If you submitted an application for asylum in the United States, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will call you in for an interview. An asylum officer will ask you questions during the interview to determine your credibility and your legal claim to asylum.
Since the asylum interview process can be daunting, our Orange County immigration attorneys have put together four tips to help you prepare for your interview.
Tip #1: Read & Follow Instructions from Asylum Office
The last thing you want is to make a mistake the day you go into your asylum interview. For such reasons, you must review all of the information the asylum office provided you, such as the time, place, and procedures.
Tip #2: Practice Telling Your Story
If you are working with an attorney or a translator, it may be helpful to practice telling your story. The asylum office will ask you questions and will want to know more about you as a refugee and the persecution you are fleeing from.
Tip #3: Review Common Interview Questions
A few days before your interview, you should start reviewing your asylum application. You should familiarize yourself with the information you provided, such as names, dates, and places. You should also practice answering difficult or even uncomfortable questions. Some of the questions you may be asked include:
- Have you ever applied for asylum in another country?
- Have you ever committed acts that harm others purposefully?
- Have you ever lied to the United States government?
- When did you last leave your home country?
- Do you fear going back to your home country?
- If you fear going back to your home country, why?
Tip #4: Prepare Documents
To avoid mishaps on the day of your asylum interview, you should make sure that you have all the documents you need ahead of time. You will need the USCIS document informing you about your interview, originals of all documents you submitted with your asylum application, identification documents, and a complete copy of your asylum application.
You don’t have to prepare for your asylum application or interview alone. Contact our Orange County asylum attorneys today at (949) 478-4963 to schedule a consultation!