Houston Asylum Attorney Helps People Facing Persecution Abroad
Experienced Texas lawyer helps immigrants lawfully pursue refugee status
The United States offers a safe haven to people who are being mistreated in other countries. Anne E. Kennedy, Attorney at Law in Houston, Texas helps clients apply for asylum status and refugee status. By speaking to a qualified attorney about your case, you may avoid mistakes that could lead to the denial of asylum or refugee status. With vast experience in immigration law and family law, Anne can advise you on how to seek legal protections for yourself, your spouse and your minor children.
What is asylum?
Asylum is a protected immigration status. Asylum is only available to people who are unable or unwilling to return to their home country because they were persecuted there or have a well-founded fear that they will be persecuted if they return. The type of persecution must be based on one or more of the following qualities:
- Race
- Religion
- Nationality
- Political opinion
- Membership in a particular social group
Refugee and asylum status are not available to people who ordered, incited, assisted or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.
What is the asylum process in the United States?
It is crucial that you file your asylum application within one year of your arrival to the United States. Form I-589 is the Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. To apply for asylum, you must be located in the United States. Your application must be filed with the USCIS Asylum Vetting Center that serves the area where you live. There are four Asylum Vetting Centers located in United States.
Applying for asylum is a very technical process, so it is smart to consult an attorney. A small error in your application can trigger the USCIS to start a removal proceeding to deport you. Immigration attorney Anne E. Kennedy is a consistent advocate for asylum seekers.
What is a refugee?
A refugee is a person located outside the United States, who is of special humanitarian concern to the United States because of the persecution they face or fear in their home country. The USCIS can consider a refugee application if the reason for the applicant’s persecution or fear was their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.
Do I qualify as a refugee?
The specific qualifications for refugee status change every year, when a new Presidential Determination is issued. The Presidential Determination states:
- How many people can be allowed in the United States as refugees
- The number of refugees that may be admitted from different regions of the world
- Which circumstances are priorities for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
To qualify for consideration as a refugee, you must be given a referral to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. You can request a referral from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office located nearest to you.
The refugee application process usually takes several months or years, and only a limited number of refugees are admitted to the U.S. each year.
How can a lawyer help with my refugee or asylum application?
Attorney Anne E. Kennedy can review your case, help you seek a U.S. Refugee Admissions Program referral and prepare your application for refugee or asylum.
Anne can also explain the rights provided by the Refugee Act of 1980. The Act created the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which provides medical assistance, economic assistance, job development assistance and other services to newly settled refugees.
Contact a Houston, TX asylum and refugee status attorney for a consultation
Anne E. Kennedy, Attorney at Law in Houston, Texas assists immigrants with applications for refugee status and asylum in the United States. To schedule a consultation with an experienced immigration lawyer, call 713-862-8110 or contact us online.
