how to write a personal statement for asylum

• Table of Contents
• Preface & Acknowledgements
• Acronyms & Abbreviations
• 1. A Brief History
• 2. Sources of Law
• 3. Elements of Asylum Law
• 4. Precedential LGBTQ/H Asylum Cases
• 5. The One-Year Filing Deadline
• 6. Withholding of Removal
• 7. Relief Under CAT
• 8. Voluntary Departure
• 9. Real ID Act
• 10. Safe Third Country
• 11. Challenging Asylum Cases
• 12. Working with Asylum Seekers
• 13. Working with LGBTQ/H Asylum Seekers
• 14. Elements of an Application
• 15. Preparing the I-589
• 16. Sample I-589

17. Preparing the Asylum Declaration

• 18. Declaration Dos and Don’ts
• 19. Annotated Sample Declaration
• 20. Corroborating Client-Specific Documents
• 21. Corroborating Country Conditions
• 22. Indexed Country Conditions Sample
• 23. Sample Cover Letter
• 24. Assembling Everything
• 25. Affirmative Application Process
• 26. Immigration Court Proceedings
• 27. Board of Immigration Appeals
• 28. Federal Court Review
• 29. Detained Asylum Seekers
• 30. Obtaining an Employment Authorization Document
• 31. Asylee Status
• 32. Withholding Status
• 33. CAT Status
• Important Resources

The information contained herein is for reference only and may not be up to date. It does not constitute legal advice. You should always consult an attorney regarding your matter.

Every application for asylum should include a declaration, or narrative from the client, detailing their experiences in their country of origin, reasons for fleeing, and reasons that they fear returning. This document is the single most important component of the written asylum application because it allows the client to tell their story completely and, as much as possible, in their own words.

It is often advisable (if the client speaks English, or if you and the client both speak another language—otherwise the burden of translation can be too great) to ask the client to write a draft statement which will serve as the starting point in revisions which you and client will work on together. There are no rules about what length a declaration ought to be, as long as the declaration thoroughly conveys the client’s story. That being said, most declarations will be in the 10-25 page range. The declaration should be written in numbered paragraph form for easy reference during testimony, in written briefs, or in closing arguments.

Each declaration will of course be different, as every applicant’s personal experience is different. In general, the declaration should provide a detailed view of the client’s life in their country of origin. The representative should help the client to edit out material that is not relevant to the claim, but it is important for the declaration to convey a complete understanding of the situation in the client’s country of origin. Thus, even relatively minor incidents of discrimination and harassment, which would not rise to the level of persecution on their own, can be important to provide context for the incidents which led the client to flee their country of origin.

» Practice pointer: Details matter! It is very important to include as many details as possible in each incident described in the declaration. It is also important to break down generalities like, “I was called names throughout my childhood” to specific examples. The client can start with the generality, and then use specifics to illustrate the point, “For example, I remember once in third grade, I walked over to a game of soccer that the other boys were playing when one of them called me a ‘sissy’ and told me to go home and play with my dolls.”

The declaration must include all of the elements of a successful LGBTQ/H asylum claim: membership in a particular social group; past and/or well-founded fear of future persecution; and, if relevant, an exception to the one-year filing deadline. At a minimum, the declaration should hit on the key points discussed below.

17.1 Client’s Childhood

The client should describe how they were treated as a child by their family, peers, school, religious or other authorities because of actual or perceived LGBTQ/H identity. If they experienced problems, describe the who, what, where, when and why of the experiences and their effects on them. Although clients are often unaware of their sexual orientation or gender identity during their childhood, they may have already felt “different” or preferred the company or activities of the opposite sex. Often, LGBTQ/H children experience sexual abuse because adults sense their vulnerability and know that the child’s “difference” would lead to their being blamed if they reported the abuse.

17.2 Client’s Realization of Identity

The applicant should explain at what age and how they realized or came to understand their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or HIV status; what reactions this caused and why; what changes the client made in their life because of this realization or understanding. Remember that essential to proving an LGBTQ/H asylum claim is proving that the client actually is LGBTQ/H. One of the primary ways to prove this identity is through detailed written and verbal testimony about the client’s coming to terms with their identity.

17.3 Client’s Adolescence

The applicant should detail how they were treated as an adolescent by their family, peers, school, employer, religious or other groups or authorities like the police, military, etc. because of actual or perceived LGBTQ/H identity. If they experienced problems, describe the who, what, where, when and why of the experiences and their effects on the client. Adolescence is often the age at which individuals first begin to understand their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, so this period can be particularly important in LGBTQ/H cases.

17.4 Client’s Adulthood

The applicant should describe how they were treated as an adult by their family, peers, school, religious, employer or other groups or authorities like the police, military, etc. because of actual or perceived LGBTQ/H identity. If they experienced problems, describe the who, what, where, when and why of the experiences and their effects on the client. While problems directly at the hands of the government (such as the police or military) most clearly qualify as persecution, other problems the client experienced should also be included. This may mean include being gay-bashed, threatened by neighbors, fired from work, called names, or denied medical treatment. Even incidents which would not rise to the level of persecution individually may cumulatively be held to be persecution. If the client was mistreated by non-government actors, they must explain why they believe that the government would be unable or unwilling to protect them from these private actors.

17.5 Availability of Legal Protection for Client

It is important for the applicant to explain whether they reported any incidents of abuse to the police or other authorities. If they did not report the incident(s), they should explain why it would have been unsafe or impossible to do so. If the incident was reported, what were the effects of the report, if any, on the client or their family?

17.6 Client’s Knowledge of People Similarly Situated

The applicant should describe what they know about how other LGBTQ/H individuals in their country of origin have been or are being treated, and how they know this. Since the application is generally based at least in part on a well-founded fear of future persecution, treatment of other, similarly situated individuals is relevant to explaining the client’s fear of return. As with all aspects of the declaration, details matter. It’s better for the client to say, “I remember reading a newspaper article a couple of months before I left about a transgender woman who was killed in my city” than to say, “Everyone knows they kill transgender people in my country.”

17.7 Client’s Possible Delay in Departure after Abusive Experience

The applicant should explain whether and why, if persecuted in the past, they did not leave her country of origin immediately. Adjudicators may try to use a delay in departure to argue that the client suffered an isolated incident and that they lived in their country of origin safely afterwards. If the client did not leave immediately after an abusive experience, they should explain why and also explain what steps, if any, they took to avoid further harm while they were still living in their country of origin.

17.8 Event(s) Triggering or Culminating in Client’s Departure

The declaration should include what, if any, specific event or series of events led to their decision to leave their country of origin. For some applicants, the decision to flee from their country of origin may be the cumulative result of many incidents; for others, a single compelling incident may cause them to flee. If there was a particular incident that triggered the departure, this should be highlighted. It is especially important to focus on the triggering event if the client had traveled to the United States or other countries where they could have applied for asylum in the past but then returned to their country of origin. A specific triggering event (such as an incident with the police, or an attack on a friend) can be very important in explaining why, in spite of having willingly returned to their country of origin in the past, the client reached the decision that they had to flee their country of origin permanently.

17.9 Client’s Destination Choice

The applicant must explain why, when they decided to leave their country of origin, they did not opt to pursue: 1) relocation elsewhere in the country; 2) refugee status or relocation to another country, and/or; 3) immediate relocation to the United States.

17.10 Client’s Comparison between United States and the Country of Origin

The declaration should also include the client’s experience in the United States as an LGBTQ/H person and an explanation of how has it been different than in their country of origin (e.g., in the areas of employment, health care, social support, involvement in organizations or events for sexual minorities).

17.11 One-Year Filing Deadline

If the client missed the one year filing deadline, they should detail the “changed circumstances” that now make them eligible for asylum or the “extraordinary circumstances” which prevented them from timely filing. They should also explain why their current filing is within “a reasonable period of time” after the exception. If the client has filed late and cannot demonstrate an exception to the deadline, they cannot win asylum, so you should spend almost as much time developing this section of the declaration as you spend on the rest of the declaration.

17.12 Challenging Issues

If the client has any negative facts in their application, such as arrests, return trips to their country of origin, or a past opposite-sex marriage, it is important for them to fully explain the circumstances surrounding the negative facts. The adjudicator will hone in on the negatives, so it’s best for clients to head this off and explain themselves in their own words.  See   Section #11 for an in-depth discussion of challenging issues that commonly appear in LGBTQ/H asylum cases.

17.13 Client’s Specific Concerns over Return

What specifically does the client, as an LGBTQ/H individual, believe would happen to them if they had to return to their country of origin? Why does the client believe this to be true?

17.14 What Not to Include in the Declaration

Opponents of political asylum often argue that asylum seekers are abusing the U.S. immigration system, “cutting in line” in front of other immigration applicants, and really coming to the United States for economic opportunity. In fact, an asylum seeker may be influenced by several motives in coming to the United States While the declaration cannot contain any untruthful material, it is the representative’s job to help the applicant decide which information should not be included because it does not help the case.

Generally, any statements that the applicant wanted to come to the United States because they believed it was the land of opportunity, or that they could get a better job here, should not be included. If this is the applicant’s primary motivation, then they probably should not be seeking asylum. If, primarily, they fled their country of origin because of feared persecution and hope that their economic situation will also improve, this economic motivation information will not help their application.

Although, as discussed above, the applicant should give a detailed description of their “coming out” process and write about important relationships they had in their country of origin, they should not include graphic sexual detail. Such information is private and not relevant to the outcome of the case. Likewise, if an applicant has suffered sexual abuse or assault, it is important to include this information in the declaration in a manner that the reader can understand but which is not unnecessarily graphic. For example, it would be better to choose the phrase, “then the officer anally raped me” then to say “then the officer f***ed me up the a**.”

Avoid legal terms and conclusions. It is up to the adjudicator to determine whether or not the applicant suffered “past persecution” or has a “well-founded fear of future persecution.” Thus, the client should detail fear and harm that they have suffered or fear in the future, but should avoid drawing legal conclusions. It’s better to write, “I felt so scared and humiliated when the police officer beat me” than to write “I was persecuted by a police officer in my country.” The most important part of the declaration is to include a detailed statement of the applicant’s life in their country of origin and fears of returning to that country. Leave the legal conclusions to the adjudicator.

17.15 Translation Issues

If the applicant does not speak English you should include a certificate of translation. As a practical matter, if you only submit an English declaration, it’s unlikely that anyone will question why you have not included a certificate of translation, but best practice is to include a translation certificate.

