You may have come face-to-face with the shocking reality that your home country, the only place you may have lived your entire life, is no longer safe for you to be in. However, you may feel assured knowing that the United States is a country that can offer you the necessary protections. Well, for this, you may not know whether you qualify and should apply for refugee status, asylum, or neither. That said, please continue reading to learn how refugee status differs from asylum and how an experienced asylum immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, at Sesini Law Group, S.C., can help you navigate these U.S. immigration laws.
How does refugee status differ from receiving asylum?
For one, a refugee may refer to an individual who has fled their home country and is unable or unwilling to return due to persecution or fear of persecution. And so, if this individual is actively seeking protection abroad in the United States, they are likely in a different, outside country filling out their application and whatnot. While an asylee is similarly an individual who has fled their home country due to safety concerns, the contrast here is that they may have already gotten through the port of entry. And so, a United States asylee may already be living within the country while conducting their application proceedings.
How can I legally obtain asylee status in the United States?
You may feel uncomfortable applying for asylee status in the United States when you are already present in the country. However, you should know that you are welcome to seek this status regardless of your country of origin and current immigration status. Further, there are three ways in which officially obtaining asylum may be possible for you. The first way is to submit Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Of note, you should complete this within one year of your last arrival in the country.
Or, you may find yourself in the unfortunate position of expedited removal proceedings from the country. Before it is too late, you may express your inability or unwillingness to return to your home country due to persecution or fear of persecution. Then, a USCIS asylum officer may conduct a credit fear screening interview and a subsequent asylum merits interview. Lastly, if you are currently in removal proceedings in immigration court with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), you may present a defensive asylum case. Here, the USCIS may carry over your submitted Form I-589 with the immigration judge, if applicable.
All of this to say, the time to act is now. Please pick up the phone or message us at Sesini Law Group, S.C. Surely, a skilled asylum immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI on our team will be the perfect fit for your upcoming case.