Legal Question in Immigration Law in California

Asylum for a Friend

Hi,

I live in Los Angeles and I have a friend from Costa Rica who has been here for 3 years. In Costa Rica she lived in a very poor area and her mom had her prostitute to support her family when she was 18-19. At that time, a John decided to sneak her into the country. When she came she did not know a single word of English, but now she can read and speak English, and has some computer skills. She did not know about Asylum or any other ways to get Citizenship. She also has a six-year-old son in Costa Rica that she has not seen in 3 years. I read on the INS�s web site that usually you need to apply for asylum within one year of coming to America, but they do make exceptions sometimes. Does anyone know what the chances are of getting Citizenship for my friend, what method I should try, and if it is possible to do the same for her son?

Conrad


Asked on 8/05/00, 12:11 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Larry L. Doan Law Office of Larry L. Doan

Re: Asylum for a Friend

Your friend can't apply for asylum now. First of all, almost nobody from Costa Rica gets asylum because it is a peaceful country with little persecution. Secondly, the exceptions you read on the INS site has to do with changes in conditions in Costa Rica, or changes in the laws, which make an asylum application possible now even though it wasn't possible at the time of her 1-year anniversary of coming here. Or if there were extraordinary circumstances preventing her from filing asylum at that 1-year date. There's none of these conditions here.

Your friend needs a close relative to sponsor her, such as a US citizen parent or spouse. Even if she has such a person, she'll still have to go back to Costa Rica to get her immigrant visa, since she came in illegally.

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Answered on 9/14/00, 1:28 am


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