When should I expect my asylum interview?
Asylum offices have a statutory duty to schedule an asylum interview within 45 days of the initial filing; the entire case must be completed within 180 days (the time it takes for a person with a pending asylum application to procure an employment authorization card).
Where are asylum interviews held?
Depending on where you live, we will schedule you for an interview with an asylum officer either at one of the eight asylum offices, the two asylum sub-offices, or at a USCIS field office (“circuit ride location”). For more information about USCIS field and asylum offices, visit our Find A USCIS Office page.
What should I expect in an asylum interview?
Your interview with the asylum officer will last roughly one hour. At the beginning of the interview, you’ll swear an oath to tell the truth. The asylum officer will talk with you, hear your story, and ask you questions. If you have an attorney, they are there for your protection and will help throughout the interview.
How do I get an asylum interview?
You can submit a written request to expedite your case to your local USCIS asylum office that will be deciding your case. The request has to be written (not over the phone). It should include supporting evidence. Asylum offices review such requests on a case-by-case basis.
Can you get asylum without interview?
In a past article (Expediting Your Asylum Application If Already in the Backlog), we advised that if you have an urgent need to be interviewed or obtain a decision on your case, you may submit an expedited request to the Asylum Office, explaining your need for an expedited process.
What is the next step after asylum interview?
If your claim is denied at the interview, this is not the end of your case, but only its beginning. The next step after the asylum interview is a referral to your first Immigration Court Master Calendar hearing in the Immigration Court that covers your place of residence in U.S.
How long does asylum process take in us?
How Long Does the Asylum Process Take? A decision should be made on your asylum application within 180 days after the date you filed your application unless there are exceptional circumstances.
What happens if you fail your asylum interview?
If you apply for asylum at an asylum office and they say “no,” they will probably put you into removal proceedings and you will have to appear in immigration court. At that time, you can ask again for asylum from the immigration judge. If the BIA denies your request, you can appeal to a federal court.
How do you win an asylum case?
You’ll need to show that you fit the legal definition of a “refugee”—that is, that you are unable or unwilling to return to your home country because of having experienced persecution or having a well-founded fear of future persecution on account of at least one of five grounds: either your race, religion, nationality.
Why would asylum be denied?
If you do not provide very detailed information in a well-organized manner, your claim for asylum will likely be denied, even if you have a genuine fear of persecution in your country. Moreover, time is of the essence in asylum applications.
What if my asylum is denied?
A: If your asylum claim is denied by the asylum officer, you will be placed into removal proceedings if you are out of status or it is determined that you are otherwise subject to removal. However, we can renew your asylum claim in Immigration Court and have it re-heard by the Immigration Judge.