How To Apply for Asylum
The asylum process can take anywhere from 6 months to several years, depending on your situation. If you just arrived in the U.S. and want to apply, below are the steps you should take:
- Within your first year of arrival to the U.S., complete and submit Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal.
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Receive 2 notices from USCIS:
- Acknowledgment of receiving your application
- Notice to visit an application support center (ASC) to schedule your fingerprinting.
- Attend the fingerprinting and background/security check appointment.
- Receive notice for an interview with an asylum officer.
- Complete the interview. You may bring an attorney with you. If you cannot do the interview in English, you must bring an interpreter.
- An asylum officer determines if you are eligible to apply for asylum.
- A supervisory asylum officer reviews the decision.
- Receive a decision -- either return to the asylum office after 2 weeks to pick up the decision or receive it in the mail.
Call (212) 969-8570 to
request a free initial consultation with an asylum attorney in NYC at Smotritsky Law Group.
We are multilingual and are backed by over 15 years of experience. Reach
out to our immigration law firm in New York and Newark today.