Hiring an immigration attorney

[MarkGA 0]

I realize that most all of you have handled this process on your own, but for me, I just feel more comfortable with having a lawyer manage this process for me. I'm curious if anyone has hired an immigration attorney to handle a K1 visa and how did you go about choosing an attorney? There are number of "national" firms that seem to specialize in this field, but I'm not sure if I should go that route or deal with someone local here in Atlanta.

Any advice/input here would be appreciated.

Thank you-

Mark

[apple pie 0]

Hiring a lawyer is just the same as doing it by yourself becasue that was our experience with my husband the lawyer will just tell you what to do, but still you will be responsible in doing all the forms and providing him the all the required papers...

[Steve'sGirl 0]

If you're more comfortable going through this process with the help of an attorney you should do so (my fiance felt the same way and we did hire a lawyer). I know we could've done it without their help. All they do is fill out the forms for you and put all the supporting docs (that you have to compile anyway and provide the lawyer with) in order. We chose a law firm by its reputation and proximity since my fiance found it easier to just run by their offices to drop off docs instead of mailing them. We are in the Atlanta area as well. PM me if you need more information.

Looking back at it, I wish we would've spent the money on something other than attorney fees.

[KimandRuss 0]

You are going to get a lot of posts telling you not to hire a lawyer unless you have special circumstances. Many have found the lawyer actually delays them more than anything. Simple mistakes. I tend to agree.... You still need to gather all the documents and do all the leg work. You will also want to be pro active on your own behalf and be sure the packet is put together correctly with everything included. Educate yourself using the guides here. It's a simple checklist really. Be sure everything on it is included. In essence, you will still be doing most of the work.

However, it is a personal choice and if you decide that is the route you want to go just be CERTAIN that they know what they are doing so you are not forced to wait even longer because of their mistakes. I would find a good immigration lawyer and ask for a free consult. Bring the VJ guide checklist with you and have them TELL YOU what is to be included.

good luck no matter what you choose.

[DairyFarmer 1]

If you're more comfortable going through this process with the help of an attorney you should do so (my fiance felt the same way and we did hire a lawyer). I know we could've done it without their help. All they do is fill out the forms for you and put all the supporting docs (that you have to compile anyway and provide the lawyer with) in order. We chose a law firm by its reputation and proximity since my fiance found it easier to just run by their offices to drop off docs instead of mailing them. We are in the Atlanta area as well. PM me if you need more information.

Looking back at it, I wish we would've spent the money on something other than attorney fees.

I have had the same experience as above except that the lawyer we chose has offices in New York and California and we are from Michigan so proximity was not a deciding factor.

I researched the web for law firms. Them researched positive and negative experiences people had. The one we eventually chose had been through the process himself so to me I felt he might have empathy. I emailed the attorney then John did. Then John had several conversations / consultations with him before we started. (at no cost) I felt comfortable we could complete it ourselves but for peace of mind we choose a lawyer to assist. As it turns out the initial work was good. We have had struggles with regular communication with them but now like for everyone the process is a waiting game. Its all in the USCIS' hands.

Having said all that if we had discovered VJ before we began the process we may not have gone that route.

Edited July 15, 2008 by DairyFarmer

[1HappyGuy 45]

I used an attorney that was recommended by a tour group. I felt the same way at first, that I couldn't do this myself. But, that was before I knew about VJ. If you have an special circumstances, then you should definitely use an attorney. If you are also someone that really needs organizational help, then choose an attorney that is well experienced in immigration. It is not necessary to use someone close to you since everything dealing with the USCIS is done by mail anyway.

You should get a firm commitment from the attorney as to fees. A flat rate is probably best. It's true that you have to gather all of the documents yourself, but the attorney (if well experienced) will direct you to exactly what is needed. The timelines for completing the entire process are the same with or without an attorney. They don't have any better connections than other people, but they generally do make sure everything is there before filing the application.

Good luck, no matter what you choose.

[MarkGA 0]

Thanks for the input and advice. Maybe I'm just finding everything to seem really overwhelming when I don't need to. Ugghhh. You know finding the right partner is hard enough in this life, being together should be the easy thing.

Sounds like those who chose a lawyer haven't really found it to be advantageous. I guess I'll start to the process and if I feel I can't get it done, go with a lawyer.

Thanks again everyone and best of luck.

-Mark

[KimandRuss 0]

Mark, start with the Guides . They will be an invaluable resource for you! Just go down the list of requirements. The uscis website also has all immigration forms and even an instruction page for filling out the I-129f in pdf format. Also, there are Example forms here on vj that you can use as well.

You can always find those, and other helpful links, at the top of the forum.

