Published April 26, 2015
1. To Keep a Clean and Simple Case, Clean and Simple: A knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer will know how a filing, whether family based or employment based, should be prepared. The immigration lawyer will know exactly how to file the paperwork, how it should be documented, where the filing should be submitted, how to keep the filing on track and to make sure it does not fall through the cracks. If an interview is scheduled, the immigration lawyer will prepare the applicant for all questions and processes they will face, and accompany the applicant to make sure the applicant’s rights are protected
2. To Detect Problems Before the Fact: A knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer knows the right questions to ask before guiding a client down a particular path, and so as to make sure the client knows all risks that are at play before proceeding. The immigration lawyer makes sure to detect and put out fires before they spread. Being proactive in this realm beats being reactive.
3. To Proceed Down the Immigration Highway With a Map: A knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer will generally know the exact path a case will take before the journey begins. Where will the case be finally decided? How will this or that peculiar fact impact the timing of a decision, the overall outcome, or the decision-making process in general. The immigration lawyer may even advise to put off the journey until a later date, since the road to get from A to B may be a rocky one, or even nonexistent.
4. To Save From Spending Money Unnecessarily: Assuming they have a reputation for honesty and trust, a knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer will tell the client to put their money back in their pocket when the chances of achieving a desired result are slim or none. The vulnerable or naïve client will generally be willing to believe the most unbelievable stories when it comes to the solving of their immigration problems, especially when the attorney is looking to charge an exorbitant sum and the solution sounds so pleasing to the ear. The best way to guard against such a result is to obtain a second or third opinion from a reputable and experienced immigration attorney. Usually, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
5. To Have a Fix It Tool Box or Answer Book at Your Disposal: Should I be waiting this long for a receipt? Should I have received a decision by now? I heard from a friend that my case is taking too long. Should I have been fingerprinted by now? Is it legal for me to be asked that question during the immigration interview? What are my rights when it comes to ………..? A knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer will be there to answer these questions, fix matters that may have fallen through the cracks, inform an applicant of their rights, and protect and advocate for those rights at all times.
6. To Not Accept the Government’s Word as the Last Word: In any given context an immigration applicant may be given the wrong information from a government official. That information may be provided before the filing for a particular immigration benefit, or it may come in the form of a decision rejecting your request for an immigration benefit. Regardless of the scenario, it’s not unheard of that the information or decision is just plain wrong. A knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer will know when the government perspective provided is a little or a lot wrong.
PUBLISHED April 26, 2015– “IMMIGRATION LAW FORUM” Copyright © 2015, By Law Offices of Richard Hanus, Chicago, Illinois