Whether you need guidance on the type of asylum case you have or representation before the Asylum Office, our attorneys are here to help.
Affirmative Asylum
Applying from within the United States.
In the affirmative asylum process, individuals physically present in the United States — regardless of how they arrived or their current status — may apply for asylum by submitting Form I-589 to the Asylum Office at USCIS.
Asylum-seekers must apply within one year from the date of last arrival, unless they can demonstrate changed circumstances materially affecting eligibility, or extraordinary circumstances explaining the delay (with filing within a reasonable amount of time given those circumstances).
Per INA §208(d)(5), the initial interview should take place within 45 days of filing and a decision should issue within 180 days, absent exceptional circumstances. Affirmative asylum applicants are free to live in the U.S. pending the completion of processing.
Defensive Asylum
Asserting asylum in removal proceedings.
When asylum is claimed as a defense to removal, the application proceeds before an Immigration Judge. We prepare detailed declarations, country conditions evidence, expert testimony and corroborating documents — building a record designed to withstand scrutiny on appeal.