THE VERY REASON WHY YOU NEED AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER

There are many situations where an immigration lawyer’s help is needed, such as the intervention of one will save us time and frustrated efforts. This article will help you identify these circumstances so you can decide early on and make the necessary preparations.
To be clear about it, one doesn’t need a lawyer to apply for a U.S. green card or an immigrant visa. Most especially when your case is eligible, and all your records are straight with nothing about crimes and negative run-ins in the log, you are set for a potential straightforward case that will move successfully without the need of any professional intervention or whatsoever. If you are applying from abroad, you need to know that getting a lawyer will only limit you to paper works and follow-up communications with the consulates. In no way shall a lawyer be allowed to accompany you or represent you in consular interviews.

However, there are circumstances in securing an immigration visa where you will need a lawyer’s intervention to save you the time and effort. If there’s one area where the law gets notoriously complicated, it is in the office of immigration where it is run by bureaucracy, and not many eyes are present and on the look-out. Here are some of the complicated situations while processing:

COVID-19 NOTE: Just a little heads up, though, hiring and consultation with a lawyer have become harder since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. However, getting one is not impossible.

KNOWING YOUR OPTIONS

If you are a skilled worker, you are a potential qualifier for multiple visas or green cards of a certain type. The same is true if you are an employer looking to hire a skilled worker. However, there might be some kind of dilemma set for you, and having an immigration attorney guiding you is best to keep you in the best position for securing the green card. In these cases, it is always a good deal to know your options and even have an overview of the time frame and what could be the possible issues you might have to face in the long run.

If you are moving in as a family or securing visas as one, similar issues might come up or other types of visa situations. There are instances when an engaged person might have to get married first before entering the U.S. with an immigrant visa. This instance entails an immediate right to a green card. The couple may opt to go for a K-1 fiance visa to allow entry in the country and only apply for a visa after their wedding. This procedure is known as adjustment of status.

The fastest and more advantageous option will depend on the prevailing government fees, procedures, and processing times. One usually cannot be too certain about this, which is why having a lawyer to consult with and lead you where you are most concerned and help you save money and time is always the right call.

CAUTION AND DELAYS

Another reason why you might want to employ the need for an attorney is that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers may not be all that help to your inquiries. Seriously, whatever you do, do not rely on the advice of their clerks and information officers. Other than basic procedural queries such as how much to pay and where to pay them, do not rely on what they say as the USCIS officers or even their higher officials will not take responsibility for whatever advice they have given you. So it’s indeed best to get a specialized lawyer on this to seek counsel from. Also, in cases of delay, which is far too common in the USCIS centers, only lawyers and only they have the access and reserve the right to inquire about delays and problematic cases in the system. Although still limited, the access is worth a try to get the answers many applicants are waiting for.

Based on Materials from Nolo