Hi,
I am in US on B1/B2 Visa to visit Admit Days at 2-3 universities I have offers to study MA this fall. I had got my visitor Visa stamped in a third country where I was an MS student then and needed to travel to US to present my paper at a conference in DC. I visited DC, presented my paper and left US to the country of my studies and from there to my own country of residence where I lived before I came to US a few days ago.
The situation in my country is terrible, but it's even more worrisome for the writers, journalists and researchers particularly those not following the military's position of supporting proxy wars in neighboring states and the indiscriminate arms build up at home--all against the wishes of people and the democratic government. The writers have a very delicate option: either to support the military and be rewarded or oppose its inimical policies and get tortured and eventually killed.
My MS thesis and paper at the conference (referred above) both critiqued the military's policies on arms build up and I chose not to make them known to any one fearing I might be persecuted after I return to my country. Back in the country I almost remained reticent except a few comments in my school where I teach, I made to criticize the military's policies on various national issues.
I don't want to go back to my country not because I find the job prospects here in the US as better than those in my country (although they are, but in my case, they are not), but because I fear I might be persecuted if I chose to publish my research and write op-eds. Some of my comments have been published on a website, my paper presentation is already available online although not widely known and I am working on couple of op-eds to be published in the following weeks.
Against this backdrop:
How strong you feel is the case to win political asylum? Although I regard the information is imperfect at best and cannot be substituted with what one provides with the application.
After filing application, what will happen to my studies? Will I be able to enroll in classes without getting F1 Visa? Or getting a student Visa is mandatory and doable without leaving US?
Comments and suggestions are appreciated!
I am in US on B1/B2 Visa to visit Admit Days at 2-3 universities I have offers to study MA this fall. I had got my visitor Visa stamped in a third country where I was an MS student then and needed to travel to US to present my paper at a conference in DC. I visited DC, presented my paper and left US to the country of my studies and from there to my own country of residence where I lived before I came to US a few days ago.
The situation in my country is terrible, but it's even more worrisome for the writers, journalists and researchers particularly those not following the military's position of supporting proxy wars in neighboring states and the indiscriminate arms build up at home--all against the wishes of people and the democratic government. The writers have a very delicate option: either to support the military and be rewarded or oppose its inimical policies and get tortured and eventually killed.
My MS thesis and paper at the conference (referred above) both critiqued the military's policies on arms build up and I chose not to make them known to any one fearing I might be persecuted after I return to my country. Back in the country I almost remained reticent except a few comments in my school where I teach, I made to criticize the military's policies on various national issues.
I don't want to go back to my country not because I find the job prospects here in the US as better than those in my country (although they are, but in my case, they are not), but because I fear I might be persecuted if I chose to publish my research and write op-eds. Some of my comments have been published on a website, my paper presentation is already available online although not widely known and I am working on couple of op-eds to be published in the following weeks.
Against this backdrop:
How strong you feel is the case to win political asylum? Although I regard the information is imperfect at best and cannot be substituted with what one provides with the application.
After filing application, what will happen to my studies? Will I be able to enroll in classes without getting F1 Visa? Or getting a student Visa is mandatory and doable without leaving US?
Comments and suggestions are appreciated!