Find out about refugee immigration status and political asylum with Legal Bistro. Immigration law defines political asylum as protection given to political refugees from arrest by a foreign jurisdiction. A refugee status means that a person has the protection of the government of the country where they live as an immigrant. A person might be persecuted because of his or her religion, nationality, race and membership in a certain social group. According to the Annual Floe Report of Homeland Security, a number of 150,164 people, that made up 14.6%, got asylum/refugee status during 2012. If you want to apply for asylum and for withholding of removal in the United States, you should file the I-589 form within one year of your arrival. No fee should be paid for that. If the applicant names immediate family members in the asylum application, they may also be eligible for asylum status. It is not necessary for the family members to be present in the United States when the application is filled. Every year, the president of the US puts a limit on the number of people who receive refugee status. There were 70,000 refugee admissions in 2013. Asylum status is unlimited. People who obtained asylum can receive permanent residency status after a year. The alternatives for political asylum or refugee status in case you do not fit the criteria for them could be “temporary heaven” if conditions in your home country are dangerous, but in this case you can't receive a green card. Amnesty could be applied to those who have been living in the United States illegally. It is important to note, that only certain people are eligible for amnesty and you should consult an immigration lawyer to select the best variant for you. Come to Legal Bistro and find an experienced attorney who will be interested to work with you on a contingent fee basis and you will remain anonymous throughout the entire process of finding the right lawyer.
