I am often asked, “Do I need an Immigration Attorney?” Attorneys are not cheap, and people want to make sure that they are not spending their hard-earned money needlessly.

If you read the USCIS website, you will see much there to make you think that this is easy. I have actually seen the USCIS state that their goal is to make their site so user-friendly that people don't need attorneys. You can also call in to the USCIS hotline and find people who will tell you what to do.

But this doesn't mean that you don't need an immigration attorney. I often deal with people who went ahead on their own and made mistakes --- sometimes relatively minor mistakes --- that have had major consequences. Not infrequently, these people had gone on the USCIS website and called the USCIS hotline, and had been told that everything was all right and that they would have no problem obtaining the benefit they were seeking.

Even at its “easiest” it can still be pretty complicated. If you want to take the risk and the time, you can do it yourself --- and hopefully you will be successful. But I recommend having an immigration attorney to help you obtain the benefits you are seeking.

I find that people hire attorneys for three reasons:

1. Because of the complex nature of the application process or because it is too time consuming.
2. More frequently, they desire to have peace of mind --- to know that someone with experience is taking care of the process, and that it will be done right the first time.
3. Sometimes the client knows that he or she has an issue and is proactively looking to address it.

My goal is to do it right the first time --- to cut down on lost time from simple mistakes made due to ignorance of what the USCIS or the Department of State really wants. Likewise, I am very careful to make sure that all the bases are covered and that there will be no reason for any of the various people who will review your application to question your eligibility to obtain your desired benefit.

Another benefit of having an attorney is that, not infrequently, the client ends up doing something completely different than initially anticipated. Many people who call me have already done a thorough job researching what they want to do and how. But sometimes, as we talk, I can recommend something that they were not even aware of that will fit their goals and time-frames even better.

I would like to help you obtain your goals in the area of immigration law. Please e-mail or call me --- let's see what we can do. There are many opportunities out there! Let's make sure that you find the best match.