You have two choices for submitting the translated declaration. One choice is to submit the final version of the declaration in the applicant’s native language along with an English translation. Another, less time-consuming, option is to submit the declaration in English only, along with a certificate of translation such as:

17.15.1 Sample Certification of Accurate Translation

I, Rita Garcia, hereby certify that I orally translated the attached affidavit into Spanish and read it to the affiant who indicated that he understood it and agreed with its contents. I further certify that I am competent in both English and Spanish to render and certify such translation. Rita Garcia Sworn to before me this 14th day of September 2005 _________________________________ Notary Public

This Manual is intended to provide information to attorneys and accredited representatives. It is not intended as legal advice. Asylum seekers should speak with qualified attorneys before applying.

This handbook is intended for use by pro bono attorneys and immigration attorneys working on LGBTQ/HIV asylum cases.

Self-help asylum guides for LGBTQ and HIV-positive people without attorneys.

Detention Hotline

If you are in detention, call:

Calls from people outside of detention will not be accepted.

For general inquiries, call:

I want to apply for asylum, but I don’t know how to tell my story. How do I create the most compelling personal statement in an asylum application?

Asylum Statement Sample (Preparing your Claim)

• Last Updated: 9 April 2020

IN THIS ARTICLE

To improve your chances of getting asylum, you should draft a written statement that explains your story and why you need protection. Using a sample written asylum statement as a basis, you can make sure you are including the right information to help with your claim.

The following questionnaire will prompt you and help you to remember what needs to be included when writing your statement.

These written statements are for the purpose of encouraging you to think about and write down the facts that are relevant to your claim. Not all of the sections will be relevant to you.

The questions will also prepare help to prepare you for the interview with officers who decide on your application, if such an interview is required in your asylum country.

Preparing your statement

There are three general remarks to make before you start to work with the questionnaire:

• Please keep the recommendation regarding truthful statements in your mind. It is extremely important to give a picture that is true, complete, detailed and consistent (without contradictions to former statements or evident facts). Be very precise when indicating time and place.
• In order to prepare your interview, always keep a copy of your written statement with you and read it from time to time to help you to remember all of the important details.
• In all cases where you have been persecuted or were threatened to be persecuted by a private person or organisation (not belonging to the state), you will need to explain how the state behaved in relation to this persecution. Did the state tolerate or even endorse it? Was the state indifferent? Or did the state try to protect you? Was the state also able to protect you efficiently? Theses questions are of some relevance in many asylum countries.

Questionnaire

Legal disclaimer

The matters contained in this article are intended to be for general information purposes only. This article does not constitute legal advice, nor is it a complete or authoritative statement of the law, and should not be treated as such. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and no liability is accepted for any error or omission. Before acting on any of the information contained herein, expert legal advice should be sought.

Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law , Tax , Human Resources , Immigration & Employment Law .

Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing & Content Agency for the Professional Services Sector.

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Asylum Application and Evidence

In general, you can apply for asylum within one year of entering the United States by submitting an asylum application, Form I-589. Where you submit the asylum application depends on whether you are applying for asylum in immigration court or with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Scroll down or click on the links below to read questions and answers from the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP). You can also watch this video about how to fill out your asylum application.

• When do I need to apply for asylum?
• If I did not submit an asylum application within one year of entering the United States, can I still apply for asylum?

Is there a fee to file the asylum application?

Do i need to include that i am a member of asap in my asylum application, where do i file my asylum application, how do i file my asylum application in immigration court, how do i file my asylum application with uscis by mail, how do i file my asylum application with uscis online, should i list my spouse or children in my asylum application, what is a certificate of service, how do i get a receipt for my asylum application, i have a case in immigration court, but it does not appear on the automated hotline or website. how can i apply for asylum, what additional supporting evidence can i submit to support my asylum case, when do i need to submit supporting evidence, can i submit evidence in my own language, my asylum application was rejected and returned to me by uscis. what can i do.

• See other questions.
• Find legal help.

When do I need to apply for asylum? 

Generally, you must submit your asylum application ( Form I-589 ) within one year of arriving in the United States. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Read more below. 

If I did not submit an asylum application within one year of entering the United States, can I still apply for asylum? 

Maybe! If you did not submit an asylum application within one year of arriving in the United States, you may still be able to apply for asylum depending on your situation. If your case fits one of these below situations, you may still be able to apply for asylum.

• You are under 18 years old. In many cases, if you are under 18 years old, you may be able to apply for asylum even if you have been in the United States for more than a year. Read more about applying for asylum as a child .
• You had or currently have lawful status in the United States , such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), parole, or a valid visa. You can apply for asylum anytime while you have the lawful status, even if you have been in the United States for more than a year. You can also apply for asylum after your status expires, and it is best to apply as soon as possible after your status expires.
• The conditions in your country of origin have changed and it would now be dangerous for you to return. For example, the country has a new leader that intends to harm people like you.
• Your personal circumstances have changed and returning to your country of origin would now be dangerous for you. For example, you converted to a religion that is not allowed in your country of origin. Or, you recently decided to live openly as a gay person and it would be dangerous for you to return to your country of origin as a gay person.
• You were originally included in a family member’s asylum application, but you no longer qualify to be included in their asylum application. For example, you were included in your spouse’s asylum application, but you and your spouse have divorced since filing the application.
• You suffer from serious illness, physical disability, or mental disability.
• You suffered a serious crime or domestic violence recently.
• Your attorney committed fraud, and you filed a complaint against them.

If your case fits one of the above situations, you may still be able to apply for asylum after one year of entering the United States. However, you still need to apply as soon as possible . You will also need to submit proof about how you fit one of the above situations.

Also, even if you do not qualify for asylum, you may still qualify for other similar forms of protection under U.S. immigration law, such as withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”) . These are similar to asylum because they are also for people who are afraid of returning to their countries of origin. You can apply using the same form as the form for asylum, Form I-589 . 

No! Regardless of whether you are applying for asylum with USCIS or in immigration court, there is no fee to submit your asylum application.

No, you do NOT need to include information about ASAP in your asylum application (Form I-589). There are questions in the asylum application that ask about your membership in organizations (Questions 3.A and 3.B in Part B in the paper asylum application, and under “Party or group affiliations” in the online asylum application). However, these questions are only asking about organizations in your country of origin, not in the United States. So you do not need to include information about ASAP in your answer to these questions.

You do NOT need to attach your ASAP membership card to your asylum application.

Where you should file your asylum application depends on your situation. To understand where to file, you can answer the questions on this USCIS website . You can also read more below.

Most people who have a case in immigration court should file their asylum application with the immigration court .

• Read instructions about how to file your asylum application in immigration court.
• If you are not sure whether you have a case in immigration court, you can check this website or call the immigration court hotline at 1-800-898-7180. You can also read about other ways to know if you have a case in immigration court .

In some special circumstances, people with a case in immigration court should file their asylum application with USCIS by mail . These are the special circumstances:

• If the automated hotline or website says that your immigration court case was closed or dismissed, you can mail your asylum application to USCIS. Read more information and instructions .
• If you believe you will have a case in immigration court in the future, but your information does not yet appear on the automated hotline or website, you can mail your asylum application to USCIS. Read more information and instructions .
• If you are an unaccompanied child with a case in immigration court, you can mail your asylum application to USCIS. Read instructions .

People who do NOT have a case in immigration court should file their asylum application with USCIS, either by mail or online . 

• If you do not have a case in immigration court, in general you should file your asylum application with USCIS. There are two ways to file with USCIS: by mail, or online.
• If you would like to file your asylum application with USCIS by mail, read these instructions .
• If you would like to file your asylum application with USCIS online, read these instructions . However, unfortunately not everyone is eligible to use the online filing system. You cannot apply online if you are in one of the situations described under the “Special Instructions” tab on this USCIS webpage . If you are in one of those situations, you will need to mail a paper asylum application to USCIS instead.

You can follow the steps below to apply for asylum in immigration court.

1. Complete your Form I-589.

• Download or print Form I-589 . The form is long and asks some hard questions. But do not let this discourage you! You can watch this video for step-by-step instructions about how to fill out the asylum application. You can also see Appendix F of this guide for more instructions.
• Your answers must be written in English.
• Read each question carefully. All of your answers should be complete, accurate, and truthful.
• You may be able to include qualifying family members in your asylum case.
• After you are done, review the entire application to catch any mistakes.
• If you are filling out the application on paper and writing by hand, make sure that your handwriting is clear and easy to read. Use a black pen.
• Remember to sign and date your application.

2. Prepare your application packet. 

• One original Form I-589 for the judge.
• One copy for the government attorney.
• One copy for you to keep for your records.
• You may also need to prepare a certificate of service, if you are submitting your asylum application by mail or at the filing window of the immigration court. A certificate of service is a document that states that you sent a document to the government attorney. You can download and fill out this certificate of service .
• You can include other supporting evidence .

3. Submit your application packet. You have three options for how to do this.

• Option 1. You can submit your application packet in person during your hearing. You can hand your original asylum application and the two copies you prepared to the judge. The judge should stamp them. The judge should keep the original, and give you back the two copies. Give one of the copies to the government attorney, and keep the other copy for your records. This copy is your receipt proving that you submitted your asylum application.
• Take the original asylum application, two copies, and a certificate of service to the filing window in your immigration court. The clerk should keep the original and the certificate of service. The clerk should stamp the copies and give them back to you.
• Keep one copy for your records. The copy is your receipt proving that you submitted your asylum application.
• The other copy needs to be sent to the government attorney. You can do this by taking the copy to the government attorney office, which is usually located in the same building as the immigration court, or by mailing it to the government attorney. You can find the addresses for government attorneys here .
• Make sure you use a mail service that offers tracking. For tips on how to mail documents, watch this video .
• Mail the original asylum application, a copy of the application, and the certificate of service to the immigration court. You can find addresses of immigration courts here . In addition, make sure to include an envelope with your address and postage. The immigration court should stamp the copy of your asylum application and then mail it back to you using the envelope. If you do not include an envelope, they will not mail you your copy. The copy is your receipt proving that you submitted your asylum application. Keep this copy somewhere safe.
• Mail another copy to the government attorney. You can find the addresses for government attorneys here .

4. Send documents to USCIS for your biometrics appointment (also called fingerprint appointment) . 

• You have to send certain documents to USCIS in order to be scheduled for a biometrics appointment for the government to collect your fingerprints. Please read these instructions or watch this video .

5. Continue with your asylum case in immigration court. 

• You can submit more evidence before your individual hearing.
• Read about the immigration court process .
• Read about applying for your first work permit .

There are two ways that you can submit your asylum application to USCIS: by mail or online. You can follow the steps below to apply by mail. If you want to apply online instead, find instructions for applying online here .

