On June 7, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a story about its assisting the Department of Justice (DOJ) in obtaining a conviction in an asylum fraud case [PDF version].
In the case, Ali Vahdani Pour, a citizen and national of Iran, pled guilty to lying under oath in an immigration matter. Pour admitted in the plea agreement that he had lied on his asylum application by falsely denying having served in the Iranian military and having received asylum status in Italy prior to seeking such status in the United States. As a result of the conviction for lying under oath, Pour was sentenced to 137 days in prison.
The case highlights that lying on an asylum application may carry criminal consequences as well as immigration consequences. When seeking immigration protection or other benefits, lying under oath is prohibited by both civil and criminal law. Those who commit asylum fraud may be permanently barred from receiving any benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act in the future.
When seeking asylum or any other form of benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act, an individual should consult with an experienced immigration attorney and honestly present the facts of his or her case and situation. It is important that this honesty extend to any dealings with the Government. We discuss asylum and refugee protection and civil penalties for asylum fraud in our full section on the subject on site [see category].
