Coral Gables asylum lawyers
What is at stake here is staying or leaving. The requirements are strict, and you will hear that from us before you pay, not afterwards.
- I-589
Who qualifies
Asylum allows someone who arrived at a port of entry, or is already in the country, to remain lawfully by showing a credible fear of persecution or harm in their home country. The application is Form I-589, and the same form serves both before an asylum officer and before an immigration judge.
There is a deadline before there is a case: the application has to be filed within one year of your last arrival in the United States. There are exceptions for changed circumstances in your country and for extraordinary circumstances in your own situation, but they have to be argued, not assumed.
Having suffered something serious is not enough on its own. The persecution has to be based on one of five protected grounds.
- 1Race
- 2Religion
- 3Nationality
- 4Political opinion
- 5Membership in a particular social group
The evidence
An asylum claim is held up by documentation: evidence of the persecution, sworn statements, and official papers establishing country of origin and date of birth.
Whatever is translated has to match what was already stated to the authorities. Inconsistencies are used against you, and a minor contradiction between a document and an interview can weigh more than the underlying facts. That is why we put everything in order before filing.
Witnesses
A witness can testify about conditions in the country or about events you cannot document. Sometimes they know of episodes you are not even aware of, and those turn out to be decisive.
An expert contributes something else: a psychologist, or a specialist in that country's conditions, adds depth no document provides. We prepare anyone who is going to testify before the hearing.
Every immigration matter runs against the clock. Missing a deadline can mean denial of the claim, without the merits ever being argued.
The requirements are strict and there is no guarantee a claim is approved. We tell you before you pay, not after. Be wary of anyone who promises you otherwise.
Questions about asylum
Tap a question to see the answer.
Can I work while I wait for a decision?
The work permit is a separate filing, with its own form and its own timing, and it does not come with the claim itself.
In the consultation we tell you when it is your turn to request it, based on how you entered and what stage you are at. Requesting it too early costs you the filing.
Do I have to go to court?
It depends on how your case entered the system. Some claims are decided in an interview, and some are defended before an immigration judge.
You do not always choose, and it is not always clear at the start. It is one of the first things we look at.
What if my claim was already denied?
A denial is not always the end: it can be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals, and that deadline is 30 days.
Thirty days is the whole window and it is not negotiable. If a denial arrived, that is the call not to postpone.
Bring every document you were given, even the ones you do not understand. What matters most in the first call is the dates.
The consultation costs $70, the attorney takes it within 24 a 48 hours, and it is credited toward the contract if you retain the firm.