• You can include the documents below, in this order. Do not staple the pages – you can use a paperclip, binder clip, or rubber bands instead to hold all the pages together.
• Form G-1145 (optional). If you want, you can include Form G-1145 to receive notices about your application by text message or email.
• Your completed Form I-589.
• A copy of your passport, if you have one. If possible, include a copy of every page, including the front and back covers.
• A copy of your Form I-94, if you have one. It may look like this , this , or this .
• A copy of a document that proves your family relationship – for example, a copy of birth certificate for a child or a copy of a marriage certificate for a spouse.
• A copy of your family member’s passport and Form I-94, if they have one.
• If you had an immigration court case in the past but it was dismissed, you can find more specific instructions here .
• You can also attach other supporting evidence to your asylum application. You can also choose to submit them later. Read more about additional evidence here .
• If a document is not in English, you should also include an English translation with a certificate of translation .

3. Make a copy of the whole packet and keep it for your records. 

4. Mail the original application packet to USCIS.

• The USCIS address where you need to send your application packet depends on where you live. You can find the correct address by going to this USCIS webpage , and looking under “Where To File.”
• However, if you are in one of the special situations described under the “Special Instructions” tab on this USCIS webpage , you have to submit your asylum application to a special processing center called the Asylum Vetting Center.

5. Continue with your asylum case with USCIS. 

• You should receive a receipt notice in the mail.
• You can submit more evidence before or during your asylum interview.
• Read about the USCIS process .

There are two ways that you can submit your asylum application to USCIS: by mail or online. Only some asylum seekers can apply online . If you are not sure, read this question to understand whether you can file online.

If you are eligible to file online, you can follow the steps below to apply online. If you want to apply by mail instead, find instructions for applying by mail here .

1. Log in or create your USCIS online account. 

• Go to this USCIS online account website . This website is only available in English.
• Next, log in to your USCIS account if you already have an account. If you do not have an account, click the blue sign up button to create an account. You can watch this USCIS video about how to create an online account.

2. Start the asylum application. 

• If you are using a phone, click “Menu” in the top right corner, click “Account actions,” then click “File a form online.” If you are on a computer, click “My Account” in the top right corner, then click “File a form online.”
• Next, select “I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal” in the drop down menu.
• Click “Start form.”

3. Complete the asylum application. 

• Most of the questions in the online asylum application are identical to the paper asylum application. You can watch this video for detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to fill out the paper asylum application. Below are some useful things to know when completing the online asylum application:
• Pop-Up Window: When you are filling out the application online, you will likely see a pop-up window that looks similar to this:

If you would like to continue, choose “Allow” because the government only accepts asylum applications from people who are located in the United States. If you choose “Block”, the website will not allow you to proceed.

• If you entered the United States with parole or a specific type of visa (such as a B2 tourist visa or F1 student visa), choose that from the list.
• If you are an asylum seeker who did not enter the United States with parole or a visa, you can choose “999 – Alien awaiting decision of asylum.” You can then leave “Date this status expires” blank.
• If you are not sure what to choose, you can choose “ZN – Unknown.” You can then leave “Date this status expires” blank.
• Blank questions: If you do not answer a required question, you will get an alert when you reach the “Review and Submit” section. You can then go back and answer. If you do not know an answer, you can write “unknown” or leave it blank.

4. Upload evidence.

• You can upload evidence in the online form. There are size limits, so you may have to split large files into more than one file.
• We recommend submitting a copy of your passport and Form I-94, if you have them.
• A copy of your family member’s passport and Form I-94, if they have them.
• Some of the evidence categories may not apply to you. In that situation, you do not have to include evidence for that category, even if you get an alert that says you should provide evidence. For example, if you do not have a Cover Letter, you do not have to submit one. Or, if you do not have a spouse or children, you do not have to submit evidence for Family Identification.
• You do not have to submit all evidence at the same time that you are submitting your online asylum application. You can submit more evidence later, before or during your asylum interview. Read more about additional evidence here .

5. Submit your application and get your receipt notice. 

• Carefully review your application and evidence before you submit.
• After you submit your asylum application, check your USCIS account frequently . You will not receive your receipt notice or other important notices by mail. Some people receive their receipt notice online in just 1 to 2 days.
• You should be able to see and download a copy of your asylum application from your online account.

6. Continue with your asylum case with USCIS. 

Yes! There are 3 things to know about this process.

1. List any spouse or children you have. 

• If you have a spouse or children, no matter where they live or how old they are, you should list them on your asylum application. You can provide information about them on Part A.II. on the paper asylum application (Form I-589) or in the “Your Family” section if you are filing online.

2. You can include qualifying family members in your asylum case. 

• If you have a spouse or unmarried children under age 21 who are living in the United States, you may also be able to include them in your asylum case. If you do this, your spouse or children can generally apply for a work permit at the same time as you! And if you win asylum, they will win asylum too – even if your child has turned 21 by then. The steps to include your family members in your asylum case are different depending on if you are applying for asylum with USCIS or immigration court. Read more below.

If you are filing your asylum application with USCIS and want to include your family member in your case, answer “Yes” to the question “If in the U.S., is your spouse/this child to be included in this application?” This check box is in Part A.II. on the paper asylum application or on the “Your Family” section if you are filing online. All family members that you include must attend your asylum interview.

Note: If you file your asylum application with USCIS, but later your case is sent to immigration court, your family members may no longer be included in your asylum case. Read below about how to check if your cases are together in immigration court.

• Immigration court: 

The process in immigration court is more complicated. To include your family member in your asylum case, your cases must be together in immigration court . This means that you have the same immigration judge, the same court dates, and you are listed together on court documents such as the Notice to Appear or Hearing Notice .

• If your cases are already together in immigration court, your family member can automatically be included in your asylum case. When you complete your asylum application, answer “Yes” to the question in Part A.II, “If in the U.S., is your spouse/this child to be included in this application?” Each family member may also want to file their own separate asylum application, because then an immigration judge can grant other protections from deportation .
• If you and your family members have separate cases in immigration court , you can all apply for asylum using separate applications. You can also consider requesting that your cases be combined. You may want to seek advice from an immigration attorney to help determine the best strategy for your family.
• If your family member does not have a case in immigration court at all , they will not be included in your asylum case.

3. If you win asylum, you can petition for qualifying family members. 

• If you cannot include your spouse or children in your asylum case but you later win asylum, you may still be able to request immigration status for them.
• If you win asylum, you can file a petition called Form I-730 to request asylum for your spouse or unmarried children under age 21 who were not included in your asylum case. You can request asylum for these family members even if they are outside the United States or are living in the United States without immigration status. You must file Form I-730 within 2 years of winning asylum.
• Also, if you win asylum, you can become a Permanent Resident after one year . Eventually, you can apply to become a citizen of the United States. Permanent Residents and U.S. citizens have additional options to request immigration status for more family members .

A certificate of service is a document that states that you sent a document to the government attorney. You only need certificates of service if you have an immigration court case! If you are applying for asylum with USCIS, you do not need this document.

If you have a case in immigration court, you may need a certificate of service when you submit your asylum application , or when you appeal your case to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) .

You can download and fill out this certificate of service .

The way to get a receipt showing that you submitted your asylum application (Form I-589) depends on whether you are submitting your application to USCIS or to the immigration court. Read here if you are not sure where to file your asylum application .

• If you are applying for asylum with USCIS by mail , USCIS should automatically mail you a receipt notice after they receive your asylum application. Read here if your receipt notice is delayed .
• If you are applying for asylum with USCIS online , USCIS should automatically post your receipt notice to your USCIS online account .
• If you are applying for asylum with the immigration court , the immigration court will not send you a receipt automatically. Instead, if you want proof of receipt, you need to take action. You may want a receipt because it is useful to have one when you apply for a work permit . Your proof of receipt is the first page of your asylum application stamped with the date of receipt by the immigration court.

If you have not submitted your asylum application yet, follow these instructions to request a stamped copy of your asylum application.

If you already submitted your asylum application to the immigration court , but you did not receive a copy of your asylum application with a date stamp, first you should check that the immigration court received your asylum application. Call the immigration court hotline at 1-800-898-7180. Press 1 for English, enter your A Number, press 1 to confirm your A number, and 1 again to confirm your name. Finally, press 2. If you hear a message indicating that a certain number of days is on your “clock,” this means that your asylum application was received by the court that number of days ago.

If you confirmed that the immigration court received your asylum application, and you want a copy with a date stamp, you can call your immigration court to find out how you can get a copy. You can find the contact information for your immigration court here .

This can be a confusing situation. Some people know that they will have a case in immigration court, but when they check their immigration court case status, it says “the A Number information did not match a record in the system” or “no case found for this A Number.” If this situation applies to you, it is best to mail your asylum application (Form I-589) to USCIS within one year of entering the United States. This may seem confusing because your case will actually be in the immigration court, not with USCIS. However, this is the only way you can file your asylum application if the immigration court has not yet entered your information in their system yet.

How do I know if I am in this situation? 

You know that you are probably in this situation if both of the following statements are true:

• You know that you will have a case in immigration court (for example, because you received a Notice to Appear or you were detained by immigration officials after entering the United States), AND
• When you check your case status by calling the immigration court hotline at 1-800-898-7180 and after entering your A Number, the hotline says: “The A Number information you entered did not match a record in the system or the case has not been filed with the immigration court.” OR when you check your case status by entering your A Number on the immigration court website , it says “No case found for this A Number.”

If you are in this situation, you can take the steps described below to submit your asylum application. If you are not in this situation, read this question to find out how to submit your asylum application .

How can I apply for asylum in this situation?

To apply for asylum in this situation, you can follow these steps:

• Mail an asylum application to USCIS before the one-year deadline. You can follow these instructions to complete your asylum application package and mail it to the correct USCIS address. You cannot file for asylum online in this situation.
• Keep a copy of your application because you will need to submit it to the immigration court again later.
• After you submit your application, USCIS should send you a notice. Keep this notice in a safe place because it proves that you submitted your asylum application before the one year deadline. You can also include a copy of the notice when you apply for your work permit .
• The immigration court should eventually schedule you for your first hearing, known as a master calendar hearing . Check your case status every week so that you learn when your hearing is scheduled. At your hearing, it is important to tell the judge that you filed your asylum application before the one year deadline. You can bring a copy of the notice you received from USCIS and a copy of your asylum application.

You can submit different types of evidence to support your asylum case. This is usually a good idea, but it is not required. It is possible to win asylum based only on your own testimony during your immigration court hearing or your asylum interview. The evidence that you submit should answer these five key questions: 

• What was the harm you suffered in your country of origin, or what harm do you fear you may suffer if you have to go back to your country of origin?
• Who harmed you, or who would want to harm you? If you do not know for sure, who do you think it was?
• Why were you, or why will you be, a target for harm in your country of origin?
• Why are you not able to seek help or protection from the police or the government of your country of origin?
• Is there a safe place inside your country of origin where you can live?

