Hello Beautiful People!
I wanted to come on here and share my experience from my hearing today (October 17th) at 1 PM EST. I believe it's important to be open about my case details in the hope that it might assist others facing similar situations. Before my hearing, I was also desperately searching for posts like this, hoping for guidance.
My case centered around my sexual orientation and the persecution I faced from my relatives in my home country, a Muslim nation where homosexuality is both religiously and legally condemned. As a result, I faced mistreatment and multiple life threats.
As I joined the virtual hearing, I went through technical checks for audio and video, confirmed my current address and phone number with the tech guy, and met my interpreter/translator. As you can see I speak fluent English and don't really need an interpreter, however, having an interpreter was highly advised by my lawyer and other people. It did allow me time to think through my answers while the interpreter translated the board member's questions. The board member was not present during this initial phase.
After the technical checks, the board member joined the meeting. She asked me, my lawyer, and the interpreter to introduce ourselves and confirm we were in a private room. She verified my pronouns and had me take an oath. Before questioning, she provided instructions, including the option to ask for question repeats, request breaks, or seek clarification on translations. She also asked for my full legal name and citizenship.
The total amount of time spent on questioning/answering during the full hearing was about 1 hour 15 minutes. The board member inquired about my reasons for seeking refugee protection, how I discovered my sexuality, who I feared in my home country, details about my family, my experiences in Canada, societal attitudes towards homosexuality in my home country, and whether I knew others persecuted for their sexual orientation.
At 2 PM, we took a 15-minute break. Upon returning at 2:15 PM, the board member asked one final question about how I discovered my same-gender attraction. After answering, she granted a 1-hour break at 2:18 PM. During this time, my lawyer hinted that the outcome might be positive since the board member hadn't asked the lawyer any questions or requested additional documents so far.
When we resumed at 3:18 PM, the board member informed me that my case was approved, which was incredibly uplifting!! She explained her decision for 15 minutes, explaining her reasons for approving my case (mostly related to my story and national documentation from my country found on the immigration website). Then she asked if I had any further questions to which I replied "no questions, but I would like to thank you for your time and approving my claim". She congratulated me. Throughout the hearing, she seemed super friendly. She was even smiling and laughing on multiple occasions.
My advice is to remain composed during the hearing, as crying/breaking down might not always demonstrate credibility (unless you can't help it, which is okay). Focus on your narrative, as most questions will stem from your story. For instance, if your account includes a specific incident, expect questions related to it. I recommend using online AI bots like ChatGPT to generate potential questions based on your story and preparing for all of them. Lastly, emphasize the danger you faced in your home country and the ongoing life threats if you were to return as much as you can since that places you under the true definition of a conventional refugee!!
I hope this was helpful. I send my best wishes and positive energy to all of you hardworking individuals!
You are in my thoughts and prayers. <3
I wanted to come on here and share my experience from my hearing today (October 17th) at 1 PM EST. I believe it's important to be open about my case details in the hope that it might assist others facing similar situations. Before my hearing, I was also desperately searching for posts like this, hoping for guidance.
My case centered around my sexual orientation and the persecution I faced from my relatives in my home country, a Muslim nation where homosexuality is both religiously and legally condemned. As a result, I faced mistreatment and multiple life threats.
As I joined the virtual hearing, I went through technical checks for audio and video, confirmed my current address and phone number with the tech guy, and met my interpreter/translator. As you can see I speak fluent English and don't really need an interpreter, however, having an interpreter was highly advised by my lawyer and other people. It did allow me time to think through my answers while the interpreter translated the board member's questions. The board member was not present during this initial phase.
After the technical checks, the board member joined the meeting. She asked me, my lawyer, and the interpreter to introduce ourselves and confirm we were in a private room. She verified my pronouns and had me take an oath. Before questioning, she provided instructions, including the option to ask for question repeats, request breaks, or seek clarification on translations. She also asked for my full legal name and citizenship.
The total amount of time spent on questioning/answering during the full hearing was about 1 hour 15 minutes. The board member inquired about my reasons for seeking refugee protection, how I discovered my sexuality, who I feared in my home country, details about my family, my experiences in Canada, societal attitudes towards homosexuality in my home country, and whether I knew others persecuted for their sexual orientation.
At 2 PM, we took a 15-minute break. Upon returning at 2:15 PM, the board member asked one final question about how I discovered my same-gender attraction. After answering, she granted a 1-hour break at 2:18 PM. During this time, my lawyer hinted that the outcome might be positive since the board member hadn't asked the lawyer any questions or requested additional documents so far.
When we resumed at 3:18 PM, the board member informed me that my case was approved, which was incredibly uplifting!! She explained her decision for 15 minutes, explaining her reasons for approving my case (mostly related to my story and national documentation from my country found on the immigration website). Then she asked if I had any further questions to which I replied "no questions, but I would like to thank you for your time and approving my claim". She congratulated me. Throughout the hearing, she seemed super friendly. She was even smiling and laughing on multiple occasions.
My advice is to remain composed during the hearing, as crying/breaking down might not always demonstrate credibility (unless you can't help it, which is okay). Focus on your narrative, as most questions will stem from your story. For instance, if your account includes a specific incident, expect questions related to it. I recommend using online AI bots like ChatGPT to generate potential questions based on your story and preparing for all of them. Lastly, emphasize the danger you faced in your home country and the ongoing life threats if you were to return as much as you can since that places you under the true definition of a conventional refugee!!
I hope this was helpful. I send my best wishes and positive energy to all of you hardworking individuals!
You are in my thoughts and prayers. <3
