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New Jersey Asylum Lawyers & Law Firm | FREE CONSULTATION

If you have been persecuted in your home country due to your race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion, you may be entitled to apply for asylum. Individuals who meet asylum requirements can remain in the U.S. After a year of having been granted asylum, individuals may be eligible to receive a green card. If you have already applied for asylum and no decision has been made on your application after 150 days, you may be entitled to apply for work authorization. Only people who are arriving in the U.S. or those who are already physically present in the U.S. may apply for asylum under U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requirements. Individuals must apply for asylum within one year of having arrived in the U.S. However, there are exceptions to this rule. If circumstances in your home country have changed, you may also be eligible to apply for asylum after this date. If you can show that extraordinary circumstances prevented you from applying for asylum before the cut-off you may also be able to get an exception. If you are applying for asylum, you may want to speak to a New Jersey asylum lawyer like Eric M. Mark. Our law firm will take the time to learn more about your situation, help you file all paperwork, fill out all applications, and stand beside you every step of the way.

What Must Be Included in my Asylum Application?

In order to apply for asylum, you must file form I-589. The form includes spaces where asylum applicants must fill out information about themselves, including their names, residence, nationality, age, and dates of entry into the U.S. If you have children or a spouse, information about your children and spouse must also be provided for your loved ones to be considered for asylum along with your application. Asylum applicants will be required to provide prior addresses where they lived. While these sections of the application can be relatively straightforward, the asylum application also includes spaces where individuals must provide additional information about the reasons why an individual is seeking asylum. The information you provide in these sections can have a major impact on your application. Contact our New Jersey Asylum lawyer to help with this process.

One of the questions you’ll need to answer are:

  • “Have you, your family, or close friends or colleagues, ever experienced harm or mistreatment or threats in the past by anyone?”
  • “Do you fear harm or mistreatment if you return to your home country?”
  • “Have you or your family members ever been accused, charged, arrested, detained, interrogated, convicted and sentenced, or imprisoned in any country other than the United States?”
  • “Have you or your family members ever belonged to or been associated with any organizations or groups in your home country, such as, but not limited to, a political party, student group, labor union, religious organization, military or paramilitary group, civil patrol, guerrilla organization, ethnic group, human rights group, or the press or media?”
  • “Do you or your family members continue to participate in any way in these organizations or groups?”
  • “Are you afraid of being subjected to torture in your home country or any other country to which you may be returned?”

The answers you write to these questions matter. An asylum attorney in New Jersey, like the Law Office of Eric M. Mark can assist you in presenting the best possible evidence to get the best possible outcome for your case. Our firm will take the time to understand your background, your family’s story, and work with you to present it in the best light possible. The application must be complete. Individuals who fill out incomplete applications will have their applications returned. The application must also be accurate and truthful to the best of your ability. An asylum lawyer like the Law Office of Eric M. Mark in New Jersey can review your application, help you understand your rights and responsibilities when applying for asylum, and help you get your application right. Our firm can also help you with your written declaration. These declarations can be long (many are several pages long and include information about your race, ethnicity, political orientation, and detailed explanations of everything that happened). Eric M. Mark may be able to assist you with this process.

Benefits of Bringing a Lawyer to Your Asylum Interview

One of the benefits of hiring a New Jersey Immigration attorney to assist you with your asylum application is that you will have the right to bring a lawyer to your asylum interview. There are certain benefits to bringing a lawyer to this interview. An asylum lawyer New Jersey can ensure that immigration officers respect your legal rights. With more reports of individuals being detained and arrested during their interviews, it can be useful to have lawyer oversee your interview to make sure that officers follow the letter of the law. If the interview takes an adversarial (negative) tone, your lawyer can assist you. While your lawyer may not be able to prevent your detention if ICE decides to hold you, your lawyer can ask tough questions to ensure that officers have the authority to do so.

In some cases, the questions an immigration officer might ask you can be complex or ambiguous or unclear. Having an asylum lawyer by your side to clarify questions or ask for clarification when needed can also protect your rights. Your attorney can also object to questions that are not valid or legitimate. Your attorney can also help you clarify answers that could be considered misleading. Finally, officers may view your claim as more credible, because attorneys have an obligation to the truth. The New Jersey asylum lawyers at the Law Office of Eric M. Mark can help you navigate the stressful interview process.

Hire a New Jersey Asylum Lawyer to guide you through the process.

 If you’re seeking asylum, your life is on the line. With so much at stake, you need a qualified asylum lawyer working for you. The Law Office of Eric M. Mark are New Jersey asylum lawyers who work to protect the rights of asylum-seekers during the applications and appeals process. If your asylum case has been denied, you have the right to appeal the case. Having a lawyer to help you through the appeals process can be crucial. Visit us at the Law Office of Eric M. Mark today to learn more.