Political Asylum

Troy & Neils is committed to upholding the legal rights of individuals fleeing their native countries due to political, social, religious, or ethnic persecution and/or torture. We work with you through every step of your asylum case to increase your odds of having a successful case.

What Constitutes a Political Asylum Case?

If you fear persecution upon returning to your home country, you may be eligible for political asylum in the United States. In order to qualify for political asylum however, the harm you fear must be based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. The persecution you fear must be either from a part of the government or an individual or group that the government cannot or will not protect you from.

In order to qualify for asylum, persecution must also be something more substantial, such as human rights violations, torture, unlawful or political detention, physical violence, or infliction of serious emotional distress. Sometimes, mere threats of harm can qualify as persecution if other individuals or groups similarly situated to you have experienced documented persecution.

If You Can Prove Threat of Persecution You May Be Able To Win Political Asylum

Political asylum cases are often very difficult to win, especially without an experienced attorney. In a political asylum case you must convince a judge or immigration officer that you have been, or will be, harmed on the basis of religious, race, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group, if you return to your home country. An experienced attorney can help. An attorney who has experience with political asylum cases will know what you need to prove your case.

Regardless of your current immigration status, even if you are in the United States unlawfully, you must file an application for political asylum within one year after you have arrived in the United States, unless you can show that there are changed circumstances that have affected your eligibility for asylum.

Seeking Asylum For Your Family

Those granted asylum in the U.S. are one step closer to bringing their families with them. It’s only after you’ve been granted asylum, however, that including your spouse and children younger than 21 is possible. That’s why getting help from an experienced and knowledgeable attorney can mean everything in your efforts.

If you intend to help your family obtain asylum, you must file a petition on their behalf within two years of being granted asylum yourself. The U.S. government may cite humanitarian reasons to excuse this deadline, but it is otherwise the final cutoff date to help those you love. Troy & Neils will work with you through each portion of the application process to help you meet this critical deadline in time.

Working n The U.S. with Asylum Status

Those granted asylum status are automatically permitted to work within the U.S. Even so, some people choose to have an asylum attorney help them obtain Employment Authorization Documents to supplement their proof of their ability to gain employment.

Unfortunately, you cannot apply to work in the U.S. at the same time you apply for asylum. If your application is still pending can help you apply for work authorization if it’s been 365 days since you applied for asylum and no decision has been made yet.

Going From Asylum To Green Card & Beyond

It’s possible for people granted asylum in the U.S. to eventually apply for a Green Card and earn permanent residence after one year of being granted asylum. Those on this path may also be well along the path toward achieving citizenship in the U.S.

Individuals and families who try to work through the political asylum application process on their own aren't always sure what information they should, or should not, provide or how to establish qualifying evidence, which can result in the case being denied or unnecessarily delayed. We can help ensure you supply the right information and follow the process to avoid delay and increase your success rate.