It seems daunting at first, but if you do it with the guidance here you should be all set. People are always here to answer any questions you have any. We all started the same way.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I'll give you some recommendations:

• Jim Eiss, Buffalo-based and former INS inspector
• Ron Gotcher

Edited July 15, 2008 by CherryXS

[daboyz 36]

Thanks for the input and advice. Maybe I'm just finding everything to seem really overwhelming when I don't need to. Ugghhh. You know finding the right partner is hard enough in this life, being together should be the easy thing.

Sounds like those who chose a lawyer haven't really found it to be advantageous. I guess I'll start to the process and if I feel I can't get it done, go with a lawyer.

Thanks again everyone and best of luck.

-Mark

I'm a minimum of 2 months behind in the process due to hiring an Attorney. I had all the documents requested to him in January 2008. He didn't file them until the end of February. My NOA from the I-130 came in the beginning of March and it took him another month to file the I-129F. I'm not saying they are all the same. If I knew then what I knew now, I wouldn't have hired an attorney.

[Darren&Laura 3]

Thanks for the input and advice. Maybe I'm just finding everything to seem really overwhelming when I don't need to. Ugghhh. You know finding the right partner is hard enough in this life, being together should be the easy thing.

Sounds like those who chose a lawyer haven't really found it to be advantageous. I guess I'll start to the process and if I feel I can't get it done, go with a lawyer.

Thanks again everyone and best of luck.

-Mark

Mark,

I know how you are feeling, at the start of this process I didn't have a clue what to do and the USCIS website isn't a great deal of help in making you feel confident that you are doing everything required. However, VJ is an amazing site that made every aspect of the process simple - literally just ticking off each section on the guides until an assembled package was constructed. I am so pleased that I stumbled across this site prior to starting the process, it really made things so much easier. As someone said above, please check out the guides and familiarize yourself with what is required before you hire anyone, the more times you read it I'm sure the less complicated it will seem.

Unless you have special circumstances, i.e have overstayed in the past, have a criminal record, etc. then VJ is all you need. I know it can seem daunting at first as it's a long, convoluted process, but it's well worth doing it yourself if you can to ensure everything is done properly and error free and as quickly as possible. As people's experience in this thread shows, a lawyer can slow things down, and definitely does not expedite the process as you would have to provide the information required anyway. So long as your case is straightforward I'd save the money you would otherwise allocate to an attorney and put it towards a fantastic honeymoon once you marry your partner.

If there's anything you are unsure about, please ask questions on here. I wish you the best of luck in your journey and future.

Darren

[MarkGA 0]

Thanks you all. This site has a real family feel to it and I appreciate that. Awesome!!!

Ok, I took some time from work and printed off everything and started filling out the paperwork. I'm gonna take everything with me to India and get the process started. I am glad everyone is so willing to help and offer advice. Good to know there are pleny of people willing to virtually hold my hand through the steps if I hit a roadblock.

Thank you thank you thank you for the both of us.....

-Mark & Vipul

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

I agree totally with what Kim said. Read every link on the guide page and there's more stuff on the FAQ page. There's even tips for how to assemble your package for mailing. The guides tell you to make an extra copy of the whole thing for yourself and one for your fiance. It tells you to even copy the check you write. That's so helpful when later you read somebody's got returned because they didn't send in the correct amount. I've pulled out my packet more than once to see what my check said or what I put in a certain blank on a form. It gives you peace of mind knowing you are in control and not wondering if the lawyer has a decent secretary that can type your name correctly. Or wondering if your stuff got sent off or it's still sitting in the secretary's inbox a month later. With that said, if you just can't read instructions or feel hopelessly disorganized then get a lawyer.

[vickydeutsch 0]

Well in my case I told my fiance to check this website but he prefered to hire an attorney because he didnt have time to do all the paperwork. Even though i told him he could search here, he decided to go for the attorney so i respected his decision. Now that we are waiting for the next step, I always tell my fiance about all the experiences I read here and he tells me i know more than the attorney he hired

Vicky

[ScottnCati 0]

Well in my case I told my fiance to check this website but he prefered to hire an attorney because he didnt have time to do all the paperwork. Even though i told him he could search here, he decided to go for the attorney so i respected his decision. Now that we are waiting for the next step, I always tell my fiance about all the experiences I read here and he tells me i know more than the attorney he hired

Vicky

We hired a lawyer to do our K1 petition and If I knew then what I know now I certainly would not have hired one. This site is excellent for information, and the people here are certainly happy to assist you with your concerns, for free !!!!

Take the money you would spend on a lawyer, and take your soon to be new spouse on a great honeymoon...

the best of luck