People fleeing persecution deserve careful, dignified representation. Latif Law represents asylum seekers in Columbus and Central Ohio in affirmative cases before USCIS and defensive cases in immigration court, with services available in English, Arabic, and Spanish.
Asylum is a form of humanitarian protection available to people physically present in the United States who cannot safely return to their home country because they have been persecuted, or fear future persecution, on account of one of five protected grounds. A grant of asylum allows the applicant to remain lawfully, work, travel with permission, petition for certain family members, and apply for permanent residence after one year.
Asylum law is technical, fact-intensive, and changes frequently. Strong country-conditions evidence, careful corroboration, and a credible, consistent personal narrative are central to a winning case.
Important: Asylum law and procedure change often. Always confirm current rules at uscis.gov/asylum or speak with an attorney before filing.
Asylum requires showing the harm was — or will be — inflicted on account of at least one of these statutorily protected grounds.
Persecution based on racial or ethnic identity, including by state or non-state actors the government cannot control.
Targeted because of religious beliefs, practice, conversion, or refusal to follow a state-imposed religion.
Persecution tied to your country of origin, ethnic group, or linguistic community.
Harm based on actual or imputed political beliefs, activism, or refusal to support a regime.
A defined group sharing a common, immutable characteristic — including some gender-based and family-based claims.
Filed by applicants not in removal proceedings. Form I-589 is submitted to USCIS and the case is decided by an asylum officer after a non-adversarial interview.
Raised as a defense to removal in immigration court. Decided by an immigration judge with a government attorney opposing the application.
Asylum applications must generally be filed within one year of your most recent arrival in the United States. The deadline is strictly enforced. Limited exceptions exist for changed country conditions (e.g., a coup, new persecution of a group you belong to) or extraordinary personal circumstances (e.g., serious illness, status changes, ineffective prior counsel).
If you missed the deadline, related forms of protection — withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture — may still be available. These have a higher legal standard and provide narrower benefits than asylum, but they protect you from deportation to the country of feared harm.
Asylum cases are won on the strength of the applicant's testimony plus credible corroboration. Useful evidence often includes:
A grant of asylum brings significant protections. Asylees may live and work in the United States, travel with a refugee travel document, and petition for spouses and children abroad through Form I-730. After one year of physical presence as an asylee, you may apply for lawful permanent residence.
From there, the road to U.S. citizenship is the same as for other green card holders, with naturalization typically possible after the standard residence requirements are met.
No. USCIS does not charge a filing fee for the asylum application (Form I-589). Other forms in the process — work permits, family petitions for spouses and children — may carry separate fees. Always confirm at uscis.gov/feecalculator.
Timelines vary widely. Asylum office interview scheduling, court calendars, and policy changes all affect how long a case takes. Some cases resolve in months; others take years. An attorney can give you a realistic estimate based on your specific situation.
A spouse and children under 21 who are physically in the United States may be included as derivatives on your I-589. Family abroad may be petitioned later through Form I-730 once asylum is granted, subject to relationship and timing rules.
Filing an asylum claim places you in proceedings if not granted by USCIS, which is a serious consequence. Having no other lawful status, prior immigration history, or credibility issues can make a denied case much more difficult. Strategy and timing matter — consult an attorney before filing.
No. Asylum is available regardless of language. Latif Law works directly with clients in English, Arabic, and Spanish, and uses qualified interpreters where needed for other languages.
Asylum representation for clients throughout the greater Columbus metro area:
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