If only I had known about Mandamus before!

🌈✌️ Victory!

A bisexual woman ⚢ ⚤ who is currently married to a man has been granted asylum. Here is her story:

🗺️ In which city was your interview?

Atlanta

😮 What was unexpected during the interview?

The officer was unfriendly. She had just been transferred from another office and clearly wasn’t happy to be there. It wasn’t her regular workspace. She was irritated by various technical issues. The officer didn’t complete all the questions from Form I-589. I had to bring her back to it and ask her to make corrections — which she did very reluctantly and without kindness. There were no police or ICE officers in the building. The office was quiet and almost empty. I was the only one in the waiting area.

🕵🏽‍♂️ What kind of officer did you have?

She was like an investigator — very direct and formal.

⏱️ How long did your interview last?

2–3 hours

❓ What difficult questions did the officer ask?

• How do girls in your country date or show affection to each other?
• What would happen to you in your home country, considering you’re now married?
• Who exactly would persecute you?

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🕰️ What would you tell yourself back when you just arrived in the U.S.?

Don’t worry

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Comment from Katya Panova:

Let’s call our client “Ira” 🙂
Ira came to us in a panic. Her lawyers had told her they’d never handled a case like hers and that she was bound to lose — that asylum simply wasn’t an option for her.

But at UAWelcome, we have many 🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ clients, and we knew the lawyers were wrong.
Ira had a strong case — a simple, compelling story that fit on just a few pages. All she needed was the right preparation and a bit of peace of mind.

We helped Ira get ready and encouraged her to go without an interpreter — her English was more than enough.
Her American husband waited in the hallway to support her emotionally. He could have filed for family reunification, but Ira had a real asylum case. Why rely on your spouse for immigration when you can stand on your own?

We anticipated the officer’s likely question: why would Ira be at risk in her home country if she’s now married to a man? We prepared her for it. Ira answered with grace — and was granted asylum.