You can watch this video that can help you think about these questions and prepare your asylum case.

Here are some examples of the kinds of evidence you can submit: 

However, every case is different! This list is not meant to be complete and the examples will not apply in every case.

• A written declaration, describing any harm you suffered in the past, who harmed you, why they harmed you, whether you tried to get help from the police or the government of your country of origin, whether there is a safe place inside your country of origin that you can move to, and what you think might happen to you if you were to return to your country of origin.
• Identity documents, such as your passport, birth certificate, and marriage certificate.
• Police reports, if you made a report to the police about the harm you suffered.
• Medical reports, showing any physical injuries you may have suffered.
• Mental health evaluation, showing any mental harm you may have suffered.
• Newspaper or magazine articles about the issues that make you afraid to return to your country of origin, or articles about bad things that happened to people who are similar to you in your country of origin.
• Letters or declarations from people who know about what happened to you in your country of origin.
• Photographs that show parts of your story. For example, the photos can show any harm you suffered, or your participation in a group or activity, if you believe your participation in that group or activity is making you a target for harm.
• Text messages, Facebook messages, or any other written communication that contain threats made against you.
• Membership cards or other official documents from a group, if you believe your membership in the group is making you a target for harm.
• News articles or reports from national or international human rights organizations about the situation that you have fled from.
• If you are applying for asylum more than 1 year after arriving in the United States, you can also submit evidence that shows why you should still be able to apply for asylum. Read more about exceptions to the 1 year deadline here .

You can also find more ideas beginning on page 13 of this guide , page 8 of this guide , and page 15 of this guide .

If you are afraid of going back to your country of origin because of your sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status, you can read this guide for more ideas.

Other tips: 

Please also remember that if any of the evidence is not in English, you will also need to include a translation and a certificate of translation .

Do not submit any fake or forged documents. Submitting fake documents can have bad consequences for your case. If you cannot get certain evidence, or getting it will put you or someone else in danger, then you can explain to the immigration judge or asylum officer why you could not get that evidence.

You do not have to submit supporting evidence at the same time as your asylum application (Form I-589). Instead, you can wait until you are closer to your individual hearing in immigration court, or your USCIS asylum interview.

If you have a case in immigration court , you first need to submit your asylum application. Then, once your individual hearing is scheduled, you will need to submit additional evidence. The immigration judge should give you a deadline for submitting the evidence, usually at least 15 days before the individual hearing. Read more about applying for asylum in immigration court here , or watch these videos .

If you apply for asylum with USCIS , you will be scheduled for an interview in an asylum office after you submit your asylum application. You will need to submit your additional evidence before your interview, usually at least one week before your asylum interview. It should be sent directly to the asylum office where you will have the interview. You should read your asylum interview notice and follow the instructions. You can also bring additional evidence with you to your asylum interview. You can contact your local asylum office for more detailed instructions.

Read more about applying for asylum with USCIS here , or watch these videos .

Yes. You can submit evidence in a language other than English, but you will also need to include a translation into English and a certificate of translation .

If your asylum application was rejected and returned to you, you should carefully read the rejection notice. The rejection notice explains why USCIS rejected your application. You can correct the problem and resubmit your application. If you need help resubmitting your application, you can look for legal assistance .

Note: This page is for adults who are interested in seeking asylum in the United States. Our hope is that you will use the information to better understand the asylum process and take control of your case. However, this information is not a substitute for legal advice about your particular case. To look for legal assistance, visit ASAP’s find help page . 

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How to Provide Evidence for Your Asylum Case

Applying for asylum can be a difficult and time-consuming process. This can be made even more difficult for some people who fear that they cannot provide evidence to prove the persecution, harm, and suffering they have experienced or will experience in their home country.

In this post, we will discuss the following:

• how to provide evidence for your asylum case
• documents you will need
• your written statement
• witness statements
• medical reports
• country conditions
• expert letters

How To Provide Evidence For Your Asylum Case

First, it is important to keep in mind that the amount of asylum evidence you have should not be the only determining factor in your decision to apply for asylum . Because there is no specific requirement for the number or type of evidence for an asylum case, most asylum applicants can provide some level of evidence. This is because evidence can come in many different forms and types. Many applicants don’t realize all the different types of documents and affidavits, and reports that can be used as evidence for their case. Because evidence can play a pivotal role in an asylum claim, it is best to secure as many of the different types of evidence that you can for your case. 

An asylum seeker is someone who seeks the protection of the United States because they fear past or future persecution in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Providing evidence to substantiate this fear can be done through multiple different mediums.

if you are looking for more information about religion and asylum, we have a post about what is religious asylum . 

It is also important to remember that the individual items of evidence you provide do not have to prove your entire story. Items of evidence often just demonstrate the truth or validity of different portions of your story or experience. It is the sum total of evidence, or how much of your entire experience you have been able to show evidence for, that will make your case even stronger. A case does not require that every single aspect of your story have evidence. It is better to focus on getting as many strong items of evidence as possible.

Read our post about how to win your asylum case for more details and information.

Documents Showing Identity, Family Ties, Residency, Schooling, etc.

Establishing your identity, relationships, and residency is important to prove who you are and your ties to your home country and also to show that evidence for your background and history as part of your overall claims. Evidence for your asylum case could include birth certificates, identification cards, passports, school or medical records, and/or employment documents. It is not necessary to provide every single identification, residency, schooling, and employment document that you have, but a few primary ones will be good for your case.

Documents backing up specific incidents or details in your case

There are many things that can fall into this category and it is highly dependent on the specifics to your case. However, there are some important types of evidence for your asylum case that you should keep in mind. While these are only suggested items or categories, even a few of these may be helpful to your case. Specific asylum evidence types may include:

• Threat letters, emails, or other messages
• Police or other legal reports 
• Any emails, texts, or other correspondences dated from within the time period of your story that back up any part of your claims 
• Social media posts or exchanges that depict your story or claimed incidents 
• Pictures depicting claimed events or individuals pertinent to your story
• Images showing depicting your location and actions that align with your claims
• Possible third-party publications, like news articles about you or even social media posts from others that discussed your situation or important incidents you claim

Personal Affidavits or Detailed Written Statement

A personal affidavit, which serves as your sworn statement, is the cornerstone of your case and should be included as part of your asylum application. This affidavit is considered a type of evidence. A detailed written statement provides a narrative of the events that led to your fear of returning to your home country. The personal affidavit should be clearly written with pertinent details, most often in chronological order so that your story and experience can be understood by the reader. This affidavit is also extremely helpful to your attorney or any potential attorney you may have for your case in the future as it helps them understand your story better and shape a proper legal argument. While you do not need an attorney to apply for asylum, it is best to consult and utilize a knowledgeable immigration attorney with asylum-related experience to help you navigate this complex process.

Witness Statements And Affidavits

Corroborating witness statements can strengthen your claim and is good evidence for your asylum case. These affidavits could be from friends, family, colleagues, or any other person who can vouch for your story or even just some part of your story. For instance, if you were part of a specific incident and you have someone who witnessed the specific event, they can write an affidavit about only the event they witnessed. Another affidavit, however, may be from a family member who witnessed or is familiar with your entire story, and they can speak to and back up the totality of your claims. Remember, both affidavit types should be able to attest to specific details that align with your claim, but even a few supported details are acceptable. While it is not necessary to get an affidavit from every single person in your family or friends’ group, a few well-written statements from key witnesses should be included.

Medical and Psychological Reports Are Evidence For Your Asylum Case

Evidence in the form of medical and/or psychological reports can help your case in several different ways. If you've suffered direct physical harm, for instance, then medical reports from professionals detailing your condition and their observations can be critical to back up your claims. Photographs/images of associated injuries, if available, can also be included. Even a current medical report assessing old injuries may be beneficial if past medical documents are not available. In addition, your case may also benefit from a psychological evaluation report. Many asylum cases entail serious trauma or fears and oftentimes, related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An assessment from a pertinent professional describing the link between your current mental health and the conditions in your home country and your case can have a profound impact on an asylum case.

Country Conditions, News Articles, and Human Rights Reports Asylum Evidence

Every asylum case should have a Country Conditions section. This is part of your case where you demonstrate the overall conditions in your country through the use of reports and media sources. There are various comprehensive reports that can be included in this section, such as country reports from institutions like the U.S. Department of State or Human Rights Watch. These reports discuss the overarching state of human rights in various countries. Individual media reports and assessments can also be included that cover specific conditions in a country. For example, you may include several different news articles that separately talk about violence, poverty, or recent developments that are directly related to your claims. Such reports and the overall Country Conditions section is used to establish that your fear of persecution is well-founded. Even if you are fleeing conditions that have been heavily covered in the media, or conditions that most average people are familiar with, DO NOT assume that your reader will already know about the country. Always include these reports and articles to back up your case.

Expert's Letters or Reports

Sometimes, your case might benefit from an expert opinion, such as scholars, human rights activists, or subject matter specialists. Expert opinions are considered evidence for your asylum case. These letters and/or reports can validate the conditions in your home country, providing context and a broader understanding of the situation. Experts can also independently speak to the risks and impacts that country conditions can have and how they align with your claims. A strong third-party letter or report can be very helpful evidence because it potentially provides an independent assessment component to your case.

It is important to remember that no two asylum cases are the same. What works for one individual may not work for another. However, a well-evidenced case can improve your chances of securing asylum in the US. Providing a compelling body of evidence is crucial to your asylum case. 

It's also worth noting that evidencing an asylum case can be a challenging task, given that many asylum seekers flee their home countries with few possessions and little documentation. That's why it's essential to work with an experienced immigration attorney who can guide you through the process and help gather the necessary evidence.

FAQ About Evidence for Your Asylum Case

What evidence will strengthen an asylum case.

Evidence that can strengthen an asylum case, including identity documents, affidavits, witness statements, medical and psychological reports, country condition reports, and expert opinions. This can include:

• personal documents like birth certificates or passports
• direct evidence of persecution such as threat letters or police reports
• indirect evidence like news articles about conditions in your home country.

How can an asylum seeker provide evidence if they fled their home country with few possessions and little documentation?

While physical evidence can be beneficial, many asylum seekers might not have such documents due to their circumstances. In these cases, personal and witness affidavits become more important. These are detailed written statements that chronologically outline the events that led to your fear of returning to your home country. Medical and psychological reports, expert opinions, and country condition reports can also be obtained after leaving the home country and can greatly strengthen your case.

How important is the personal affidavit in an asylum case, and what should it include?

