- 1). Find out if you are admissible as a refugee under U.S. law.
To qualify as a refugee, you must be an alien who has fled from your home country to another, but are not in the United States or its borders; and you are either unwilling or unable to return due persecution or fear of it. This persecution must be grounded on your race, religion, social group, natioinality or political opinion. You must have committed none of the acts that would deem you ineligible for refugee status (such as taking part in persecution, being a threat to national security, intending to practice polygamy in the U.S. etc.), And you must not have resettled into a new country as a lawful resident, renting property, doing business, etc. - 2). Get a referral to the United States Refugee Admissions Program or USRAP.
Contact the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or UNHCR, a non-governmental organization concerned with refugees, or your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Explain your situation and ask to be referred to the USRAP. If you succeed in getting a referral, you will be assisted in your application for refugee status.
Some foreigners can skip the referral to the USRAP if they belong to a group that is of special humanitarian concern to the United States, or if they already have relatives in the U.S. who are or were refugees or asylees. - 3). Gather evidence for your refugee application.
Get the strongest proofs you can of the persecution that has been done or may be done to you or your social or political group in your country. Save newspaper clippings, photographs, human rights reports, medical reports and whatever else you can find. While the persecution doesn't have to single you out, you must be able to prove that it applies to a social or political group you belong to and that it is a real danger to you. If applicable, get a medical report, say to prove you were tortured or were subject to mutiliation, and so on. Memorize important dates, names and places to ensure your story is consistent when you are interviewed. - 4). File your refugee application with USCIS.
Fill out the application forms that will be given you. This may include: form I-590 Registration for Classification as Refugee, G-325C if 14 years old or older, form I-134 Affidavit of Support by the sponsor who will help bring you to the U.S., and a medical exam showing you have no health conditions that would make you inadmissible. If you obtained a referral to USRAP, you will get help in filling out these forms. - 5). Tell your story during the interview.
A USCIS officer will come and see you where you are staying. He or she will conduct the interivew to decide if you should be admitted as a refugee. Give a detailed account of your story. Be consistent, accurate and convincing. If you are denied, you cannot appeal. If you are granted a visa, you have four months to enter the U.S. as a refugee. - 6). Prepare for resettlement in the U.S.
Once you are approved, non-governmental agencies will take over your case. Be prepared to answer questions about health, education and work skills. Get ready for more interviews, security checks, paperwork and medical exams. You will get help traveling to your new home. - 7). Apply for a green card after one year in the U.S.
Submit form I-485 Adjustment of Status. Attach proof of your refugee status such as the letter approving your application or a copy of your form I-94. Show proof of residency in the U.S.; passport stamps if you left the country during the past year; birth certificate; fingerprinting fee; and two photos of yourself with your name and alien registration number written on the back with pencil.
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