HOW TO APPLY FOR ASYLUM - The Florence Project

If you would like to contact any of the organizations listed above, use the Documentation Request Form
attached at the end of this booklet.
Turning in Letters to the Court
Each letter or document you file with the Court that is not in English has to have an English translation along
with it. At the end of the translation, the translator has to put the following:
I, (name of translator), certify that I am competent to translate this document and that the translation is true and
accurate to the best of my abilities.
(signature of translator)/ (date)
If a document or letter is not in English, attach an English translation!
If you can get letters from friends or family members who know about what happened to you in your country or
what might happen to you if you have to go back, there are certain things each letter should have:
RULES FOR LETTERS TO THE JUDGE
1. They should be addressed to "Honorable Immigration Judge."
2. The person should state his or her name, address, employment, age, immigration status, and relationship
to you (for example, brother, cousin, neighbor, boss).
3. The person should write the letter in his/her own words.
4. If possible, the letter should be notarized.
5. If the letter is not in English, it must be accompanied by an English translation, with a certificate of
translation (Use the exact words in the example we just gave you.).
The Index
If you have attached letters, articles, or other documents to turn in with your application, you should make a list
of the documents. This list, called an "index," helps the judge see at a glance what documents you have turned
in and also gives him or her the opportunity to see if any documents are missing. At the top of the list, put your
name, A number, and the words, "Index to Documents in Support of Asylum Application."
Certificate of Service
You should turn in all your letters, articles, and other papers at the same time you turn in your application form,
if you can. But if you cannot, you will usually be allowed to file them later (but before your hearing). In that
case, you may be filing the papers by sending them in the mail rather than giving them to the judge and DHS
lawyer in court. If so, you will also need to file a paper that shows the judge that you sent DHS a copy. That
paper is called a “Certificate of Service” and you will find one at the end of this booklet. To fill it out, put your
name, “A number,” and the date you are mailing the documents. Then, put the address of the office of DHS that
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FIRRP- last update June 2007