The personal affidavit, a sworn statement detailing your experiences, is considered one of the cornerstones of an asylum case and is treated as a type of evidence. It provides a narrative of the events that led to your fear of returning to your home country. This statement should include all pertinent details and should ideally be presented in chronological order for clarity. The personal affidavit not only helps the asylum officer understand your story, but also assists your attorney in developing a robust legal argument for your case. Even if you lack other forms of evidence, a well-constructed affidavit can make a significant impact on your asylum application.

Conclusion On Evidence for Your Asylum Case

A strong asylum case is all about showing your fear of going back home and backing up those claims with proof. Even if you don't have a lot of papers or documents, your story can be a powerful piece of evidence. Things like your own written statement, stories from others who know about your situation, and reports about your home country can really help.

Each person asking for asylum has a different story to tell, so the proof they provide will be different too. Having a lawyer who knows a lot about asylum can be very helpful. They can guide you in telling your story in the best way and dealing with the difficult parts of the law, making your case stronger.

The main goal is to build a case that clearly shows your fear of going back home, with strong proof to back it up. With the right help and good planning, you can make a really strong asylum case.

If you have any questions and would like to speak with an attorney , we are here to answer your questions!

Table Of Contents

Can I Apply for Asylum With a Criminal Record in 2024

Asylum denial reasons in 2024, what is race-based asylum, can i apply for asylum while on a j1 visa.

• Family Based
• Naturalization-Citizenship
• Deportation and Removal
• Criminal History
• NIW / Extraordinary / Outstanding
• E-2 Treaty Investor Visa
• PERM – Labor Certification
• H-1B Work Visa
• Visitor’s Visa
• Business Law
• Concussion/brain injury
• Premises Liability
• Traffic Accidents
• Wrongful Death
• Medical Malpractice
• Success Stories

10 Things You Should Know About Evidence for Asylum Case

As an asylum seeker, it’s essential to present a compelling case highlighting the persecution or fear of persecution you may face in your home country. Gathering strong evidence can significantly increase your chances of success in your asylum application. 

With that in mind, attorney Ismail Shahtakhtinski, founder of IS Law Firm, shares these 10 things every asylum seeker should know when preparing evidence for his or her asylum case. 

• Written statement is very important for your asylum case. You should never submit the firm I-589 without your written statement describing your background, events, and the reasons why you cannot return to your country. Theoretically, you can win your asylum case without a written statement and evidence. However, in practice that is highly unlikely. Your Asylum Declaration is your written statement which explains in detail why you left your country and why you are afraid to return. Use simple language. Do not write in complicated, legal, or poetic language. It must be easy to read and understand. Use short sentences. Be specific and include all incidents and events in your declaration.
• Use circumstantial evidence, do not get stuck with looking for direct evidence necessarily. What does it mean? Very often it’s hard to find any direct evidence, like medical reports, police statements and videos. Imagine you are an asylum seeker who was tortured.  In lots of cases circumstantial or secondary evidence is totally fine! This evidence may be in form of letters, documents, or pretty much anything that corroborates your story.For example, we had a client who was alleging that he was attending some religious meetings and was persecuted because of that. He was detained and threatened because of that. When gathering evidence for his asylum case, we did not try to get a video recording of him entering the mosque three years ago. We did not try to get the police confession that they threatened this man. We asked his employer to write a letter confirming that he left the job earlier on that particular day and did not show up at work the day after. This circumstantial evidence corroborated his story.
• The best format, obviously, is if it’s a notarized statement. For example, suppose that witness is in another country. In that case, it may be easy to get a notarized statement from that person. But in many countries, the notary public is a government employee, or they are licensed by the government. A person who witnessed something wrong done by government officials may be hesitant to provide such a statement in front of a notary public. is there are alternatives. 
• The second priority is to get a simple letter. It can be scanned and emailed, with a copy of the author’s identification document. 
• If the author is not willing to type, sign, scan and email a letter, then they can simply send you a note in the email or via social media. Again, attaching a copy of the Id would be very helpful.
• What is they are not willing to send an email too, then you can get creative. In one case, we asked the author to describe what happened in a Zoom call and we recorded that call and then transcribed it and got it translated. 
• The rule is that even a simple note via social media is better than nothing.
• Be creative with gathering your asylum evidence. Sometimes gathering evidence is pretty challenging. We often have difficulties getting statements from witnesses. It is a typical situation when the asylum seekers tell us: “I tried to ask this person if they would confirm, but they refused. They’re scared”. We would ask: “Well, how do you know they’re scared?”. And the client would show us a WhatsApp message where the witness tells them that they are too scared to help. That’s a good document! You can screenshot those messages and use it as evidence. We had an asylum seeker from Iran. He was summoned to court after he came to the United States, and we wanted to use this fact as supporting evidence that he was being persecuted by the government. The asylum seeker had relatives who were taking care of his house. They were the ones who received the court summons on his behalf. But they would not testify because they were too scared. So, we asked the client: “How do you know there were any court summons?”. He said: “Well, my relatives showed it to me via Skype.” We had the client talk to them again via Skype and ask them to show the document again, in the meantime taking a photo or doing a screenshot.
• A refusal to give evidence or attempts to get evidence can also serve as evidence.   Keep record of attempts! For example, if you are seeking a crucial document for your case, but it’s missing, you can submit evidence that you at least tried to get that evidence. It is often useful to hire a lawyer in your home country to make an inquiry on your behalf to request the document which is missing. For example, as we all know, when the police unlawfully detains protesters, they often do not create a record of such arrests. Even if there is no such evidence, an attorney in your home country can make an inquiry on your behalf and can provide a letter confirming that they made an attempt. Better yet, your lawyer can also add a statement in that letter describing how the police in your country usually does not formally make records of unlawful arrests of protesters. You can also ask a friend or family member who lives in your country to try to get that document, and, if they fail, they can write an affidavit saying something like this: “I was asked by my relative to get this document. I went and tried, but that document was unavailable, or they didn’t want to give it to me”. It may sound strange, but this is also evidence.
• Keep evidence of how you received the evidence. A classic example is a print-out of the email from the witness which had their statement as attachment. Or it can be envelopes of mail received. Same goes with social media messages, do not copy and paste messages but use screenshots and show who sent the messages. Tip about mailed documents: If someone is mailing you a document or letter, make sure to ask them first to email you a scan. International mail has a tendency of getting delayed or lost.
• Use country condition reports. Often a good corroborating evidence can be found in the country condition reports from the US Department of State, other federal agencies, or human rights organizations, news articles about similar incidents which prove your point, and corroborate with what you described in your story.
• Do not forge documents. Unfortunately, lots of asylum seekers are advised to produce some fake documents to prove their story. There is a cottage industry producing fake police and hospital reports. In many countries of the world, you can pay to get any document you want, even a death certificate and the US government knows this. The US government is aware that “police reports”, “hospital records” can be bought. Do not underestimate the asylum officers or immigration judges. The USCIS officer would easily understand if the document is fake or suspicious. And you will be denied asylum because if you produce fake documents.
• Too much evidence can be suspicious. Sometimes we get prospective clients who show us pictures of them getting arrested, pictures of being slapped by the police, and then medical records stating that the applicant was bruised. This type of evidence can raise more questions than answers. In reality, in most cases police wouldn’t pose for your relatives to take pictures of you getting arrested and you probably wouldn’t seek medical attention for being slapped in the face. Once in a while we see a selfie of an asylum seeker with a police officer who brought the court summons to this political activist’s door. We are always super suspicious, and the asylum officer will be too. Will a political activist do a selfie in the heat of a moment with a police officer? Won’t they be scared if that country is an autocratic dictatorship which uses police to threaten and kill the opposition? These are the questions that will come up.
• You may not even need any evidence at all.  Your written statement and your oral testimony (at asylum interview or in court) is the most important evidence. As part of the requirement under the Real Id Act, you must try to gather as much corroborating evidence as you can. But, if you have made attempts or if there is no evidence that can be gathered, you may still be able to get asylum without any documents. Clients often ask us: “This happened to me, but I don’t have any proof. Should I mention that in my asylum application?”. Yes, you should! If don’t have proof that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. And down the road, during your asylum interview or court hearing, when this issue comes up, you can explain and use your words to prove that it happened.

Remember that each asylum case is unique. Some will require a lot of evidence and others will not. Talk to your lawyer and go through the process and identify what is best for your case. If you’re seeking asylum and need legal assistance, our team is here to help. To schedule a consultation please use this link: Schedule a Consultation – I.S. Law Firm, PLLC 

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• Using AI and ChatGPT to help you with your personal statement
• Using your personal statement beyond a university application
• Carers, estranged students, refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain
• Personal statement guides
• References for mature students

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Personal statement for carers, personal statement for estranged students, personal statement for refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain.

This guide is specifically for those with caring responsibilities, those studying without the support of parents or family, and those who are refugees or seeking asylum. 

What’s a personal statement? 

We have plenty of advice to help you write a personal statement. You can find a full guide here. But what about when you have other responsibilities? These will undoubtably have given you different skills and experiences.

In this guide, we’ll show you how you can make the most of your unique circumstances so your personal statement stands out from the crowd.

Chloe Ng – HE Career Coach, Manchester Metropolitan University

If you’re a carer you’ll have lots of additional skills and strengths that are highly valued in higher education.

We’ve worked with Carers Trust and course providers to help you identify your key strengths. Highlighting these in your personal statement is key, as they’ll make up for any experience missing due to your caring responsibilities. 

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What experience may be missing, how can you stand out.

Caring for another person develops a range of important skills and characteristics. Thinking about these is a great starting point for writing your personal statement. You don’t have to go into lots of detail about your circumstances or responsibilities. Instead, it’s about showcasing the skills you have.

Let’s look at things to note down to help you think about what to include in your personal statement:

Think about your responsibilities

These are the things you do as a carer . To get started, here are some things to note down:

• emotional support
• financial support and management
• practical household tasks
• personal care or physical help
• supporting with medical professionals

Think about your skills

These are the skills you demonstrate every day as you care for someone else. To get started, here are some things to note down:

• manage challenging situations or behaviours
• show empathy and understanding
• understand complex information
• problem-solving skills
• calm under pressure and in stressful situations

And finally, think about your personal characteristics

This focuses on everything you are as a result of caring for someone else. To get you started, here are some things to note down:

• patient and supportive of others
• flexible and responsive to changing situations
• highly compassionate
• resourceful and resilient
• high moral and ethical awareness

Read more information and advice about identifying your transferable skills on the Carers Trust website . Action for Carers offers a young carers’ skills journal to help you think about your skills in more depth.

Being an estranged student means you’ll be studying without the support of your parents due to a breakdown in your relationship.

