Mikhail Bogomolny interprets Russian–English at affirmative asylum interviews, above all at the Los Angeles Asylum Office in Tustin, and at asylum offices across the country. He is a California-certified court interpreter and has interpreted at more than 750 USCIS interviews. With him, the officer hears your account exactly as you told it, with every detail that matters to your case.
Immigration court experience at your asylum interview
When USCIS doesn't grant asylum, the case often goes to immigration court. Mikhail has interpreted there, seated beside the judge, and knows how judges and government attorneys test credibility and weigh inconsistencies. He brings that understanding to the asylum office: every answer is rendered in English that carries exactly what you meant, so the officer understands you as you intended, while he stays strictly neutral.
Experience with every kind of asylum claim
Mikhail interprets asylum cases of every kind. Applicants often ask whether he has worked on cases like theirs. These are areas where his experience runs especially deep:
- Political opinion: activists, protesters, journalists, election observers and critics of the authorities
- Religion: religious minorities such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Protestants, Baptists and other denominations
- Sexual orientation and gender identity (LGBTQ), interpreted with discretion and accurate, respectful terminology
- Ethnicity and nationality, including claims involving nationalism and ethnic hostility
- Every former Soviet republic: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) and the Baltic states
These are areas of particular depth, not a limit. Every applicant gets the same level of work.
Terminology that's already there
More than 17 years of asylum interviews, continuing study of conditions in these countries and a translation partnership with the New England Institute for Country Conditions Expertise, whose experts prepare country conditions reports for immigration attorneys, have given Mikhail a deep understanding of their politics: parties and movements, government agencies and security services, churches, laws and the shifting political landscape. So the names and events in your account come through in their established English form, with no pause to look anything up, and the officer hears the same terms used in the official country reports. That understanding and precision give you a real advantage and make communication with the officer easier.
Why an asylum interview calls for a professional
An asylum interview means several hours of intense questioning, and your future depends on it. It takes years of knowing the procedure and the legal and political terminology, the stamina for hours of questions, and the precision to give the USCIS monitor who listens to the interpretation by phone nothing to flag. Whether you were detained or arrested, summoned by an investigator or by the draft office: the exact word decides how the officer understands your account (see false friends). That is what Mikhail brings: more than 750 USCIS interviews, work in immigration court and California court certification.
New in 2026: less room for mistakes
Since August 21, 2026, USCIS reschedules an asylum interview only for exceptional circumstances. All supporting evidence must reach the asylum office at least 14 calendar days before the interview. Two practical consequences:
- Book your interpreter the day the notice arrives. An interpreter's scheduling conflict is unlikely to count as exceptional.
- Order certified translations of your evidence early, so they're filed well ahead of the 14-day deadline.
How the day usually goes
The Los Angeles Asylum Office is at 14101 Myford Rd in Tustin and handles affirmative asylum interviews for Southern California. At this office, the time on your notice is the check-in time, not the time the interview starts. After you check in, the officer reviews your file, and that can take from twenty minutes to an hour. With interpretation, the asylum interview itself typically lasts 3 to 3.5 hours. Plan on spending most of the day at the office.
The interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. The officer goes over your identity and application, asks about what happened to you and why you fear returning, and may ask the same thing more than once, to make sure your answer was understood correctly, not because your honesty is in doubt. Your attorney can ask questions and make a closing statement at the end.
The confidentiality waiver
When two or more people in the same family each have their own asylum claim, such as an adult child and a parent, or two people who filed separately and later married, the officer may offer a confidentiality waiver to sign. By signing it, the applicants allow USCIS to use and compare information from their separate cases. The document is optional, although it often looks as if the officer requires it.
A confidentiality waiver can significantly strengthen your chances, and it can also hurt them, so understanding what it is, and whether to sign it, is critical. If you have an attorney, be sure to talk it over with them. If you don't, it matters all the more that you understand exactly what you would be waiving.
Mikhail has worked with these situations for years. He translates the document in full and makes it absolutely clear what you would be giving up and what signing, or declining to sign, can lead to. The decision stays yours, and you make it fully informed.
Before the interview
Mikhail calls you ahead of time to confirm the date, time and office, walk you through how the day will go and answer your questions. You arrive at the interview knowing that the person beside you has been through this hundreds of times and is someone you can rely on.
For a fuller picture of what to expect, read 10 myths about the asylum interview.
Videos: how an asylum interview works (in Russian)
Mikhail's articles on Rubic.us (in Russian)
- Сколько длится интервью по убежищуIn Russian, Rubic.us
- Как вести себя с офицером на интервью по убежищуIn Russian, Rubic.us
- Нужен ли вам адвокат и переводчик на интервью по убежищуIn Russian, Rubic.us
- Когда вы получите ответ после интервью по убежищу и почему вы не стукачIn Russian, Rubic.us
Frequently asked questions
Will the asylum office provide an interpreter?
No. You bring your own interpreter, and the contract interpreter on the phone only monitors the interpretation; they don't interpret for you. That's why it matters to have a professional beside you.
Can Mikhail interpret for my spouse and children too?
Yes. Family members included in your application attend the interview, and Mikhail interprets for everyone who needs Russian. The fee doesn't depend on how many people are on the case, and it doesn't go up even if the interview takes all day. And if the interview is rescheduled, Mikhail always offers a generous discount, because he knows how hard that is for you.
What is a confidentiality waiver, and should I sign it?
It is an optional waiver the officer may offer when several family members have separate asylum cases. It can help or hurt, so it is important to understand exactly what you are signing and to talk to an attorney. Mikhail translates the document in full and makes it completely clear. See the confidentiality waiver above.
Can my evidence be translated?
Yes: birth and marriage certificates, police summonses, medical records, news articles, letters and military records. Under the 2026 rule, evidence must reach the asylum office 14 days before the interview, so order translations early. See certified translation.
How much does an asylum interview interpreter cost?
Just call or email Mikhail; the fee is discussed by phone or email. Payment by Zelle, Venmo, PayPal or card.