Nobody likes to run away from their native country where they were born and raised and have their friends and family. However, sometimes negative circumstances can force one to run away and seek refuge in another place. If you no longer feel safe in your native and wish to seek refuge in the United States, it is certainly possible.
While you can find a place in the US, Seeking asylum is not an easy process. If you are an inexperienced person with barely any legal knowledge, you will undoubtedly require the assistance of an attorney to walk you through the procedure.
Frequently asked questions
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Am I a refugee?
This is one of the most common questions because most people are not sure whether they are a refugee or not. A refugee is anyone who has had to flee from their own country because of facing ill-treatment, harm, or any form of damage. The reason for the damage is usually something the refugee cannot control, such as their religion, race, skin color, political opinion, etc.
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Can a person apply for asylum from overseas?
No. You can only apply for US Asylum if you are physically present inside the US borders, airport, or any other port of entry. If you are at one of the entry ports, you will likely be detained by the government until it is established that you are indeed a refugee.
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How do I know if I qualify for Asylum?
To qualify for US Asylum, you must first establish that you are a refugee and are not subject to any asylum bars. Asylum bars include the following:
- Conviction of certain crimes in the USA.
- Being a danger to national security.
- Having a safe third country where you could live instead of the US.
- Filing for asylum after one year of arriving in the US.
- Persecution of others.
- Conviction of serious crimes outside the US.
- Terrorist activity.
- Being rejected for Asylum.
- Am I allowed to work while my Asylum case is pending?
You may be allowed to work while you are waiting for your asylum case to finalize. The US government does not provide any form of public assistance to those refugees whose cases are pending. Therefore, you might need to start working to support yourself financially. However, if your application has been pending for more than 180 days, you may apply for a work permit.
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Will the US government provide me with a free attorney for my asylum case?
No. The US government provides free legal representation for those already residing in the country. However, people stuck with immigration cases are not provided the same privileges. You will need to bring an attorney of your own or represent yourself.
