It could be you or your friend doesn't matter. I think when I am at US Consulate Office in Kathmandu applying for an H1B visa the main thing the interviewer is looking for is my employer and H1B information. Also, that I was not 'out-of-status' while I was in US. Now in a case where I had previously applied for an asylum, it might well be that USCIS can find out that I had applied for it. If a question on that is asked I should be prepared to answer. Say, during that time the condition in my country was unstable and volatile but now most of the people who had threatened me and my family have entered main stream politics and the Government had chosen the path of reconciliation which is also the reason that I intend to return back to my country and work here in the long run. Yada yada yada. Long story short, your explanation may help in a highly unlikely scenario that such a question is asked. I would worry more about my employer,if my H1B is from a small IT recruiting company based in NJ. But if I was offered through a decent performing IT company and I have all the documents, I should be ok. Your thoughts please.