Asylum Application
Service fee: $1500

The process of seeking asylum in the US can be quite complex and time-consuming. It is therefore advisable to work with a reliable, reputable, and experienced immigration office to increase your chances of success. Each asylum seeker has a unique story that must fit within the framework of asylum law. Since immigration matters fall under federal jurisdiction, it doesn't matter which US state the asylum seeker resides in, as our office can handle immigration cases for anyone throughout the U.S. If you're afraid to return home, don't hesitate to contact our office and we'll be happy to help you process your asylum application for the USCIS. However, it's worth noting that the government's asylum process is increasingly challenged by growing backlogs and changing priorities.

Who can apply for asylum: Individuals who are in the United States and who fear returning to their home country because of a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group may be eligible for asylum - see (ii) below for more details.

The majority of our clients applied for asylum based on their sexual orientation (gender fluid, lesbian, gay, bisexual, etc.), followed by nationality category, usually from Eastern Europe (Jews, Gypsies, Transylvanian or Transcarpathian Hungarian, etc.; usually, Eastern European national minorities living under the oppression of other European nations). However, some applied for asylum on political grounds.

Assessment: The asylum process can take 4-5 years because the USCIS is extremely backlogged and cannot process cases in a timely manner. If the USCIS denies your asylum application at any point in the future, you will have the opportunity to present your case before an Immigration Judge at a hearing, which can take years.

Please note that the USCIS takes several years to process asylum applications, but life must go on. If an asylum applicant falls in love, they can choose to close their pending asylum case and start a different immigration case, such as a family reunification case by getting married to a U.S. citizen. This will help the individual obtain U.S. residency status (green card) at a faster pace since the stronger and quicker case always takes precedence in the immigration process. Generally, the "marriage to a US citizen" case takes about 6-8 months to be processed and adjudicated by the USCIS.

General Requirements for Applying for Asylum
(i) The person (asylum seeker) must be physically present in the United States to apply for and receive asylum - let's say the person comes to the U.S. with an ESTA (visa waiver - https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/) or a visa.

(ii) Asylum seekers might be those who are in the United States and who fear returning to their home country because of a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. For example, if the individual(s):
- suffer from disadvantageous treatment due to their sexual preference and orientation (LGBTQ group - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual +plus, etc...),
- are afraid of being treated badly in their home country because of their nationality or race (Jews, Gypsies, Transylvanian or Transcarpathian Hungarian, etc.; usually, Eastern European national minorities living under the oppression of other European nations),
- are persecuted because of their political opinion or affiliation, because the rule of law or democratic principles are not respected in their country, etc.

(iii) To apply for asylum, the individual must also provide the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services with the necessary supporting documentation. Our office procedure ensures that additional evidence or supporting documents can be added to the ongoing asylum case at a later date to help confirm the validity of the case and increase the chances of approval. It is often the case that important documents or evidence related to the asylum case are not available or are incomplete at the time of filing. In principle, asylum seekers must show that the person who abused them did so because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because they belong to a group that is targeted for persecution (a "particular social group - LGBTQ group, etc."). For example, applicants may be able to show that the perpetrator(s) justified their actions based on the applicant's race, religion, nationality, political opinion, and sexual preference or orientation.

(iv) The individual must attend an interview with an asylum officer. Eligibility for refugee status is determined on a case-by-case basis. This determination takes into account the conditions in the country of origin and evaluates the credibility of the individual. If the asylum office denies your case, you will have the opportunity to present your case at a hearing before an immigration judge.

(v) The individual must be aware that the asylum application must be filed within one year of the date of (last) entry into the United States unless extraordinary circumstances exist.

Service fee: Our office's asylum processing fee is $1,500 and there are no additional fees (filing and/or USCIS administrative fees).

To initiate the process, please send us the documents listed below via email, and we'll confirm receipt of your email. Please note that any documents not in English will require translation. Once we receive your application, we will process it quickly and complete your case within a few days.

Documents required from asylum seeker(s)
- Passport,
- Driver's license (optional - if you have one),
- National ID card issued by their country (optional - if you have one),
- Marriage certificate (if married),
- Any previous divorce documents issued by the court - if available,
- Your statement; in your native language, simply and understandably state the reason for your asylum application, the fear of return to your home country that is related to persecution or well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group (LGBTQ), or political opinion, etc.,
- If you have, the evidence on which the asylum application is based,
- Fill out the "Asylum" form and email the completed PDF form to us. The PDF form is editable and you can type on it. Save the PDF file to your computer first, then open and complete the form, and email the completed PDF along with the above documents for your convenience.

Note: if you do not have a program for managing PDF files (usually every computer has one), you can download the program for managing PDF files Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for free here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/.

If the asylum application covers the entire family
If a substantiated asylum application is being filed for a family member (husband or wife), then in addition to the above-requested documents, attach and email the marriage certificate and, in the case of minor children, copies of their birth certificates, as each family member will be added to the asylum application of the principal applicant (husband or wife).

In the case of a family petition (where the principal petitioner is either the husband or the wife), we ask for an additional $100 per family member to compensate for the extra work (e.g., if the petitioner is married (+1) and has 2 children (+2), then our processing fee (+3 people) will be $300 more).

Procedure: Immediately after filing your case (within 24 hours at the latest), you will receive the official notice with your case number from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which will allow you to stay in the United States legally based on your asylum application. You will also receive the login codes to track the progress and status of your case online at the USCIS customer portal.

Employment: In connection with your pending case, we can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and a Social Security Number (SSN) more than 150 days after filing your asylum application. Of course, this service is included in our processing fee.

If you require assistance with your immigration case, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our office will be delighted to provide you with all the necessary information to file your case. We are committed to ensuring that our case processing is thorough, consistent, and detail-oriented. Our reliable and affordable services are accessible from anywhere, and we are always available to assist you, regardless of where you reside.