“Can I apply for asylum in the United States if I am from Venezuela?” This is the question that many Venezuelans ask when they want to leave their home country and find a safe place for living.
If you are Venezuelan and you are not willing to return to your country, then you may qualify for asylum in the U.S. But it is not that simple to qualify for asylum in America. Below, you will find more information about receiving asylum.
Asylum for Venezuelans in the United States
First, you need to verify if you are eligible for asylum. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the agency that works on asylum seekers cases. And you main task will be to convince a USCIS asylum officer that your story is valid.
There are five grounds under which you may qualify for asylum. That is, you become eligible if you were persecuted because of your religion (beliefs), political opinion, membership in a particular social group, race or nationality. Sometimes a Venezuelan can be eligible for asylum based on his or her gender or age.
The current most popular ground for Venezuelans to seek asylum in the U.S. is their political opinion. The decrease of living standards and surge of corruption and crime rates force Venezuelans to leave their home country. If you are against the current political regime of Maduro, which is called a dictatorship by some politicians, you are eligible for asylum for your political opinion.
When you apply for asylum in the U.S., your main task will be to gather data about your participation in protests against the political forces in Venezuela. Such data as photographs, videos, and expert opinions are a great evidence that will support your case.
Note that if you belong to the social group of “pitiyanqui” (a special name given to Venezuelians who support the U.S.), you may be eligible for asylum on the ground of membership in a social group. The Venezuelan government is hostile to pitiyanqui, and you may prove that you would be persecuted for your loyalty to the U.S. If you worked with a U.S. authority, company, or similar, you may be considered pitiyanqui in Venezuela.
You may also contact an asylum officer or attorney in the United States to verify your options for receiving asylum. An great asylum officer will help your immigrate to the U.S. from Venezuela and receive asylum.