When facing immigration law issues, it’s essential that you work with knowledgeable and experienced attorneys during every stage of your case. Attorneys can file documents on your behalf, represent you at court hearings and help with other issues pertinent to your individual case. Arvian Immigration is a full service immigration law firm dedicated to helping families and individuals resolve their immigration matters. At our citizenship law firm we recognize that applying for immigration can be daunting, so our experienced legal advisors and representation can make this process less cumbersome and confusing.
Many immigration lawyers offer no-cost initial consultations and evaluations to enable you to ask any questions about their services, and decide whether or not you would like to engage their services. It may be wiser in certain instances to meet with multiple attorneys prior to making a final choice regarding which lawyer best fits your particular circumstances.
Prospective Attorney Questions
If you are meeting with an attorney for the first time to discuss immigration, be prepared with several questions. For example, ask how many years they have handled immigration cases like yours; ask whether they have experience handling employee visa applications, U.S. citizenship issues and similar concerns as yours.
Emergency Case
If your immigration matter constitutes an urgent situation, the prospective lawyer should be made aware immediately. Timely action are especially essential if your immigration petition or application was denied or if there has been an order from the federal government that effectively removes you from the United States.
Immigration Documents
As part of an initial consultation with an immigration lawyer, it is vital to bring all necessary documentation. You should bring copies of any notices or decisions related to immigration as well as receipts; all documents submitted to ICE or USCIS; duplicate copies of your green passport(s), cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates or employment authorization documents should also be brought.
If your Immigration Court hearing has been scheduled, and you were provided written notification, bring the copy to your attorney so he/she may confirm your availability to attend.
Criminal Records, if Applicable
If you have been charged with any crime or issued with a citation, bring along a copy of your criminal notice or arrest record as evidence for your case. Bring any evidence pertaining to its outcome as well.
Take Notes
When visiting an immigration attorney’s office for consultation, taking good notes is vital to helping you assess whether an immigration lawyer is suitable. By doing this, you’ll be able to compare them against notes taken at previous consultations with different attorneys and evaluate which is the most relevant for you.
How Do I Know if an Immigration Attorney Is Right for Me?
After creating your list of potential candidates, the next step should be selecting the ideal one for yourself. Price may be an important factor when it comes to legal assistance, but choosing the appropriate lawyer should always be treated as a personal decision. While you need a lawyer with specific qualifications or years of professional experience who meets certain minimum specifications, ultimately what’s important is finding one who you enjoy working with who has excellent relations.
Learn More About a Potential Immigration Attorney
Before hiring any lawyer, it is vitally important that you conduct adequate due diligence on them. In general, you can discover more information by reaching out directly to them, meeting up for an initial consultation, and searching online for them.
Contacting Lawyers
In order to contact an attorney, the first step should be contacting one. In most cases this can be accomplished either through calling them, emailing them, or filling out an online form on their website. Specify which services you require before inquiring if the lawyer can fulfill them.
Assuming you need assistance in applying for asylum, ask whether the lawyer specializes in asylum cases and are accepting new clients.
Initial Consultation
Once you contact a lawyer, they’ll likely respond and arrange a first meeting – either face to face or over the phone – which usually lasts about 20 minutes. Some offer no-cost initial consultations that usually go smoothly as well.
How Much Does an Immigration Lawyer Cost?
Immigration law firms generally charge flat fees instead of hourly fees. A flat fee means you’ll pay a predetermined amount regardless of how many hours your lawyer spends working on your situation, regardless of how long the case lasts or its complexity. Your amount paid will depend on where you live and its complexity; in Northern California for instance, hiring lawyers to secure a fiance visa typically ranges between $750 and $2,000. Hiring lawyers who help get green cards through union with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent residents typically range between $800-4,000. Sometimes costs for filing forms may apply, depending on who’s responsible.