What is Required to Qualify as a Refugee?
If you or a loved one are looking to qualify as a refugee in the United States, you’ll have to meet several requirements to be granted that status.
What Is A Refugee?
Understanding how the United States defines a refugee can help you better prepare your application.
According to the department of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a refugee is someone who:
- It is located outside of the United States
- It is of particular humanitarian concern to the United States
- Demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group
- Is not firmly resettled in another country
- Is admissible to the United States
Refugees left their home country to flee war, violence, conflict, or persecution and have crossed an international border to seek safety in a different country.
What Do I Need To Proof To Qualify As A Refugee?
To show you need refugee status, you’ll need to show you can’t relocate and live safely within your home country.
You must demonstrate that you have a well-founded fear of persecution to be granted asylum in the United States. Often news articles about similar people in your group facing prosecution or your proof of past injuries can help make your case.
Examples of persecution include imprisonment and torture because you dissented against political leaders, your home country fired weapons on protesters, genocide committed against a certain race, or your government made sure that members of a particular religion were left out of the political process.
The main reason for your persecution must be centered around race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, such as identifying as a member of the LGBTQ community.
How Do I Apply For Refugee Status?
People outside the U.S. can apply for refugee status through the U.N. High Commission for Refugees. However, you cannot specify that you’d prefer to go to a particular country, such as the United States.
The President puts an annual limit on total refugee approvals. People who have already made it to the U.S. border or the interior can also apply for asylum status.
Your best chance at preparing the most comprehensive refugee application that will be approved is by working with an experienced immigration attorney.
The legal team at Fay, Grafton, & Nunez understands the constantly changing immigration landscape and can help you craft a refugee application to increase your chances of approval.
We offer a flat $200 consultation for immigration cases to help you get started with your case.
