The Asylum Interview

Every asylum claim will eventually result in an asylum interview. Upon arriving at a United States port of entry or upon filing an asylum claim within one year of arriving, a foreign national must give a sworn affidavit of the conditions that are causing him or her to claim asylum protection in the United States. If the alien demonstrates a “well-founded fear” of persecution or danger in his/her home country, s/he is paroled into the United States to await the adjudication of the asylum petition.

If you are applying for asylum and you reside in Northern California, Northern Nevada, Alaska, Oregon, or Washington, your asylum interview will be scheduled at the San Francisco Asylum Office, near our downtown San Francisco immigration law office. Our experienced immigration attorney can prepare you for the asylum interview and accompany you during the interview to ensure that you are informed and comfortable. Our lawyer has successfully represented asylees from countries such as Cambodia, Columbia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iran, Nepal, Singapore, and Vietnam.

At the interview, you and your spouse, children, and any other dependents named in the asylum application will be joined by our immigration lawyer. An asylum officer will ask a series of questions to confirm details of your claim about why you are afraid of returning to your home country. If needed, a translator will be present. Your rights will be protected by our immigration lawyer, who will help you explain details of your case and make sure that you understand all the questions you are being asked.

The sooner you contact an immigration lawyer to assist you with your asylum claim, the more time you will have to prepare a compelling body of evidence to support your case. Contact us today for a free consultation for asylum help.