how best to proceed with your application.
What Our Clients Say
5-Star Rating | Based on 200+ Satisfied Customer Google Reviews
We are incredibly grateful for the guidance and support we received from Kriezelman Burton & Associates during our family’s Green Card petition process. We had a very complicated case that several other lawyers could not take on, but that was not the case with Kriezelman Burton & Associates. From the beginning, our Attorney Mr. Kevin Raica made us feel heard, supported, and confident that our case was in good hands.…
Highly recommend Attorney Erin Cobb and her entire team. Extremely knowledgeable, compassionate, and urgent to serve and solve any issue.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my attorney, Kevin Raica, for his incredible professionalism, dedication, and genuine care🙏🏻 My case was extremely complicated, It felt like everything was lost and there was no way to fix it. But Kevin did the impossible — he managed to reopen my case, restore everything, and lead it to a successful result at the interview. His persistence, deep knowledge, responsibility, and…
I had a great experience working with Matthew Kriezelman and Kamila Lada. They were professional, knowledgeable, and truly cared about my case. They always took the time to answer my questions and kept me informed every step of the way. Their kindness and attention to detail made a stressful process so much easier. I’m very grateful for their help and highly recommend them.
I am writing to appreciate Attorney Erin and Attorney Andrea for making it possible for me to be represented within a short notice. If you both ever read this, I truly want to express my heartfelt gratitude to both of you. Andrea was right by me, and I felt her presence through it all. I cannot speak enough about this firm. I will continue to send people to this firm…
I had the pleasure of working with attorney Khiabett Osuna and Rafael. They were knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely cared about my case from start to finish. They were both very kind and every question I had was answered promptly, and they always made me feel supported and informed. Their attention to detail and compassion made a stressful process so much easier. I’m beyond grateful for their hard work and highly…
I had a wonderful experience working with Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC. From start to finish, the team was professional, knowledgeable, and truly dedicated to guiding me through every step of the process. They made what could have been a stressful situation feel smooth and manageable, always answering questions quickly and keeping me updated. I especially want to thank Khabit for his outstanding support—he was patient, detail-oriented, and went above…
Many thanks to attorney Kevin A Raica and his assistant Rafael Rodriguez for all their help. My immigration case went very smoothly and quickly.
We worked with Kevin Raica from Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC, and I can confidently say he went above and beyond for us. Our process was very long and at times overwhelming, but Kevin guided us every step of the way with professionalism, patience, and dedication. He was always available to answer our questions, explained everything clearly, and made sure we understood our options at each stage. What stood out…
A family friend referred me to work with Maya Flores at Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC to help me with my U.S. naturalization. Despite the current immigration tension, Maya helped make the process smooth and her familiarity with procedure helped ease my anxiety. She submitted the citizenship application on my behalf and let me know what to expect. I decided to retain her service for the civics interview as well,…
Schedule A Consultation!
Libertyville
Attorney Advertising. This information is designed for general information only. The information presented should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Past results and testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of your case, and should not be construed as such. Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in a single case is not meant to create an expectation of similar results in future matters because each case involves many different factors, therefore, results will differ on a case-by-case basis. By providing contact information, users acknowledge and give explicit consent to be contacted via the methods of communication provided, including SMS. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. Reply STOP to opt out.
NUVEW | Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved | Accessibility Notice | privacy policy