Immigration Lawyer: How Can You Benefit from Hiring One

Moving to a different country is complicated enough without having to think about paperwork and the immigration process.

The US immigration law system is pretty difficult to understand, especially if English is not your first language. The good news is that you don’t have to do this alone because an immigration lawyer can do it for you.

If you’re still not sure if hiring one is the best decision, keep reading to see why you might be wrong.

What is an Immigration Lawyer?

An immigration lawyer is a lawyer who focuses on dealing with various immigration matters. They’re familiar with the immigration laws, policies, procedures, and practices.

Because of that, they’re able to help you protect your rights, come up with strategies, and guide you through different processes. Here are some common examples of situations they can help you with:

1. Getting a US Visa

A visa is basically a document that’s placed in your passport that allows you to travel to a port of entry, airport, or land border crossing and request permission from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enter the US.

Note that having a visa doesn’t mean you’re automatically allowed to cross the border, but it’s a strong indication you’ll be allowed to do so.

There are two main types of visas: immigration and non-immigration. Obtaining an immigration visa is more difficult to obtain because of its purpose – to live permanently in the US.

As there are multiple categories of immigration visas depending on what it’s based on, the requirements also differ depending on the category.

An immigration lawyer from Law S&B will be able to tell you if you’re eligible for any of these categories and help you file your application for the right one.

2. Obtaining a Green Card

Obtaining a Green Card allows a foreign citizen to permanently reside and work in the US. Just like with visas, there are multiple Green Card categories, such as:

• family-based
• employment-based
• Green Card as a special immigrant
• Green Card through asylee status or refugee status
• Green Card for crime and human trafficking victims.

As you can assume, the documentation and the requirements are different for each of these categories.

If you’re seeking a Green Card based on employment, you’ll need to meet certain requirements based on the subcategory you fall into and submit documents such as an official academic record showing that you have a degree from a college or university, letters from your current or former employers documenting at least 10 years of full-time experience in your field, and a license to practice your profession.

If you, however, base your application on family relations, you’ll need to submit completely different documentation.

3. Representation in Deportation Proceedings

If you find yourself in a deportation (removal) proceeding, it means that the US government has started a process that could end with your removal. Most people find this topic scary, but it’s important to be familiar with it to a certain degree.

First things first, the US government needs a reason to start the removal process against you. These reasons can be found in the US immigration law under the grounds of removability.

The most common reason for the removal applies to those who have entered the US without permission or have overstayed a visa. Committing a crime or failing to inform the US government about the change of address are also reasons for the removal.

Either way, if this happens to you, an immigration lawyer is the best person to talk to. They will be able to represent you and prove the government wrong so that you can stay in the country.

4. Seeking Asylum

Immigrants that are in danger can seek asylum in the US. Many people who have suffered persecution or fear that they will suffer persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion decide to ask for help from the US government.

Only those who are physically present in the US and are not US citizens can file this kind of application.

If this is the case with you, we recommend that you talk to an immigration lawyer, as they’ll be able to help you demonstrate that you have a legitimate reason to seek asylum.

Why Hiring an Immigration Lawyer is Better than Doing Things on Your Own

As you can see, immigration lawyers cover a broad spectrum of immigration issues. If you think you can deal with things on your own, you can certainly try to. But, here’s why we think you should hire an immigration lawyer, instead:

1. They Have Extensive Experience

Immigration lawyers spend years in law school studying the basics. Many of them even specialize in immigration law to help bolster their expertise in this specialty and gain an advantage. Once they earn a Juris Doctor degree, they must pass the bar examination to become lawyers.

Furthermore, some immigration lawyers specialize even more and only deal with employment-based immigration cases, for instance.

Considering how much time they spend studying and practicing law, their experience can’t be compensated with Google research.

2. Application Processes are Extremely Complex

The US government has really strict rules when it comes to applying for a visa or Green Card.

Even the smallest mistake or failing to submit one piece of paper can set you back for months. Many people simply aren’t able to properly understand the requirements, and government officials aren’t always willing to help.

With the help of an immigration lawyer, you won’t have to worry about these things. Your lawyer will deal with all of that. All you need to do is listen to them and prepare the documents they tell you to prepare.

Doing this will help you save a lot of time and money that you would otherwise need to pay because your application got denied.

3. They Will Explain Your Options

Just because you meet all the requirements to file an application for an employment-based Green Card doesn’t mean you should. Maybe you should opt for a family-based application because obtaining the documents and proving you meet the requirements is much easier.

But you’ll never know if that’s the case if you don’t talk to an immigration lawyer. Remember, they deal with cases like yours every single day. If someone knows your options – it’s them.

To Sum Up

Hiring an immigration lawyer is always a good choice. People often think they can save money by skipping this step, but that is rarely the case.

More often than not, they spend much more money correcting their own mistakes and eventually hire a lawyer to finish things up.

Some things are too important to be left to fate, and immigration is definitely one of those things.