Orlando is home to thousands of asylum seekers — Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, Haitians, Colombians, and others — and the Orlando Asylum Office and Orlando Immigration Court are where their cases are decided. We have helped Central Florida asylum seekers since 1996, in English and Spanish.
Common Orlando-area asylum situations:
- You arrived in Central Florida less than 1 year ago and want to file affirmative asylum
- You arrived more than 1 year ago but qualify for an exception to the deadline
- You are in removal proceedings at the Orlando Immigration Court and want to apply defensively
- You passed a credible-fear interview at the border and need ongoing representation
- Your asylum was denied and you have 30 days to appeal to the BIA
- A family member is at risk of return and needs emergency withholding or CAT protection
The 1-year affirmative asylum deadline is strict. If you arrived more than a year ago, exceptions may still apply — call us to evaluate.
What an Orlando asylum case requires
U.S. asylum law requires showing a well-founded fear of persecution on account of one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The persecution must be by the government or by actors the government cannot or will not control. The standard is high and getting higher; affirmatively-filed asylum cases at the Miami-area asylum office (which serves Orlando) face long backlogs and rigorous review.
Cases tried before the Orlando Immigration Court at 3535 Lawton Road are even more demanding because the government — represented by the local Office of Chief Counsel — opposes the application and cross-examines the applicant. Your testimony must be detailed, internally consistent, and corroborated by documentary evidence, country-condition reports, expert affidavits, and witness statements where available.
We have prepared and won Orlando asylum cases on every recognized basis — political opinion in Venezuela, religious persecution, gender-based and LGBTQ+ persecution, family-membership claims, and others. We work in English and Spanish, and case preparation typically takes months. The 1-year filing deadline (with limited exceptions) means timing matters.
Asylum in Central Florida
How an Orlando asylum case unfolds
I-589 application
We prepare Form I-589 with your detailed personal declaration, country-condition evidence, expert affidavits where useful, and supporting documentation.
Fingerprinting
USCIS schedules biometrics shortly after filing. After 150 days from filing, you can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
Asylum officer or Orlando judge
Affirmative cases are interviewed at the USCIS asylum office. Defensive cases are tried before an immigration judge at 3535 Lawton Road in Orlando.
Grant, refer, or appeal
Grant: you become an asylee. Refer: case moves to Orlando Immigration Court. Deny in court: appeal to BIA, then 11th Circuit. We handle each.
What clients say
Mr. Gustavo Vargas was my lawyer twice, years ago for my immigration process and now for my husband's. He is extremely Professional and knowledgeable about the entire process. Both times it was a success story! Highly recommended. Thank you so much.alba inacio
Gustavo Z. Vargas, Esq.
Gustavo Vargas is Florida Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law and has practiced exclusively in immigration since 1996. Born in Lima, Peru, he speaks fluent Spanish and has prepared and won asylum cases for clients from across Latin America and beyond. He has appeared before the Orlando Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Asylum in Orlando — questions we hear most
Where do Orlando affirmative asylum interviews happen?
Affirmative asylum cases for Orlando-area applicants are routed to the USCIS Miami Asylum Office, which historically has held interviews in Miami and via Orlando-area satellite locations. Backlogs at affirmative asylum offices are long; cases can take years to reach an interview. We monitor your case and pursue motions to advance when grounds exist.
Where do defensive asylum hearings happen for Orlando-area cases?
Defensive asylum cases — those filed as a defense to removal in immigration court — are heard at the Orlando Immigration Court, 3535 Lawton Road, Orlando, FL 32803. Master calendar hearings are scheduled within months; merits hearings (where the asylum case is actually decided) typically come 1–3 years after the master calendar.
I am Venezuelan and arrived 18 months ago. Did I miss the deadline?
Possibly, but exceptions exist. The 1-year deadline can be excused for changed circumstances in your home country (e.g., a worsening political situation in Venezuela) or extraordinary circumstances that prevented timely filing (serious illness, status that has now ended, ineffective assistance of prior counsel). We assess each exception carefully — many Venezuelan cases qualify.
Can I work while my asylum case is pending in Orlando?
Yes. After your asylum application has been pending for 150 days, you can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The EAD is renewable while the case remains pending. Some clock-stop scenarios reset the 150-day count, so we advise on timing.
Will my family be safe too?
If you are granted asylum, your spouse and unmarried children under 21 (at the time you applied) can be granted derivative asylum. They can be in the U.S. or abroad — Form I-730 follow-to-join must be filed within 2 years of your grant. After 1 year, asylees and their derivatives can apply for green cards.
What if my asylum is denied at the Orlando Immigration Court?
You have 30 days from the judge's decision to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. After the BIA, you can file a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. We handle each level.
Ready to talk about your case?
Free 30-minute consultation. No obligation. Confidential. Available in English or Spanish.
Visit our Orlando office
545 Delaney Ave, Building 4
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 835-1009
info@immlawcenter.com
Mon–Fri 9am–5pm. 2 miles from the Orlando Immigration Court.
Photo credit: Photo by Jean-Guillaume Starnini on Pexels
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