Refugee-Based Immigration

Serving San Antonio, Austin and McAllen, Texas

What is Refugee-Based Immigration?

American law provides robust protections for foreign nationals who have been persecuted or subjected to inhumane or inadequate living conditions in their home countries. Under certain conditions, these individuals are permitted to apply for temporary or permanent legal resident status in the United States. There are several different types of petitions and visas that refugees can utilize to pursue their dreams here. Moreover, the laws that govern refugee applications may be more permissive than those that govern the issuance of other types of visas. For instance, foreign nationals who enter the U.S. illegally may still be able to secure asylum or refugee status under certain conditions. This page provides a general overview of the United States’s refugee-based immigration framework.

Who is Eligible to Apply for Refugee-Based Immigration?

Decisions about whether to grant asylum or refugee status are made on a case-by-case basis. In general, individuals who wish to pursue refugee-based immigration must be enduring certain hardships. These include:

• Temporary residency outside of their native country
• The threat of torture or incarceration
• Political or physical persecution
• Racial violence or discrimination

Certain refugee programs may abide by different standards or permit certain historically-persecuted groups to enter the United States under different circumstances. Nevertheless, there are certain key restrictions by which refugee-based immigrants must abide. First, they must apply for their status within one year of entering the U.S. They must also not have a violent past or serious criminal record in their home countries. Finally, they must be able to provide evidence of past persecution. This is typically done through medical records, police reports, corroborating testimony and media reports.

Types of Refugee-Based Immigration

At the Gutierrez Law Firm, our refugee-based immigration lawyers can assist persecuted clients with many different types of immigration. These include:

• NACARA – Nicaraguan Adjustment & Central Relief Act
• CAT – Convention Against Torture
• TPS – Temporary Protected Status
• Asylum
• NTA – Non-Detention Docket

In addition, we can initiate the naturalization process for refugees who have lived in the United States for a sufficient period of time. This requires the filing of a Form N-400 with U.S. Customs and Immigration Services. To find out more about the immigration options for refugees, talk to a refugee-based immigration attorney at the Gutierrez Law Firm.

How We Can Help

At the Gutierrez Law Firm, we believe that no one should be forced to live in fear or uncertainty. As such, we are committed to helping foreign nationals who wish to apply for refugee status, asylum or other legal protections in the United States. With a quarter-century of experience, our refugee-based immigration attorneys can navigate the complex legal framework that governs the refugee-based immigration process.

For more information about refugee-based immigration, navigate the status-specific pages on our website or call a refugee-based immigration lawyer at 210.225.7114.