HOW DO I DOCUMENT MY ASYLUM CLAIM?
You will be expected to provide all documents that are reasonably available to you to prove each element of your asylum claim. IDENTITY: You can prove your identity by providing official copies of your birth certificate (with an English translation if necessary), national identity card, passport, travel documents, marriage certificate, school and employment records (if you do not have, or cannot reasonably obtain these documents, you can provide sworn statements from friends, relatives, or people from your community who know you). FACTUAL BASIS: You should also provide documents to establish the factual basis for your claim, for example, medical records, police reports, court records, news reports, and/or sworn statements from friends, relatives, or others with knowledge about the way you were persecuted in your country. PERSONAL STATEMENT: It is a good idea to attach a personal statement to your application explaining the basis for your asylum claim. Describe in detail each time you, your family members, or a person from a group that you belong to was persecuted in your country. Include the date, time, place and as many details as possible about the manner in which you or the other person was harmed. Include details about who harmed you and why. If you plan to request asylum at a U.S. Port of Entry, it is a good idea to prepare and know this statement well before you arrive at the U.S. border. You will likely have to share the details of your asylum claim several times -- during an interview at the U.S. border, in a "credible fear" interview with an asylum officer, in your application and personal statement, and again when you testify in immigration court. If you prepare your statement in advance you can make sure you provide the same details every time you explain the basis for your asylum claim and that you don't leave out any important details. If you file a defensive asylum claim, one of the most important decisions an Immigration Judge will make is whether you are "credible" and if you add or leave out details at any point in the process, the judge may find that you lack credibility and deny your claim. |