CASE: Asylum
LOCATION: Austin / Houston, TX
Our client, a Zimbabwean asylum seeker from Austin, Texas retained us on April 8, 2013 for an asylum case. She is an F-1 student currently working under an OPT. She wanted to seek asylum relief.
While she was in Zimbabwe last year, she was forced to attend a political rally for the government and she was severely beaten and harassed by government militia. Persecution occurred due to her political opinion and the political affiliation of her parents and brother. She was hospitalized because of this persecution and had to leave Zimbabwe. She is scared to go back home to Zimbabwe, fearing that she will be persecuted again.
We prepared her asylum application, going over several drafts until her claim was as detailed as possible. Names, addresses, dates, and all possible issues relevant to her asylum claim were addressed. We also asked her to provide supporting documents corroborating her claim. Our firm also did some research on articles pertaining to her particular claim, and the type of persecution that members of anti-government political activists suffer in Zimbabwe.
The asylum application was filed in May 17, 2013. On June 24, 2013, the CIS issued an interview notice for her, scheduled for July 10, 2013 at the Houston, Texas USCIS Asylum Office. Prior to her interview, Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu prepared her thoroughly over conference calls to make sure she was able to address any possible question the asylum officer would ask. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu also went to Houston and represented our client at her asylum interview.
On July 25, 2013, the CIS in Houston approved our client’s asylum case. She is now an asylee and will be eligible to apply for permanent resident status in one year. She also would obtain her work permit in about two weeks.