Frisco Asylum Lawyer

The United States is one of the countries those fleeing persecution seek refuge, or those who are already here seek protection against being returned to their native countries where they fear persecution. At Joseph & Hall, P.C., our experienced Frisco asylum lawyers help individuals and families in Frisco that seek asylum to do so successfully.

Applying for Asylum in the United States

You can either affirmatively or defensively apply for asylum. To affirmatively apply for asylum in the United States, you must first either be in the country, or you must be a border point to enter the United States. If you are already in the United States, you must apply for asylum within 1 year of the last time you entered the country.

If you apply after the 1-year filing deadline, your application will be rejected for the reason you missed the deadline unless you can show that you meet one of the following narrow exceptions:

• Things have so significantly changed in your native country since after your 1-year anniversary, giving rise to your fear of returning there and, therefore, your eligibility to apply for asylum after the 1-year filing deadline
• There are extraordinary circumstances that caused the delay in filing your asylum application within the required 1-year deadline
• You have now applied within a reasonable time under these circumstances to be eligible for an exception to the 1-year filing deadline.

If you are in the United States and you have been placed in deportation or removal proceedings, you can defensively apply for asylum. In that situation, an immigration judge, not USCIS, will decide whether you should be granted asylum. 

Completion and Submission of Asylum Application

You can apply for asylum if you are in the United States or at the border trying to enter if you have suffered persecution or have a fear of harm in your native country because of your race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

You will need to accurately complete a Form I-589 Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal. If you are married or have children, you can include them in your application. For your child to be considered under your application, they must be under the age of 21.

You will then submit your application to the appropriate USCIS immigration office. It is important to have an experienced asylum lawyer to either review your application or help you in properly and completely having the application filled out. 

The Process After Submission of Your Application

Once you submit your application, you will receive a letter letting you know your application was properly filed and has been received by USCIS for processing. If you do not receive this letter, it means your application may not have been filed properly, or the letter has been sent to the wrong address. 

You will then receive a letter for your interview date when a USCIS examiner will ask you questions about your fear of persecution. The examiner will then decide whether to grant you asylum or not.

If you are in the Frisco area and fear persecution in your native country, contact our office to discuss how we can help you.