We’ve worked with Stand Alone to help you to think about the skills, experience, and strengths to write about in your personal statement.

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Through your estrangement, you’ll have overcome and survived many personal challenges and gained a variety of skills and strengths that are highly valued in higher education. Understanding what these are, and talking about them, will help your application stand out. It’s a hugely positive personal step you’re taking in applying to university or college without family support.

Let’s look at things to note down to help you think about what to include in your personal statement.

These are the things you do because you’re an estranged student . To get started, here are some things to note down:

• live independently
• manage finances and personal budget
• persevere in difficult circumstances
• manage personal needs
• able to source support independently

Let’s move on to your skills

These are the skills you demonstrate every day as a result of the relationship breakdown. To get started, here are some things to note down:

• stay calm under pressure
• a strong communicator 
• able to critically evaluate situations
• able to set goals and plan to achieve them
• strong time management skills

And finally, on to your personal characteristics

This focuses on everything you are as a result of studying without support. To get started, here are some things to note down:

• hard working and committed
• independent and creative
• responsible

Although no one refugee experience is the same, as someone seeking refugee protection you’ll have gained many additional skills and strengths that are highly valued in higher education.

We’ve worked with Student Action for Refugees (STAR) and its group of Equal Access Activists to help you identify your key strengths and transferable skills as you apply to university or college. 

Adviser news - new personal statement tool

For many refugees and people in the asylum system, gaining experience and taking on extracurricular activities, while navigating the asylum process or adjusting to life in the UK, can be very challenging.

You might feel you’re missing out on opportunities to build an impressive personal statement, but managing the complexities of restarting your life in the UK will certainly have helped you develop a range of important skills and characteristics. Thinking about what these are will give you a great starting point for your personal statement.

You don’t have to go into lots of detail about your circumstances or experiences (or share anything you don’t feel comfortable talking about) – just focus on the skills you use and identify your key strengths and abilities by exploring your own experience.

Also, explain why you've chosen the course you're applying to, and try to link your skills and abilities to it – this will help show you're suitable for that course. 

These are the things you’ve needed to do as a refugee or asylum seeker. To get started, here are some things to note down:

• learn a new language
• immerse yourself in a new culture and way of living
• navigate and understand legal proceedings
• personal development to gain new skills or qualifications
• manage family needs as well as personal

These are the skills you demonstrate every day as someone who’s needed refuge protection. To get started, here are some things to note down:

• strong endurance of hardship
• understanding of complex information
• effective stress management
• calm under pressure
• great attention to detail

This focuses on everything you are because of needing to seek refuge. To get started, here are some things to note down:

• courageous and brave
• hopeful and optimistic
• committed and dedicated
• resourceful and determined
• self-motivated and independent

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The information in this guide has been created to help you highlight all your unique skills that’ll help your personal statement stand out, no matter what your background or personal circumstances. 

The examples we’ve given are just to get you started – we’re sure you’ll come up with many more.

Need more advice?

• More advice for carers .
• More advice for estranged students .
• More advice for refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain .
• Use UCAS’ personal statement tool alongside this guide to help you structure your ideas.
• Read our full guide on how to write an undergraduate personal statement .

You might also like to read

Applying to university if you are experiencing estrangement, financial support for students not supported by their parents (estranged), how to get support from your universities and colleges, sponsored articles ucas media service, do you need to take an english test to study at university in the uk, how to prepare for your open day, how to save money at uni.

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New York Is the Toughest Place in the Country to Apply for Asylum

Tens of thousands of migrants have flocked to New York City in recent years, seeking one of the few legal pathways to permanent residency in the United States.

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By Nina Agrawal

Many of the tens of thousands of migrants who have arrived in New York City over the last several years say they share the same hope: to be granted asylum so they can legally stay in the United States permanently.

But while New York is a beacon for many migrants, with a law guaranteeing shelter and pro-immigration political traditions, its asylum office is also the toughest place to win a claim in the country, records show.

Even before the recent influx of border crossers, New York’s federal asylum office granted the lowest share of asylum claims among the nearly dozen such offices around the country, according to a 2022 analysis by the nonprofit Human Rights First . In 2020, when 28 percent of asylum claims were granted nationally, 5 percent of decisions in New York were approvals.

The asylum process was never meant to be a catchall program to allow most people arriving in the United States to remain. To be granted asylum, applicants must prove they have suffered persecution or have a “well-founded fear” of it in their home country on account of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. The approval process is arduous by design.

But asylum offices in New York and elsewhere have been flooded with applications since 2022, as migration has surged and those who arrive here pursue one of the few pathways to staying in the United States legally. So far this year, the New York office has already received nearly 25,000 claims.

The stated mission of asylum officers — who work for the nonenforcement wing of the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services — is to identify people who qualify as refugees under U.S. and international law.

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden and President Obama in a Moderated Conversation with Jimmy Kimmel at a Campaign Reception | Los Angeles,   CA

Peacock Theater Los Angeles, California

7:45 P.M. PDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hey.  

Q    Wow, what a turnout, you guys.  You have any trouble getting over here traffic-wise?  (Laughter.)  

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Used to be a lot of traffic when I — before I was elected president.  Now I notice there’s — we get on the road, and there’s no traffic.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It’s amazing.  Funny how it works. 

Q    It’s miraculous. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  (Inaudible) —

Q    It’s miraculous.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — backing up traffic in other lanes.  (Laughter.)

Q    President Biden, is it satisfying to see that video — to see how wrong Orange Julius Caesar was — (laughter) — about your presidency?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, I could have done nothing and done — done better than he was doing.  (Laughter.)

Q    Well, you didn’t do nothing.  You did a lot of things.  (Applause.)  And since we’re here, we might as well go through some of them. 

Here are a few other things you accomplished that Nostra-dumbass wasn’t able to predict.  (Laughter.)  You expanded the Affordable Care Act — (applause); you passed bipartisan gun legislation — (applause);  you capped prescription drug prices and insulin for seniors on Medicare — (applause); —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hey!

Q    — you decriminalized cannabis — (applause); you helped make an over-the-counter birth control pill accessible — (applause); you orchestrated a $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal — (applause); you expanded healthcare benefits for veterans — (applause); you drastically reduced student debt; and you pardoned six turkeys, one of whom we know for sure was framed.  Not bad for Sleepy Joe.  I’ll say that.  (Applause.)

Q    Not bad at all.  And there are other things, too.  And there have been many.  Which of these accomplishments would you say you’re most proud of?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, you know, when I was the President’s Vice President, we — we talked about how to make the middle class have a shot — a better shot.  My dad used to have an expression.  He’d say, “Joey, a paycheck is about a lot more than the amount of money being paid.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about respect.” 

And what we’ve done — and we’ve changed the model from trickle-down economics to the middle out and bottom up, because that way everybody gets a shot.  And I think it’s working.  We have the strongest economy in the world today.  That’s not hyperbole.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  That’s true.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  But I think what we’ve tried to do from the beginning — and it’s a followon from when I was vice president — we tried to give ordinary people an even chance, just a chance.  Everybody has a chance.  And that’s what’s happening. 

And guess what?  It’s growing.  The economy is growing.  People are doing better.  We have the highest unemployment — the highest — the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years.  We have more people — we’ve had over 50 million people, brand new, hired into the workforce. 

You know, my — my son says, “You ought to have a — you know, we all have various short-term descriptions for your jobs — for your — what — what you accomplished.  And you should say, ‘Joe jobs,’ because it’s about jobs, about giving people a shot.  You give them a shot, they never let you down.”  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  There you go. 

Q    So, President Ob- — President Obama, are there things that President Biden achieved that you wish you had?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Absolutely.  (Laughter.)  I — well, the list that you just put forward, you know, that is the kind of thing that we’ve been fighting for for years.  I mean —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  You started it all.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, the — the way — (applause).  I’ve talked about this before.  I’ve talked about this before.  At its best, the presidency is a relay race.  Right?  You take the baton and you run the race.  And so, we get the Affordable Care Act started.  (Applause.)

But we knew at the time that even though 20 million people were getting health insurance from it who didn’t have it before, there were still some people who were having trouble affording it because we couldn’t fund all the subsidies that a lot of people needed. 

Joe comes in, boosts some of the subsidies.  That means millions more people are able to access healthcare that’s affordable — (applause) — and they can have some security.

On climate change.  We fund clean energy at record levels when we first came into office — Joe and I together.  We move forward, in terms of making sure that fuel efficiency standards on — on cars have changed.  We get the Paris Accords done. 

But that’s not enough to deal with the size and scope of the challenges that we face.  Joe comes in, makes historic investments in clean energy.  (Applause.)

So, the — I take great pride in what the Biden administration has accomplished.  And it’s a reminder that we don’t have to just vote against something in this election.  We have somebody to worry about.  And there’s a whole agenda that we should be concerned about. 

But we can take pride in affirming the extraordinary work that Joe has done.  (Applause.)  And we want to make sure that we build on that and then pass it on to the next president rather than have a president who wants to reverse the progress that has been made. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  We’ve done a lot of things bipartisan, by the way — the whole idea that we couldn’t get anything done.  When I ran the first time, I said I was running for three reasons: to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the middle class, and to bring the country together.

We’ve passed every major piece of legislation we’ve attempted to get done.  It’s all been passed.  (Applause.)  There’s more to do. 

Q    I do want to talk about that because you did — did say that you were fighting to restore the soul of America.  And lately, it seems like we might need an exorcism.  Is that why you visited the Pope?  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Yeah.  (Laughter.)

Look, the — the truth is that the way in which we communicate with people these days, there’s very little — there’s so much opportunity to just lie and come across as if you have a — if you have a source, you alwa- — just one source you go to and — for your news, you can — it’s just easy to convince people that that’s the only truth that’s out there. 

The fact of the matter is we have to make sure that we get the message out.  And that’s what we’re doing.  I just came back from what they call the G7 — all the European countries and Japan — (applause).  And, you know, we’re in a situation where they — I — I promise you, not because of me but because of America, they have enormous faith in America — enormous faith in America.  And — (applause) — no, I really mean it. 

We have to keep in mind: There’s not a damn thing we can’t do when we set our mind to do it and do it together.  Not a single solitary thing.  (Applause.)

Q    Is this country suffering from what they call “Trump amnesia”?  I mean, why do so many Americans seem to remember the Trump administration the same way we do a colonoscopy?  Like, we know what happened (inaudible).  (Laughter.) 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  All they got to do is remember what it was like.  You know, what he did with — remember the pandemic?  He said, “Don’t — don’t worry, just inject a little bleach in your body.”  (Laughter.)

