Practice areas · Asylum
Asylum, explained like you deserve.
If you fear returning to your country, U.S. law may protect you — but the process is demanding, the deadlines are real, and the details decide cases. This page walks through how asylum actually works, in plain language. When you're ready, we can talk about your case specifically.
This page explains the law in general terms. It is legal information, not legal advice about your case.
Who asylum protects
Asylum exists for people who have been persecuted — or have a well-founded fear of persecution — because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. It is not enough that life at home is hard or dangerous in general; the danger must be connected to one of these five grounds. Many strong cases are lost because that connection was never clearly explained. Building that explanation is the heart of my work.
Two paths, one standard
Affirmative asylum
If you are in the United States and not in removal proceedings, you apply directly to USCIS. Your case is heard by an asylum officer in a non-adversarial interview — a long, detailed conversation, not a trial.
Defensive asylum
If you are in removal proceedings, you raise asylum as a defense before an immigration judge, with a government attorney on the other side. It is a courtroom setting, and courtroom preparation matters.
The legal standard is the same on both paths. The setting, the pace, and the preparation are very different.
The process
How an asylum case moves, step by step
Assessment — and the one-year deadline
We start with an honest evaluation: do the facts of your case connect to a protected ground? Just as urgent: with limited exceptions, the law requires you to apply within one year of your last arrival in the United States. If that deadline is near — or past — this conversation cannot wait.
Your declaration
Your written declaration is the backbone of the case: your story, told completely, precisely, and in order. We work on it together, carefully — because the officer or judge will test it against everything else in your file.
Evidence
Identity documents, country-condition reports, medical and psychological records, witness statements, proof of what happened to you and to people like you. We build a record where every claim in your declaration has something behind it.
Filing the I-589
The application itself must be complete, consistent, and filed correctly. Errors and contradictions — even innocent ones — follow a case forever. This is where careful lawyering quietly earns its fee.
The interview or the hearing
Affirmative cases are heard by an asylum officer; defensive cases go before a judge. Either way, you will not walk in unprepared: we rehearse the questions, the format, and the hard moments before the day comes.
Decision — and what follows
A grant opens the road to a green card and, eventually, citizenship, and can extend protection to your spouse and children. If the answer is no, there are often further steps — referral to court, appeal — and we plan for them from the start, not after.
Working while you wait
Asylum cases take time, and life does not pause. In many cases you can apply for employment authorization while your application is pending. The timing rules have changed more than once in recent years — part of my job is telling you exactly what applies to you, when.
Questions people are afraid to ask
My English is not strong. Is that a problem?
No. Interviews and hearings are conducted with interpreters, and we prepare in the language you think in. I work with clients directly in Turkish and English.
Parts of my story are painful to talk about. Do I have to?
The hardest parts of your story are often the legally important parts. We approach them at your pace, in private, and only as far as the case requires. You will never be surprised by a question we haven't prepared for.
I missed the one-year deadline. Is it over?
Not necessarily. The law recognizes exceptions for changed circumstances and extraordinary circumstances, and other forms of protection may remain available. But the analysis is fact-specific and time matters — talk to a lawyer before deciding anything.
What if my case is denied?
A denial is rarely the end of the road. Affirmative cases are typically referred to immigration court, where the case is heard fresh. Court decisions can be appealed. We discuss the realistic outlook honestly at the start — and plan for every branch.
The one-year deadline does not wait. Neither should you.
A thirty-minute consultation will tell you where you stand, what protection you may qualify for, and what to do next.
30 minutes · $120 · English or Turkish · virtual