Without much time to plan or think through, you may have gone into survival mode, packed up your belongings, and left your home country. As you get your bearings in this new foreign land, you may now think that refuge in the United States would offer you the highest level of protection you seek. In other words, you may now want to apply for refugee status. For this, please follow along to find out whether you are eligible to receive refugee status in the U.S. and how a proficient Baltimore County, Maryland asylum lawyer at Sheri Hoidra Law Office, LLC can help get you and your family to safety.
Am I eligible to receive refugee status in the United States?
In short, refugee status may be granted to any individual who has fled their home country because they were persecuted or feared persecution to due their race, religion, national identity, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. In other words, an individual who is considered to be of special humanitarian concern to the United States. To receive this status, you must first be referred to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). What’s to follow is an application and interview abroad with a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer.
A USCIS officer may look deeper into your background to ensure you hit all the eligibility requirements for refugee resettlement in the country. That is, you must be currently living in a country outside the U.S. but not necessarily firmly resettled here. You must otherwise meet all other admissibility criteria. Lastly, it cannot be discovered that you once participated in the persecution of others in your home country.
It is worth mentioning that receiving refugee status is different than obtaining asylum in the U.S. This is because those who seek asylum may have already gone through the port of entry and are just awaiting official immigration status in the country.
Can I bring my family members to the United States with me?
Even though you are in immediate danger in your home country, you may feel too guilt-ridden to leave your family members behind to fend for themselves. Well, you may rest easier knowing that you may bring your family members to the United States alongside you as a refugee. You may do so by filling out and filing Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition with the USCIS within two years of entering the country. Of note, eligible family members include your spouse, unmarried children under 21 years old, and possibly other relatives under extreme circumstances.
Or, say that your spouse or children have already applied for refugee resettlement themselves. Well then, you may fill out and file an Affidavit of Relationship on their behalves. If successful, this may allow you to reunite sooner.
All of this to say, the time to act is now. Please pick up the phone or message us at Sheri Hoidra Law Office, LLC. Surely, a talented Baltimore County, Maryland asylum lawyer on our team will be the perfect fit for your upcoming case.