Guide to hiring a good immigration lawyer near me: Are you in trouble and looking for lawyers with enough experience? If you need or think about looking for an immigration lawyer, you should know that immigration law is a branch of law that is complex enough to make it advisable from the first moment to have the help of a good near me immigration lawyer .
Each case is different and will depend on the status of each person in this country. What is similar for all is how complicated immigration laws are and the extensive bureaucracy involved.
Keep in mind that the leader in immigration is the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
An immigration attorney becomes practically a must if you have problems with your legal documentation.
Below, we provide you with useful and up-to-date information if you are thinking that I need a good immigration lawyer to be child’s play .
When will I need immigration lawyers near me?
Immigration law is very broad and complex, so having the help of a lawyer will save you money and hassle if you really have problems with your documentation.
Since US immigration law is federal, you can hire an immigration attorney in any state .
However, you will not always require the help of an immigration attorney. For example, to obtain a non-immigrant visa and being certain that you will not stay more than 90 days in the country, it will not be necessary at first, although it is recommended.
In fact, if you are a citizen of any of the following countries, you will not need a visa to enter the United States ( Visa Waiver Program ).
In any case, it is advisable to have the help of an immigration lawyer in the following cases.
- You are receiving some kind of discretionary relief and need to persuade the immigration authorities to make an exception for you.
- You have received assistance from the United States government while living in this country and are concerned that you may be inadmissible.
- You need help with an immigration-related issue.
- Deportation or removal proceedings have been initiated against you.
- You have been deported and want to apply for your return.
- Apply for an investment-based visa.
- Fails to obtain a green card, citizenship, and other benefits.
- Rejected immigration application.
- You have been convicted of a crime and hope that you will not be deported or reenter the United States.
- You have become aware of the extensive bureaucracy and complicated immigration regulations.
- You have found a job in the United States and your employer has not processed the necessary paperwork.
What cases do immigration attorneys handle?
It is very important that you understand the importance of what we call “legal paperwork” when considering the possibility of immigrating to the United States of America. When considering the possibility of immigrating to the United States, one of the first steps to take is what we call a USCIS interview .
When you go through an immigration attorney, the first thing they can help you with is telling you what to do before, during, and after your interview with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials. If you have no idea what to do in this type of situation, you should definitely hire an immigration attorney to help you and give you good advice.
Among all the matters handled by specialized immigration lawyers, we can highlight the following:
- Types of deportations
- American citizenship
- citizenship test
- family visa
- visa to study
- US work visa
- Deportation for domestic violence
- Deportation order in absentia
First Meeting with an Immigration Lawyer, Now What?
Go to speak with an immigration lawyer, taking all the documentation in your possession that proves your situation in the country.
Take your passport, visa, record of criminal convictions, immigration notices or records, marriage certificate, or other similar document.
The lawyer will meet with you and advise you how you should proceed.
Keep in mind that the lawyer has an obligation to keep what you tell him confidential. Therefore, take the opportunity to tell him about your situation in detail and ask him any questions you have.
Be truthful at all times and if you plan to commit an illegality such as falsely marrying to obtain citizenship, desist from telling him because he will refuse to represent you.
How to find a good immigration lawyer?
Having a good lawyer can make the difference between winning or losing. Or what is the same between being deported or not. Therefore, pay attention to what we have to tell you and apply it when you look for one.
I recommend you watch this video where you can listen to practical advice to get a good immigration lawyer.
He thinks that most immigration lawyers in the United States are great professionals who dedicate their time to this area of law because they feel motivated to help.
Litigating against the administration can be exhausting even for the most seasoned of professionals. Frustrations caused by delays or incomprehensible decisions are quite common.
Still, you should make sure you have hired a good attorney. Otherwise, its purpose may be hopelessly frustrated or even the fees may be excessively high.
Follow the following tips and you will avoid further scares with your immigration attorney.
- Talk to more than one lawyer and compare their advice and the way they speak.
- Avoid attorneys offered at immigration offices or at USCIS . A good lawyer will be too busy to have to go looking for potential clients.
- Make sure it is a lawyer and not a notary, petition or visa processor . Only an attorney will know immigration law well enough to be able to help you.
