Minnesota Religious Asylum Attorney

Asylum Based on Religion

If you are eligible for asylum based on religion, you have a well-founded fear that you and your family may be persecuted in your home country because of your religious beliefs. If you fear that you will be persecuted due to your religious beliefs, it means that either your government is persecuting those of your faith, or that there is an unlawful group that the government is unable or unwilling to control persecuting those of your religion.

According to the United States immigration laws, persecution due to religion includes, but is not limited to:

• Serious threats or infliction of physical, psychological, or economic harm by one’s own government or uncontrolled group
• Punishment by a religious police through being beaten, detained, or otherwise harmed
• Punishment by a family member, whose authority over you is recognized or tolerated by your country’s government, based on your supposed failure to comply with religious norms.
• Special restrictions on your religious freedom imposed by your country’s laws that have a serious impact on your individual way of life
• Severe discrimination imposed on your religious group or banning the practice of your religion and forcing you to join a certain religion against your will

Due to the wide range of possible circumstances, you must be able to prove that your actual or lack of religion is the primary reason that you are in well-founded danger of persecution. In order to apply for asylum based on religion, you have to submit an Application for Asylum for Withholding of Removal (form I-589) to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. This should be done within your first year in the United States. Immediate family, such as spouse and children can be included on the same application.

One year after being approved for asylum you can apply for a green card. This involves filing form I-485 an Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status.

We welcome your call today at 952-361-5556 (or fill out the free case evaluation form below) to help you through the legal issues surrounding your case.