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Asylum Interview Questions

 Preparing for the Interview 

The asylum interview can be the most important part of the asylum application process. It is your opportunity to tell your story in your own words. Some basic things to remember include:

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  • it is very important that you dress appropriately for the interview

  • you should not wear jewelry or anything distracting during the interview

  • cell phones should be off and you should tell your family and friends that you may be in the interview from 15 minutes to a few hours

  • take your passport and asylum interview notice to the interview

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Once you arrive at the asylum office for your interview, you will be asked to wait in a waiting room until your name is called. After waiting in the waiting room, the asylum officer will call your name and walk you to the interview room. The asylum office will then ask you to raise your right hand and swear you in. You will then take a seat and the asylum officer will begin asking you questions. If you don't understand, kindly say "can you please repeat the question" and if you still don't understand the question, you can say "I am sorry but I don't understand the question." If you get emotional during the interview, that is absolutely fine.  

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Each asylum officer has a different style of interviewing, but generally, the questions below may be asked:

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45 Asylum Interview Questions To Know

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  1. What is your complete full name?

  2. Where do you currently live?

  3. Have you ever applied for asylum in another country?

  4. Do you have legal status in another country other than your home country?

  5. Did you leave the United States after applying for asylum?

  6. Have you ever committed acts of terrorism?

  7. Have you ever committed acts that harm others purposefully?

  8. What city were you born in?

  9. What country were you born in?

  10. What is your date of birth?

  11. Are you married?

  12. What is your spouse’s name?

  13. Do you have children?

  14. What are the names of your children?

  15. Have you ever been to immigration court?

  16. Have you ever committed any crimes while in the United States?

  17. Have you ever committed any crime in your home country?

  18. Have you ever lied to the United States government?

  19. When did you last leave your home country?

  20. How long have you been in the United States?

  21. How many times have you been to the United States?

  22. Do you fear going back to your home country?

  23. If you fear going back to your home country, why?

  24. Have you ever been harmed in your home country?

  25. Have you ever been physically harmed in your home country?

  26. Have your friends and family ever been harmed in your home country?

  27. Why were you harmed?

  28. When were you harmed?

  29. Explain how the harm happened?

  30. Have you or your family members ever been accused of, charged, detained, interrogated, convicted, sentenced, or imprisoned in any country?

  31. Have you ever been part of an organisation or groups like a political party or social group?

  32. Have you ever been tortured in your home country?

  33. When were you tortured?

  34. Where were you tortured?

  35. Do you believe you will be tortured if returned to your home country?

  36. Who will torture you?

  37. Have you reported these abuses to the police of your home country?

  38. What did the police do?

  39. Have you ever moved to a different part of your home country to avoid the abuses and harm from happening again?

  40. After leaving your home country, did you return?

  41. Have you ever been forced to commit acts of violence?

  42. Do you have any additional evidence, statements, affidavits, or anything that you would like to submit today?

  43. Do you have another family here in the United States?

  44. Do you have family back home in your home country?

  45. Do you have anything else you would like to add today?

 

When your interview is finished, you will be given a document that tells you when you should come back to the asylum office to pick up your decision. Do not lose this document. On the date written on the document, you will come back to the asylum office and the clerk will give you another document which will have your written decision.

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