There are many reasons for hiring an immigration lawyer. It all depends on the purpose of your visit to the US and your history. For a short visit, you may be allowed to come into the US without a visa. This, however, depends on your country of origin. You must check with the US embassy in your country to see if you can travel to US visa-free. If you have just nabbed a job in the US, you employer will usually deal with the immigration issues for you.
They will do this either by hiring a lawyer or by using a person within their organization who has knowledge on immigration. Usually, you will hire an immigration attorney when you face challenges in the process. When you have applied for a green card, and you keep getting rejected, or when a family member is unable to access the US, and the Bureau of U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is of no help, it is time to lawyer up. Another scenario that would require an immigration attorney is if your history is tainted and you think your past could ruin your chances of getting the green card or of your family member being allowed into the country. Also, if a member of your family has received a deportation warning from USCIS, you should consult with an immigration attorney. Doing so might just determine if your family member becomes a permanent citizen or is deported. Most experienced attorneys will not charge a consultation fee. Others will exclude it from your total charge. Should you be facing one of the circumstances described above you should consult with a lawyer in the following cases: 1. If you have a criminal past
The immigration forms at USCIS have a section on criminal background. You will have to fill this section. If you do not correctly state the crimes that you have been convicted of, should the truth be established, you could face deportation. Keep in mind that these forms will have your fingerprint. Not all crimes bear a consequence on your immigration status, though, but always state the truth regardless.
2. If many of your green card applications have been rejected
In such a scenario, an immigration lawyer will be able to pinpoint the reason for these rejections and if the problem can be solved.
3. If you become overwhelmed by the process
The immigration process can be very tasking. It may be draining to the applicant. People frequently hire a lawyer when their limits have been tested. Instead of wasting so much time trying to go through the process alone, it would wiser to hire an attorney right from the beginning. It would certainly save time.
4. If you have been removed from the US
Some deportees may still be eligible to move to the United States.
5. If you have an infectious disease
People with some ailments may qualify for immigration.
6. If you have not gotten a response for a very long time
If the attorney you choose is experienced, they will probably have connections at USCIS. They may be able to find out why the process is taking so long.
7. If your marriage to a US citizen ends before you attain permanent residence status, and you want to update your immigration status based on marriage to a second US citizen
In such a scenario you would need to prove that your first marriage was not conducted for the benefit of obtaining United States citizenship.
8. If you get divorced from a United States Citizen before removal of the condition set on your stay in the US and now you have to go through the process on your own
In this case, you will also have to prove that the marriage was not done only to get citizenship. If your former wife/husband or members of their family are uncooperative, filing alone may be an uphill task.
9. If one of your children is likely to turn twenty-one before the immigration process is completed
Once you obtain a green card, your spouse and children below the age of twenty-one are automatically guaranteed to get green cards. An attorney may be able to help your child with the process once they turn twenty-one.
10. If your employer-to-be is not ready to sort your immigration process yet, you obtained a green card for the sake of employment.
The process of updating your immigration status based on employment can be very tasking. If you do not follow the proper channels, you could wait for a very long time.
