11 Best Ways to Hire an Attorney for Quick Visa Approvals in the USA

Just for prompt, you are not legally required to hire an immigration attorney for quick visa approvals or to represent you in any immigration matter. A good amount of people in the USA handle their immigration by themselves. But I also understand that sometimes, an immigration attorney might come in handy not just for quick visa approvals but also in cases like getting asylum or avoiding deportation.

Now, when hiring an immigration attorney, you will need to take note of some crucial steps to go about the whole process. In this guide, we will cover over 10 steps on how you can get started. Let’s get into the details.

Key Points

It’s not mandatory to hire an immigration attorney for visa processes, as many individuals successfully handle their cases independently.

Assess the complexity of your case, the stakes involved, and your access to information to determine if professional help is necessary.

Hiring an immigration attorney can help avoid costly mistakes and provide essential legal counsel throughout the immigration process.

Look out for red flags when choosing an attorney, such as unrealistic promises, lack of credentials, and poor communication.

Do I Need to Have an Immigration Lawyer?

This is quite a tricky question, but the perfect answer in a question format is, “How fast can you spot a red flag when you see one”? If you really want to detect if you will need one, then here are some factors to consider:

#1. How complicated is your case?

Considering whether the immigration situation at hand is something within your power is the first step to understanding how complicated your case is and how much help you need. Say you are applying to become a permanent resident in the USA; it’s not a complicated process, so there is a need to hire an attorney for that. Also, imagine if you are handling situations like DACA; you will need to work endlessly with an immigration attorney to help you make decisions and provide legal advice.

#2. What is at stake?

Now, another question to ask is, “What is really at stake”? Would making a tiny of any kind cause you a change in the status of your immigration process? Will it terminate the process entirely? Or will you just lose the filing fee and a temporary delay? All these questions will be answered correctly to enable you to determine if you need an immigration attorney’s help or not.

#3. How vast is your access to information?

One last point to carefully crosscheck is if you will need any help with your immigration process at some point in time or if you can handle it without the help of anyone whatsoever? If you have carefully cross-checked and it looks like you need to hire one, then please do.

Benefits of Hiring an Immigration Attorney

At this point, you may need to be more convincing about hiring an immigration attorney, and I will tell you why exactly you might need their services. Aside from the obvious need to hire an attorney for quick visa approvals, these professionals can also come in handy when you are stuck with any immigration problems, its complex process, or even represent you when needed. In general, they make sure that you don’t experience any costly mistakes that can cost you in the long run.

These immigration attorneys are even bound to do more, and they include:

Being responsible for the provision of legal counsel and recommendations on immigration laws and policy in the United States.
Whenever you make choices based on your immigration process or anything related, these professionals are responsible for double-checking and helping you understand the choices you have made.
When you hire an immigration attorney, you won’t stress drafting and submitting any documentation or petition. They are already tasked with doing that and, in turn, getting the work done faster and better.
They also advocate on your behalf in any conversations or communication pertaining to the immigration officials and any other bodies present during the process.
If there are any rules or changes to the immigration rules and processes, the immigration attorney you hired will keep you updated on that and advise you when it is due.

So, in general, when you hire an immigration attorney, either for quick visa approvals or mere representations during your immigration process, they will always look out for you and help you put your best foot forward in any immigration situation. Still, remember that it’s not compulsory to hire one, but whatever makes the process easier, right?

11 Ways to Hire an Attorney for a Quick Visa Approval

Having seen the reason why you need to work hand in hand with an immigration attorney for whatever reason regarding immigration, how then do you find them and hire the best person out there for solid services? I will give you 11 tips that can make the hiring process a whole lot better.

#1. Ask Your Family and Friends

Asking your friends and family or even getting a referral from a trusted person can save you a lot of stress and time involved with sourcing an immigration officer yourself. So go out of your way, ask your friends or anyone you know, tell them of your plans, and get better feedback, especially from people who have successfully gone through an immigration process.

#2. Use an Online Lawyer Directory

There are a lot of these online communities that have thousands of participants just replying to people who have any questions at all. Take Reddit for an example. You can use online directories to find a decent immigration lawyer in your vicinity. Also, you can search the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), where there are a lot of options to choose from depending on their location, practice area, and ratings and reviews from previous clients.

Even if you are a loner and have no one who has experienced any immigration process, then go online and search too.

#3. Don’t Hire a general practitioner lawyer

Sometimes, there might be a disadvantage to working with a “master of all.” In this case, a general practitioner might lack a deep knowledge of the ins and outs that come with tackling immigration cases and successfully handling them. Therefore, they may not be the best type of attorney to represent you. So to be safe than sorry, it’s best to hire an immigration attorney who is involved in the:

Green Cards
Family Immigration
Business Immigration
Naturalization
Asylum
Visas
Deportation Defense

#4. Research their Credentials and Experience

Another good tip is to cross-check their experience because, believe me, you want to hire an attorney who knows the onions in every type of case. You can do this by asking around or even searching online. Look up their website if they have any for as much information as you can lay your hands on.

