You do not necessarily need a lawyer to prepare your asylum interview

[zman44]

Mock interviews can be done with the help of an immigration consultant, or an interpreter, or your friend. A lawyer is not a must.

xxxxxxxxxxx people usually do not hire lawyers. Lawyers can't help you prepare cases, can't help you gather evidence, can't coach you for your interview. They do not want to take the risk of disbarment.

You can google "xxxxxxxxxx fraud"

Really? Friends can help you do mock interviews for asylum? LOL. This is exactly the kind of advice that will end up getting you referred to court.
"Lawyers can't help you prepare cases" = Wrong. My attorney prepared my entire case from beginning to end.
"Lawyers can't help you gather evidence" = Wrong. My attorney gathered tons of relevant evidence of country's conditions specific to my case from dozens of reputable sources, some I had never even heard of.

They're not coaching you into making up a story. They help you tell your story in a way that's consistent with immigration laws and relevant to your particular case. When I applied, my attorney handed me an I-589 (application for asylum) and asked me to fill it out. Once I did, he sent it back to me asking tons of follow up questions asking for very specific details while helping me reword certain things in a way that made sense. We did this 4 times total before submitting it. He helped me put random events, people, and places into an actual compelling story. The entire story was mine, nothing was coached or lies, but the level of applicable specifics and details that went into it were definitely key on winning my case. These were all things I would not have thought of had I done this on my own.

 

[BetterWorld]

Really? Friends can help you do mock interviews for asylum? LOL. This is exactly the kind of advice that will end up getting you referred to court.
"Lawyers can't help you prepare cases" = Wrong. My attorney prepared my entire case from beginning to end.
"Lawyers can't help you gather evidence" = Wrong. My attorney gathered tons of relevant evidence of country's conditions specific to my case from dozens of reputable sources, some I had never even heard of.

They're not coaching you into making up a story. They help you tell your story in a way that's consistent with immigration laws and relevant to your particular case. When I applied, my attorney handed me an I-589 (application for asylum) and asked me to fill it out. Once I did, he sent it back to me asking tons of follow up questions asking for very specific details while helping me reword certain things in a way that made sense. We did this 4 times total before submitting it. He helped me put random events, people, and places into an actual compelling story. The entire story was mine, nothing was coached or lies, but the level of applicable specifics and details that went into it were definitely key on winning my case. These were all things I would not have thought of had I done this on my own.

Great Explanation! Were you able to get evidences specific to your case (not like country conditions), How much those are needed for the case?

 

[7of9]

Almost 5 years later, i wonder what happened the crew that swore that 'you don't need a lawyer to prepare your case'? I will check in again 5 years from now.

 

[ROP]

Lawyers are required to remain silent during the interview. They are only permitted to give a closing statement at the end of the interview. You can prepare the case all by yourself and find someone who has already gone through the interview recently and ask the person(s) the basic questions and probable questions you will be asked during the interview.

You need a lawyer only when you are referred to the immigration court, or you need to appeal a decision by an IJ.

I disagree 100%! Although lawyers are required to be silent, during the first phase of the interview, i.e. document review, they can speak and provide explanations. They can also speak up when sth is not right and actually defend you during the interview if there is a breach of your rights. A good experienced attorney is key to an asylum interview.

You do not need an attorney for a GC application, or citizenship or travel document application but for asylum interview? Do definitely need a good one.