HOW TO APPLY FOR ASYLUM - The Florence Project
HOW TO APPLY FOR ASYLUM - The Florence Project
HOW TO APPLY FOR ASYLUM - The Florence Project
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Citizenship and Immigration Services.<br />
After you turn in the application form all filled out, the court will send it to the United States Department of<br />
State in Washington. <strong>The</strong> Department of State will read the application and may write a letter with its opinion<br />
of the case or send the court information about your country. (It declines to comment in many cases.) You and<br />
the DHS lawyer will be given a copy of what the Department of State sends to the court.<br />
After that, you will have what is called an individual or “Merits” hearing. This is the final hearing in your case<br />
when the judge listens to your story and asks you and your witnesses, if any, questions about your application<br />
and anything else you turn in for the judge to look at.<br />
• <strong>TO</strong> <strong>APPLY</strong> <strong>FOR</strong> <strong>ASYLUM</strong>, WITHHOLDING OF REMOVAL, OR CAT<br />
PROTECTION, WHAT <strong>FOR</strong>MS DO I FILL OUT AND <strong>HOW</strong><br />
To apply for asylum or withholding, you need to fill out, copy and file a form called an “I-589.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> form you need is called a “Form I-589” or an “Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal.”<br />
Fill out the form using a typewriter or pen. Ask DHS or the Immigration Judge for the form.<br />
Do not use pencil. Also, you must either fill out the form in English or get someone to help you fill it out<br />
in English.<br />
<strong>The</strong> form has a page at the end that says at the top, “Supplement B Form.” This page is for you to use in case<br />
you run out of room on the main part of the form. It is important to answer the questions completely and in<br />
detail, so we recommend making a few copies of the “Supplement B Form” before you write on it. Or, you can<br />
make one yourself. Just take a blank piece of paper and write your name, your “A number” (alien number), and<br />
the date at the top. You should also sign each piece of paper you attach to your application.<br />
At the front of the form is a long explanation of how to fill it out. It says that, in addition to the I-589<br />
application form, you need to provide DHS with your biometrics (digital photograph and fingerprints)<br />
and have a photograph taken. If you are in custody, you must ask DHS to help you with this. If you get out<br />
of custody before you file your application or if you are including family members in your application, you<br />
do need photographs and fingerprints taken, so we will talk about this more later. You must comply with the<br />
DHS biometrics and fingerprint requirements otherwise the Immigration Judge may find that you have<br />
abandoned your application unless you have a good reason for any failure to comply.<br />
Make (or ask an officer to make) four copies of everything you turn in to the Court. Give the originals<br />
and 2 copies to the Immigration Judge. Give ICE 1 copy of everything you give the judge. <strong>The</strong> other copy<br />
is for you to keep. Note: Except for the I-589 application form, you should keep your original documents<br />
and you should copies of these documents to the judge and ICE. If you give original documents such as<br />
your birth certificate or passports to the government, you may not be able to get these original<br />
documents back.<br />
Page 18 of 49<br />
FIRRP- last update June 2007