Also, be watchful while checking; you need to make sure they are licensed to practice.

#5. Beware of unrealistic promises

Of course, having your lawyer promise and assure you of helping you out, but just be cautious and notice when it becomes too much and unrealistic. It can tour sour that soon. A lawyer with such an outlook may be naïve and inexperienced. They should, in fact, tell you that experiencing roadblocks is very possible, and they have laid out strategies for those rainy days.

#6. Determine their availability

Don’t worry; you are not being extra; you are just making sure your immigration dreams don’t go down in shackles by hiring an incompetent attorney. Now, another thing you need to be sure of is their response time and availability. When you email them or give them a call during work hours, will they respond? If they did, how long did it take for them to respond? If you hire an attorney who doesn’t have enough time for you, it will reduce your chances of having a successful immigration process.

#7. Cost Hourly Rate Or A Flat Fee

Also, take into consideration the cost and what it will take to hire an immigration attorney. Communicate with your attorney and get to know their rate and if they take a flat pay or hourly pay. If it’s not something you can do, then it’s best to opt out on time. Also, determine if they run a fixed price or if it is negotiable.

#8. Pick more than one lawyer

Don’t settle for the first lawyer you see or one particular immigration lawyer. Just take a list of available immigration attorneys. Four or five are good enough. You can also cut down the list based on the best matches on your list and do away with others.

#9. Schedule a consultation

Before selecting an immigration lawyer, you should schedule an initial consultation to review your case and ask any questions you may have. Most of them offer a free consultation in person or over the phone. During the interaction, you can pay more attention to these attorneys and inspect if they really pay attention to your needs and what you actually want.

#10. Pick a Tech-Savvy Lawyer

If you have the option of choosing a tech-savvy immigration attorney, then please do. You do not need to be burdened with paper documents when electronic documents can do just as well. An attorney who understands technology can save you all the stress.

#11. Trust Your Instincts

Regardless of whatever tips I want to give you today, you must always remember that you need to always trust your instincts and go with them regardless of whatever rules you are playing at. The best immigration attorney should be someone with whom you’re comfortable and willing to share the nuances of your case.

How Much Will An Immigration Lawyer Cost

The cost required for the hire of an immigration attorney, either for quick visa approvals or basic legal advice, can differ depending on the immigration law firm you are using. Some demand an hourly rate, while the rest charge a flat fee. Aside from these firms being different from one another, most of them determine the cost of their services based on where you live or how complicated your immigration case may be.

If you stay in Northern California and require a fiancé visa, just keep a budget of $750 to $2,000. If it’s a green card or permanent resident you are solely in need of, then just keep a flat fee of $800 to $4,000. An hourly rate may also range between $100 to $350 an hour. Aside from paying your immigration attorney, you will also need to foot the form-filling bills.

How to Avoid Immigration Attorney Scams

Getting listed in the AILA directory or working with an immigration law firm does not determine that an immigration lawyer is credible and honest; it goes beyond that. Some can dress up really nice and come as scams and fraudulent individuals claiming to offer you the whole world, and if you are gullible enough, they can maneuver you into hiring them.

But not to worry, I will tell you some good tips on how to spot these walking red flags so you don’t fall victim:

Look out for immigration attorneys who approach you at any USCIS office and avoid them. I mean, why would a professional in their job go about searching for clients instead of the other way around? They should be busy handling gigs and jobs from other clients and even declare busy when you come to them for help. Even the bar association considers these practices to be unethical.
Also, make sure to avoid any individuals who aren’t lawyers and yet claim to be experts in their field. They might take up positions as a “visa consultant,” “notario,” or “petition preparer” and then try to convince you that it is the same. It is absolutely different from being a licensed attorney. Don’t fall into their trap.
Look out for those who are specialists in providing illegal advice; they will either tell you to lie on an immigration form or to a USCIS officer or even go as far as bribing an immigration authority. You could be increasing your chances of getting a permanent termination.
Last but not least, steer clear of immigration attorneys who promise you heaven and earth and even the unheard. They can even promise you a 100% success rate during your process. Please avoid them.

Here is a FREE CHECKLIST on all the complete red flags to avoid:

Red Flags to Watch Out For When Hiring an Immigration Attorney.PDF

download

Conclusion

After you have successfully chosen a good and reputable immigration attorney who has good traces of successful past gigs, you will need to proceed to the documentation involved. While at this, ensure you specify what services your lawyer will provide. You should also be ready to handle the costs involved, sign documents, and provide your attorney with any details they might need while they work for you.

In sum, this guide has all you need to make this process a success.

11 Best Ways to Hire an Attorney for Quick Visa Approvals in the USA

Key Points