- DO NOT TRUST lawyers who propose some illegality such as bribing an authority or buying a false document such as a green card. This will prevent you from regularizing your situation in the future.
- Try to get to know your lawyer by researching the lawyer. You can consult the bar of each state where he must be registered or the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) for example. Through the google search engine you can also obtain information about any lawyer. Make sure there are no reviews indicating arrests or disbarments of that attorney. It wouldn’t be a good sign.
- Be serious, don’t be fooled by unrealistic promises . No one can guarantee success with much being told that their success rate is close to 100%. do not trust
Our advice is to talk to more than one lawyer. In this way you will verify the way each one works and you will be able to choose with foundation who will represent you.
If you follow the indicated advice, you will be able to check if a lawyer tries to assure you of success or, what is worse, proposes to do something illegal that ends up harming you.
How much will a consultation with a lawyer?
The first consultation, as a general rule, most will charge you a fee of about 100 dollars and a half hour duration.
There are lawyers who do not charge the first consultation (maximum 30 minutes). You can take advantage of this fact to consult more than one lawyer.
From this first contact, the rates usually range between 200 and 300 dollars / hour if the representation does not adjust to legal services already priced.
Typical prices of usual legal services already appraised;
| Application for adjustment of status | ||
| Family-Based Green Card Petition | ||
| Employment-Based Petitions | ||
| Application for employment authorization (work permit) | ||
| deportation defense | ||
| asylum application | ||
| Application for citizenship or naturalization |
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
#1 What types of visas can be applied for in the United States?
We can classify them in two ways; immigrant visas and nonimmigrant visas.
Nonimmigrant visas are issued to people who want to enter the country for a short period of time (students, business, religious).
By contrast, immigrant visas would be for people who want to reside in the United States . The requirements to obtain this visa are much stricter than in the first case.
Within the type of immigrant visas there are also different classes. Among them would be those intended for spouses of citizens, unmarried minor children, stepchildren of US citizens, etc.
#2 I am an American, can I apply for an immigrant visa for my spouse?
If you are legally married to a US citizen you can apply for the IR-1 visa . Among other requirements that this kind of visa requires is that it be shown that the marriage is sincere, that you have been married before applying for the visa and that you have sufficient financial resources (the applicant).
#3 How long do immigration visas take to process?
There is no predefined term for the processing of immigrant visas and this will depend on several factors, among which are:
- History of the person requesting the visa.
- Nationality of the applicant.
#4 How long is the green card valid?
Green cards are currently valid for 10 years . In the event that you are a conditional resident, it will be 2 years.
You will need to renew it before it expires.
#5 I want to reside permanently in the United States. What visa do I need?
Permanently residing and becoming a citizen of the United States requires an immigrant visa .
The two most common ways to obtain the visa is for family reasons or for employment .
In the case of coming for family reasons, it is required that a relative, a US citizen, submit a visa petition for a child, parent, sibling or spouse. This visa can also be requested by a legal permanent resident with a green card in the United States for their spouse or unmarried daughter / or daughter.
For the employment visa, a US citizen is required to apply for workers for permanent jobs .
There are other types of visas in addition to those indicated as the investor visa, for religious, translators, etc.
#6 I have received a deportation order. What should I do?
Don’t panic, all is not lost! The fact of receiving a deportation order means that an administrative-judicial process begins for you that can end with your deportation or stay in this country. Deportation orders can be appealed and challenged to try to suspend them. So don’t despair because all is not lost.
The first thing that will happen is that you will have to appear before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in what is known as a due process hearing.
You will then have your evidentiary hearing before a federal immigration judge and this is where they will try to prove that you should be deported.
It will be your lawyer who must present the necessary evidence to prevent your illegal stay from being proven through documents, witnesses, etc. If you lose this hearing, you will be able to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).
#7 How can I bring a family member to the US?
If you work and legally reside in this country, you can bring your relatives through temporary employment visas. If you are a US citizen or permanently and legally residing in the United States, you can also try to bring your family members permanently .
#8 Can my employer sponsor me for a visa?
Effectively, an employer legally residing in the United States can sponsor you through a work visa.