Q    That worked for me, by the way.  I do want to —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well —

Q    What’s fair is fair.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  By the way, it worked for him.  It colored his hair.  (Laughter.)

Look, all kidding aside.  And on a very serious note, the fact is that, you know, we had well over a million people die — die.  For every person who died, there are — all the data shows there eight people who are left behind — eight people of consequence — that profound negative impact on the economy, a profound negative impact on the attitudes in America.  And we’re just getting out of it. 

And one of the things we did was — I’m very proud — we brought an end to the pandemic.  We’re continuing to move in healthcare.  (Applause.)  We have more people, I’m sure now, than any time in American history in healthcare — more time than any time.  (Applause.)

So, there’s — there’s just an awful lot we’ve done.  And for — for example, I get criticized for debt forgiveness for 400 — you know, for 45 million people.  (Applause.) 

Well, guess what?  These are people who’ve continued to work for their country.  They’ve — they’re social workers, police officers, all those folks who worked 10 years.  And when the Supreme Court said, “No, you can’t forgive the debt,” then I went back and looked at what existed that didn’t — wasn’t being used.  And it said if you’re engaged in 10 years of paying your debt back and you, in fact, are doing social — socially positive things — and they define those — from police officers to schoolteachers, you can have your debt forgiven after 10 years.  (Applause.)

Well, guess what?  That didn’t cost the economy.  It grew the economy.  It grows the economy.  (Applause.)  They decided to be able to put their lives back together again. 

There’s just so much — so many possibilities we have.  And — and the next four — anyway.  (Inaudible.)

Q    I think all you have to really remember about the Trump years is that we ran out of toilet paper.  (Laughter.)  Like, he promised to make America great again.  And the next thing you know, we are wiping ourselves with envelopes.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, I tell you what —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Is that how you handled it, Jimmy?  I — (laughter).

Q    It was rough.  Manilla, too.  It was a — it was a tough time.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, look, I’ve never — we — we’ve never seen administration — look, he’s the only president other than Herbert Hoover who lost more jobs than he started off with when he became president. 

He has — he has increased the national debt by a trillion dollars.  He provided a $2 trillion tax cut for the super wealthy, which has done nothing but increase the debt and it — very little impact on ordinary people and their ability to, you know, fun- — function and — and grow. 

They’re — I don’t — I didn’t see anything he’s done that hasn’t been centered — centered on what is good, from his perspective, for him. 

And — but, look, we got a lot of work to do it.  And a lot that —

Q    What do you say to — and there are many people in this situation — a lifelong Republican who doesn’t want to vote for Donald Trump but cannot imagine voting for a Democrat?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, look, I think part of what has happened over the last several years is we’ve normalized behavior that used to be disqualifying.  Right?  (Applause.) 

We had the spectacle of the nominee of one of the two major parties sitting in court and being convicted by a jury of his peers on 34 counts.  (Applause.)  You have — his foundation is not allowed to operate because it was engaging in monkey business and not actually philanthropic work. 

You have his organization being prosecuted for not paying taxes.  Set aside all the other stuff he says —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  He paid none. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  And what I would say and what I do say to a bunch of good people out there who are conservatively dispo- — predisposed, who may not agree with everything that Joe or I or other Democrats stand for is that there was a time when we had certain core values that we agreed with — (applause) — that we believed in basic honesty.  We believed in paying your taxes.  We believed in making sure that we didn’t make fun of POWs, that we did not try to politicize our military, that we respected the ballot. 

And, you know, I — I do think that when we’re talking to people who may not agree with every aspect of the Democratic agenda — and, by the way, what did Will Rogers say about Democrats: We’re not a member of an organized political party.  We’re Democrats.  (Laughter.)

We have a lot of differences in our own party.  And that’s healthy.  (Applause.)  But there are certain standards and values as Americans that we should all abide by.  Joe Biden has stood for those values and continues to and the other guy doesn’t.  (Applause.)  And that in and of itself is something that we can’t ignore or pretend is a difference that doesn’t exist. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Jimmy, look, remember, when I got elected, they said we wouldn’t get anything major passed.  We passed a bill relating to the environment that provided for $368 billion with — we got bipartisan support to get it done.  (Applause.)

We found ourselves in a position where veterans were not getting rewarded for what they — the pain they undertook.  The — and so, we able to pass the — the PACT Act — (applause) — and put a million veterans that exposed — when we fought like hell to get coverage for Agent Orange and — and all the — the thing my son died from from being exposed to a burn pit for a year in Iraq.  Well, guess what?  We got it passed.  We got support from the Republicans. 

And guess what?  Everybod- — a million veterans now and their families are being taken care of.  We only have one sacred obligation to them.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well — and — and, Joe, you also – for those Republicans who are trying to figure out what to do in this next election and are concerned, for example, about challenges at the border and immigration, it turns out that there was a bipartisan solution to help create a more orderly border and a more lawful system of immigration that the nominee of the other party decided to tank because he wanted it as an issue in this next election rather than to actually solve a problem. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Boo —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  And that — that kind of gamesmanship- — no, don’t boo.  Vote.  (Applause.)

The — but — but that’s a good example of the kind of work that the Biden administration has been willing to engage in, which is to work with those who are willing to work on behalf of improving the quality of life for the American people.  And that’s what you should expect from your president.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  For 30 years, I fought — and as did Barack when he was a senator — to take on Big Pharma.  They were significantly overcharging people for risk- — for prescript- — for prescription drugs.

I can take you on Air Force One — you have a prescription — I can fly to any major capital in the world and get you that prescription for 40 to 60 percent less than you pay here. 

And so, what we did — we finally beat them.  We finally got to the point where, for example, those of you who know someone who has diabetes and needs — and need the insulin, it used to cost an average 400 bucks a month.  It now costs $35 a month.  (Applause.)

But the point is — and guess what?  It’s alre- — it’s already passed the law.  They tried to repeal it again.  But it’s already passed.  Another provision that is beginning next calendar year: No senior will be in a position where they have — no matter how many prescription bills they have, they’ll never have to pay more than $2,000 a year because — (applause) — prescription drugs now for cancer cost $10-, $12,000. 

The point being that there’s so much progress we’ve made and he wants to get rid of it all.  He just doesn’t seem to care about what happens to ordinary people. 

Q    I would love to go on that trip with you on Air Force One where we fly around the world.  (Laughter.) 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I — I was worried that Jimmy was going to take — try and take you up —

Q    Yeah, we’ll just go —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  — on that offer.  But —

Q    We buy prescription drugs in different countries.  I’m in — (laughter) — I mean, if that’s a real thing. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, by the way, it’s — I know — I know it sound — it sounds funny, but it’s true.  (Laughter.)  It’s literally true. 

Q    Great. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Literally true.  (Laughter.)  So, jump on board, man.  (Laughter.)  I just —

Q    It could be a great travel show —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I — I —

Q    — for us.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I just flew through nine time zones to get here.  (Laughter.)

Q    I do want to talk about the Affordable Care Act and what an incredible achievement and how grateful so many people are — (applause) — myself included. 

You know, our son had an open-heart surgery — three of them.  And these lifetime caps that these insur- — and these preexisting conditions that these insurance companies put on people who buy insurance from them are something that I feel like almost 100 percent of Americans agree are crazy. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I think they do. 

Q    I think they do, too.  And I think when they — when they see it in practice, when they — when it’s their neighbor or their child or someone who is close to them or someone they work with, then it becomes real to them. 

And yet, you hear every Republican believes — at least states publicly that they want to do away with this Affordable Care Act that you, President Obama, started and that you, President Biden, expanded. 

Why do they want to get rid of such a popular program?  Wouldn’t it be, in a way, just hurt- — wouldn’t they be hurting themselves politically if they did?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, I don’t — I don’t know if they figured that out.  But it would be hurting the nation significantly. 

And look, there are millions of people who have a preexisting condition who would not be able to get any coverage were it not for the fact this guy started it with the Affordable Care Act.  (Applause.)

And I was able — and I was able to expand it to — and save another 8,000 buck — 800 bucks a year for them. 

But here’s the deal.  The fact is that these guys don’t seem to care.  They somehow — and, by the way, it’s not — it’s saving the country money.  It’s not wasting money.  All the cost — it would — if — this — if it — what — what’s — it’s about, I guess, 40 million people would be affected. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Millions of people would be affected.  And the reason that the Republicans say they’re opposed to it is because we did it — (laughter) — which, you know, is —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, by the way —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  — seems to be sort of a pattern.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — it’s because it has your name on it.  It had your name on it.  That’s what it is.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  You know, which I never minded, I have to say.  (Laughter.)  I was like, “I am happy to call it Obamacare.  Please do.”  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  It is because of you. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  You know, I — I didn’t really understand how that was an insult.  (Laughter.)  But — but listen, there’s a reason why they didn’t actually get rid of it. 

Q    What?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Because they don’t have anything to replace it with, and they know they don’t.  (Applause.)

But this is the kind of phony performative politics that has become the currency these days.  And you, Jimmy, like so many families all across the country, understand that, at some point, politics is not just a performance.  It’s not just who wins, who gets the spoils.  At its best, politics, at some point, is how we come together to actually solve problems.  And these are personal problems. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Exactly. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  They — the — this is a child being able to grow up.  This is somebody not losing their house when they get sick.  (Applause.)  There — there are moments where we say: All right, we go through an election.  Somebody wins, somebody loses — although that, too, apparently, is being challenged.  (Laughter.)  And then we get to the business of actually trying to get something done for the people who sent us there.

That’s what Joe Biden has consistently done.  (Applause.)  He goes about his business to try to deliver for the people who put him into office and gave him this extraordinary privilege, which is why, now that we’re at the next election, we’ve got to make sure that everybody out there is working just as hard to sustain the progress that’s already been made.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Can I say one more thing? 

In the second term — when I originally dealt with taking on Big Pharma, I cut the price, for instance, for example, for everybody.  Republicans gathered the votes to knock out — they couldn’t stop me from getting it for el- — for the elderly, but they knocked out everybody else. 

Barack, I’m coming back.  Next four years, I’m going to — it’s going to be available to everybody. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Absolutely.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Everybody.  (Applause.)

Q    After Billy had his open-heart surgery, President Biden, you were very nice to send a letter — a card and a little stuffed Commander dog to Billy, which he loves very much, and he thinks is very special.  Unfortunately, little stu- — little Commander bit Billy’s toe off — (laughter) — and —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I’m sorry about that.

Q    — now he needs more healthcare —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  (Inaudible.)

Q    — which thanks to President Obama —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Fortunately, he’s covered.

Q    — he is covered for.  (Laughter.) So, thank you and oops, I guess, is what I’m trying to say. 

