You must apply for asylum within one year of your last arrival to the United States, unless you can demonstrate that there are changed circumstances that materially affect your eligibility for asylum, or extraordinary circumstances directly related to your failure to file within the one year. It is important that the application is filed within a reasonable amount of time.

Once you have applied for asylum, an Asylum Interview will be scheduled where an Asylum Officer will take your oath where you will promise to tell the truth during the interview, and the Officer will initiate a line of questions regarding your application. The information you share with the Asylum Officer will be confidential, and used to determine if you are a credible applicant who has applied in good faith, and meet the requirements for asylum.  We highly recommend attending an asylum interview with a competent immigration attorney.

If you are granted asylum, you may petition to bring your spouse and children to the United States so long as you file the petition within two years of being granted asylum, unless there are humanitarian reasons to excuse this deadline.

It is important to keep in mind that you will be barred from applying for asylum if you previously applied for asylum, and were denied by the Immigration Judge or Board of Immigration Appeals.