At Bijoux Ngwanda Law Office, PLLC, we understand the intricacy of the asylum process and offer our immigrant clients tailored legal services to help them succeed in their case. Asylum is a legal protection available to immigrants who are physically present in the United States, have fled their home countries, and fear persecution there. Qualified applicants must prove their fear is based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, and must be from the government or from groups that the government is unable or unwilling to control.

The Asylum Application Process
In the United States, the applicant must be physically present at a U.S. border or within the country to apply.

• The One-Year Rule: Applicants are generally required to file for asylum within one year of their last arrival in the U.S.
  The One-Year Rule Deadlines Exceptions:
  1. Changed Circumstances-These are changes that affect the applicant’s eligibility for asylum after he/she arrives in the U.S
  2. Extraordinary Circumstances-These are specific events that directly prevented the applicant from filing their application on time.
•  Unaccompanied Children: Unaccompanied alien children (UAC) are legally exempt
  from the one-year filing deadline
   Affirmative vs. Defensive:
• 1. Affirmative Asylum: Proactively applying with USCIS when the applicant is not in removal proceedings.
  2. Defensive Asylum: Applying while in removal proceedings to stop deportation.