So, it’s been almost two years since the largely Trump-appointed justices in the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.  And —

AUDIENCE:  Boo —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Don’t hiss.  Vote.

Q    They’re not booing.  They’re saying “Roe.”  (Laughter.) 

These threats to abortion rights, to women’s rights, to — even to birth control and IVF are not in our liberal imaginations anymore.  They’re very real.  And these decisions — these very personal, intimate decisions are now being made by nine unelected judges, one of whom flies his flag upside down.  The other one — one of the others drives around in a $267,000 gift on vacations. 

And I think we are all wondering: What can we do about this?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Elect me again.  (Applause.)  And I’ll tell you why.  No, I’m not just saying — the next president is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees.  Two more.  Two more.  He’s already appointed two that are — have been very negative in terms of the rights of individuals.

The idea that, if he’s reelected, he’s going to appoint two more flying flags upside down is really — I’m — I really mean it.  There’s —

Q    Could this be — could this be the scariest part of all of it?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, I think it is one of the scariest parts of it. 

Look, the Supreme Court has never been as out of kilter as it is today.  I mean never.  I taught constitutional law for nine years.  This guy knows more about it than most. 

Look, the fact of the matter is that this has never been a court that’s been this far out of step.  Taking — and not — and, by the way, when we said after the — after the — the decision that overruled Roe v. Wade, the Dobbs decision, you had Clarence Thomas talking about the fact that there are going to be other things we should reconsider, including in — in vitro fertilization, including contraception, including all these things. 

And they’re — they’re going — they’re —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — and they’re going — and, by the way —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Including — sa-

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — by the way —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Including same-sex marriage.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — gay rights.

But, by the way, not on my watch.  (Applause.)  Not on my watch. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  There you go.

But, Jimmy, I want to — I want to just emphasize this point.  At the end of the day, the power of the Supreme Court is determined by appointments.  It is determined by elections.  And so, you know, what we’re seeing now is a byproduct of, in 2016, there were a whole bunch of folks who, for whatever reason, sat out.  They said, “Well, we’re not enthusiastic enough.  We’re not feeling inspired enough.  Why bother?”

And hopefully, we have learned our lesson because these elections matter in very concrete ways.  (Applause.)  And we’re now seeing how much it matters when it comes to the Supreme Court. 

Q    There are so many crazy things.  Why do you think — why does it seem like so many people are embracing conspiracy theories over facts?  Like, 20 years ago, if you said JFK was coming back from the dead to reclaim the White House, they’d lock you in an asylum.  Now you get a podcast network out of it.  (Laughter.)  Why is this happening?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, look, they are no editors anymore.  One of the things — I’m not blaming the press.  The press is being victimized as well. 

You have a circumstance where — think about it.  Where do you get — you have a significantly fewer number of people reading the mainstream press.  Most people get their news from some site on the Internet.  So much of it on the Internet is absolutely a flat-out lie.  And it’s hard for people to get what the facts are.  It’s hard for people to di- — discern. 

There’s nobody — and — and there’s no editors at all saying, “You can’t say that.  That’s not true.”  There used to be a lot more of that that existed.  So, it’s just much easier to just flat-out lie, number one. 

Number two, there was a recent study done by a- — about or by New York Times about their polling data.  It shows that — as I remember — this is in the last couple of days — that the significant number of people who — the people who voted the last two times who vote on regular basis, we’re winning by somewhere between 10 and 14 points.  For those people who haven’t voted, when you cou- — and they have voted at all, they — it comes be- — it gets down to a couple-point lead. 

The point is that it matters — it — it’s hard to poll anymore as well.  You know, you have to make — I don’t know what it is — 36 — there’s 40 calls to get one person to respond.  No- — hardly anybody has hardlines anymore.  It’s all on cell phones. 

So, it’s get — it — it’s —

Q    You’re blaming caller ID for this?  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  No, I’m — what — what I’m blaming is the failure of us to be able to organize in a way that allows us to get a clear picture of what people are thinking.  And that’s understandable. 

But here’s the bottom line.  For me, there’s one reason to be President of the United States: to do what I believe.  My father used to say, “You have to be a man of conviction and do what you say.”  And so, I’m going to say — I’ve laid out exactly what I’ll do.  (Applause.)  If the people like it, that’s fine.  If they don’t, fine.  But I know what I think I have to get done.  (Applause.)

Q    It’s — and that — you know what?  That is, I think, especially a great message with Father’s Day tomorrow.  My father is here, and the only thing he ever really told me, from an advice standpoint is: When in doubt, order a hamburger.  (Laughter.) 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  That’s pretty good advice, though.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  My father would say three or four things.  My dad was a — was a really good man.  He was — he never got to go to college.  He got accepted to college during the war.  He never got to go, but he was a very well-read guy. 

And my dad used to say — there were four things he would repeat all the time.  First one was, “You got to be man of your word.  Without your word, you’re not a man.”  And — and talking to me or my — (applause).  No, I — no, I — I mean it.

The second was that — and I think I told you this, Barack — that when I was — he — he would show up — when he was alive, show up at the campaign things I was doing.  And I was up for a reelection effort in the late ‘90s for the Senate.  And he showed up, and I looked out at this little pond we build a house on, and I said, “I really wish my deceased wife could have seen it because she loved the water.” 

And so, he left and came back and he had a — he had a cartoon.  He went up to a strip shopping center for — a Hallmark card place.  And he came back with a — a cartoon of Hägar the Horrible.  And there was two — there were two frames, and it was framed.  There were two — two picture frames.  One, Hägar’s Viking ship was struck by lightning.  He’s looking up at God and saying, “Why me?”  And the next frame, a voice from Heaven comes back, “Why not?”

My father would say, “What makes you special to think it’s not going to happen to you?  Just get up.  Just get up.  Get up.” 

And the third thing he’d always say was — (applause) — “A job is about lot more than a paycheck.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about respect.  It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay’ and mean it.  Give people a chance.  Just a chance.  That’s all they’re looking for.”  (Applause.)

Q    Your father was some guy.  I just thought of another thing my father used to say: Pull my finger.  (Laughter.)

President Obama, I have a Father’s Day question for you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Yes. 

Q    Who would make a better president: Sasha or Malia?  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  You know what?  That is a question I do not need to answer because Michelle drilled into them so early that you would be crazy to go into politics.  (Laughter.)  It will never happen. 

Q    President Obama, what goes through your mind —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  By the way, before you leave his daughters.

Q    Oh, you want to weigh in on Sasha and Malia?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  No, no.  I — I — I do.  They’re incredible women.  And guess what?  When Barack came to Washington, they went to the same school my granddaughters went to.  I think it’s fair to say their two closest friends are Finnegan Biden and Maisy Biden. 

Matter of fact, my number three granddaughter just got back after spending a month at your place in Hawaii.  They’re each other’s best friends. 

So, I tell you what.  They’re — they are powerful young women.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Fair.  This is true. 

Q    Just up back to the truth and people saying things that just are brazenly false.  President Obama, what goes through your mind —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Yeah.

Q    — when that President Don-ye West says that — (laughter) — he’s done more for Black people than any president since Abraham Lincoln?  Do you agree?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  You know, it — it doesn’t actually go through my mind.  I sort of leave it aside.  Although, one thing he did, for example, for Black people was make them feel even better about the first Black president.  (Applause.)  Because they said —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Hey.  That’s a fact. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  (Inaudible.)

Q    You know, the reason that — listen, we’re here tonight.  We love you both.  And we’re very grateful for everything you’ve done for this country and for all of us.  (Applause.)

But I think the biggest reason we all came here tonight and people paid to see this is because we are scared.  We are fearful.  And, in particular, I mean, like, for me — like what are — you’re both — you’ve both been in the White House for quite some time.  What are some things a president can do to, let’s say, a talk show host who has been making fun of him every single night?  (Laughter.)  Like —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  You ever hear of Delta Force?

Q    Asking for a friend.

(Laughs.)  What’s that?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  You ever heard of Delta Force?

Q    Yeah.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  That’s what we can do for you. 

Q    That’s a real thing and not just a TV show?  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Not just a TV show. 

Q    Oh, yeah.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  The idea that they’re threatening — I mean, the idea that he’s actually threatening retribution.  This is the United States of America.  Did you ever think you’d ever, ever, ever hear anything like this?  Retribution — that’s what he’s going to do.  He’s going to get back at people.  And I — it just — I don’t want to get going. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Look, at the end of the day, for all the flaws, all the ups and downs that we go through in this country and our democracy, the way the system is set up is that if people come together and they express their best values, the better angels of their nature, at the ballot box, then we are going to do just fine.  (Applause.)

If people have the right information — if those who are listening, those who are in the audience are out there talking to their friends and their neighbors and, you know, their Uncle Jimmy, who’s a little crazy.  (Laughter.)  But, you know, he’s come — he’s come over and he starts spouting facts and you respectfully provide the actual truth. 

Q    Why does he have to be Uncle Jimmy?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I just decided.  (Laughter.) 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  By the way, one of the important —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It — if young people reengage and — and aren’t cynical about the process but say, “I have agency and I can change how things work to make sure that it’s working for my generation and for future generations” — (applause) — if those things happen, then Joe Biden is going to be reelected President of the United States.  (Applause.)  Kamala Harris will be reelected as Vice President of the United States.  (Applause.)  Jimmy Kimmel will be safe to continue to do his show.  (Applause.) 

And — you know, and — and I’ll be able to do what ex-presidents are supposed to do, which is not hang out with Jimmy Kimmel.  (Laughter.) 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  By the way, one thing is —

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  — let’s get to work.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — institutions matter.  And this President, what he did on January the 6th, he’s — do you hear what he’s saying now?  He said if he doesn’t win, there’ll be a “bloodbath.”  It’s outrageous what he’s talking about.  Outrageous.  We must make the institutions work.  (Applause.)

Q    It’s like a movie.  It’s — sometimes, it doesn’t even feel real. 

Well, I — we are — unfortunately, we are out of time.  But on behalf of the Presidents, we want to thank you guys for coming.  I know that they say in L.A. — (applause) — we are a bunch of out-of-touch celebrity elitists, but I also know there are teachers and doctors and nurses and hardworking blue-collar people in this room — (applause) — none of whom inherited a real estate empire from their slumlord father.  (Laughter.)

We’ve got our governor, Governor Newsom, here.  Our mayor, Karen Bass, is here.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Hey.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hey.

Q    All people who are working hard to make this a better place.  And that is what makes me optimistic about the future. 

Thank you for coming.  And we’ll see you in traffic.  Thanks, everybody. 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  All right, everybody —

Q    Thank you, Mr. Presidents.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  — let’s get to work!

   8:21 P.M. PDT

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