Los Angeles Asylum Attorney

The Law Offices of Carlos Barrios can help you with Asylum

Asylum is defined as the protection given to an individual by one country to refugees from another country. Under United States law, a person who believes they are threatened with persecution in their home country due to race, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs, or membership in a particular social group may apply for asylum and receive refugee status. Anyone is eligible for this form of relief. However, the current immigration laws do require that the application or claim for asylum be entered with immigration within one year of arriving in the United States. Applying for asylum is a complicated matter and requires the representation of a qualified Los Angeles Immigration defense attorney.

Asylum Lawyer in Los Angeles

Asylee(a person who has applied and been given asylum) status can be held indefinitely. However, work authorization must be renewed on a yearly basis. Immediate family members may be eligible for asylee status as well, as long as they have been named in the alien’s original asylum application, even if any family members are not present in the U.S. at the time the application is filed. Certain criteria must be met to qualify for asylum. These include:

Applicant supporting documentation for Asylum Petition:

Alien’s birth certificate or other form of identification;
Marriage certificate (if applying with spouse);
Copy of passport and I-94 for all applicants (if alien already in the U.S.);
3 passport style photos on white background for each petitioner;
Evidence of relationship if applying for children under 21 years of age (birth certificates of children, school records, etc.);
Affidavit from client stating the problems they have had in their country of origin and why they cannot return there.

Third Party supporting documentation for Asylum Petition:

Newspaper articles supporting persecution of “asylum class”;
Death certificates of family members and other “class members”;
Medical records showing abuse of petitioners, family members and other “class members”;
Police reports proving violence against petitioners, family members or other “class members”;
US Department of State Report on petitioner’s country;
Human Rights Reports supporting situation on petitioner’s country;
Proof of membership in “asylum class” in petitioner’s country of origin, (i.e. if claiming political asylum-documents showing current membership in persecuted party; if claiming religious asylum-documents showing membership in persecuted religious group, etc.);
Any other documents that demonstrate persecution of petitioner’s “asylum class” in their country of last residence.

There are four main steps that occur during the asylum application. These are:

Gather Alien’s information and all supporting documentation. Time required depends on client’s ability to obtain documents and his/her level of involvement;
Complete and file asylum application (I-589)-Approximately 15-20 days from the date in which all supporting documentation is obtained. A notice of receipt from the US Immigration Service should be received approximately within 30-60 days;
The US Immigration Service will schedule and mail an interview date (this is generally scheduled for 30 to 90 days from the date recorded in the notice of receipt–the length of time depends on the particular schedule of the interviewing local US Immigration Service office);
Prepare alien for the US Immigration Service Interview and attend the US Immigration Service interview-number of preparation sessions and time required depends on client’s progress and comfort level.

If no final decision (approval or denial) has been made on the petition within 150 days from the date recorded on the notice of receipt, then we will complete and file a work authorization application. This is generally granted within 90 days from it’s filing date. If the asylum petition is granted before 150 days, a work authorization application may be filed immediately. If a negative decision is rendered by the US Immigration Service, the case may be heard before the immigration court. This entails an additional process and more time to be incurred in the case.

At the Law Offices of Carlos Barrios, we will take a close approach to providing you with the proper legal team you need to ensure your asylum application is successful. We have helped numerous clients achieve asylum in the United States and look forward to helping you and your family as well. For a free case evaluation, contact our office today.

Contact a Los Angeles Asylum Attorney from the Law Offices of Carlos Barrios for expert help with your Asylum Petition.