Hiring an immigration attorney

[william_wallace 8]

Everyone's case is different. Us for instance hired one as I have been married to a US citizen before, so we didn't want a problem doing it on our own as a lawyer can be useful on that case.

We shopped around, got in contact with a few and found one at a reasonable price of I think $500. I certainly wouldn't hire a lawyer that charges in the thousands. Some of them out there just bleed you dry.

[Damian P 92]

We decided to hire one, purely and simply because we wanted to be absolutely sure that every 'I' was dotted and every 'T' was crossed. It cost me $1,000, but it was worth it for the peace of mind.

I got NOA 1 from CSC on 22nd February, so am I right in assuming that his work is now done? Will all future correspondence now be sent directly to me here and/or 'er indoors Stateside? It's just that if that is indeed the case, I'll stop badgering the guy!!!!

[truffles 2]

Damien.... I think there is going to be more activity....after the NOA1 ( which is essentially just to let you know they have received your paperwork ), there is possible RFE ( request for further evidence) is anything needs clarification or is missing.... should all go fine you will receive paperwork telling you how to go about getting a medical in London and if i recall correctly several other documents for your interview ( London Embassy) - such as police reports for each country you have ever resided in for longer than 6 months, and the affadavit of support which I also beleive has to be presented at interview ..... it was quite some time ago so my memeory may have failed me in remembering everything - I am sure others will chip in with what I have missed.

The guides suggest that the beneficiary have a full and complete copy of all the paperwork submitted with the K1 application.

[nathandace 0]

My Fiance and I decided to hire a Lawyer. They have been very helpful to us. They walked us through the process, helped us fill out all the forms, let us know what information was relevant and what wasnt..etc. What really sold me on getting a lawyer instead of doing it on my own with my fiance...was my lawyers reputation, and how quickly they were to get back to us about any questions we had regarding the visa before retaining them. Right now I beleive my fiance and I are where we sould be as far as time goes. I guess all the decision really depends on is personal preference. Had I known what I am learning/know now back then; my fiance and I probably would have done it on our own. At the time these resources were not available to us. However, at the same time I wouldnt do anything differently now, because I am happy with what my lawyers are doing for me. Good Luck!

[sara..... 371]

in our case we hired an attorney because we felt we needed one..........he had us fill out all the paper work gave us a list of what we needed........we sent our paper work to him last of july of last year along with the funds he requested.....he filled out nothing for paperwork we did it all.......he filed the papers in aug of last year........we got receipted in sept ......and still waiting for noa2......when we requested copies of everything in our files including his correspondence to them about our case all he sent was copies of the documents we sent to him and had filled our selfs he did not even retain a copy of our letters of intent that was sent with the file to csc.......(thanks of God im the type of person that keeps copies of everything so i have copies of it)........when i pushed him about did he submit a cover letter addressing what we felt maybe a problem such as my fiance was engaged once before...and was the main reason we had retained him instead of doing this ourself he stated no i did not if they have any kind of problem or question about it they will contact our office asking for more information or an explanation.....until this date we still have not received noa2 ............would i hire an attorney again nope not for any reason i found this site after spending the money for an attorney had i found it before i could have out the answers to the questions we had in our mind about the previous engagement and the filing she did for k1 visa for him........

if we ever make it to interview and he receives a visa i will be here driving everyone crazy trying to find out how to do the bunch of paper work that needs to be filed......its a sad day when u pay an attorney money and trust him then later on find a web site that is like ur second family that gives u more information than the attorney u paid money too........so if u decide to go forward with an attorney plz plz be as careful as u can be and let him send u all the information about filing ur application for visa including time lines for approvals and see if it matches up with the information on this site........sadly i found out to late our attorney does not have a clue about much of anything other than giving me a list of documents to fill out and what to send with them that i could have found for free on this site........ok sorry for going on so long about this topic ........i am by no means advising u not to get an attorney if u feel u need one but plz be so careful about the attorney that u do make the choice of.......

good luck to u and may ur journey be swift and problem free

sara

[chadlaure 2]

Hi everyone,

reading all of these posts is scaring me.

My fiance and I have met a lawyer in Michigan last friday. We decided to hire him (although we didn't send the contract back yet) because we felt like we need one for the K1. I am French, leaving in Toronto and he leaves to Tennessee, moving to Michigan in November.

Now, most of the people here are saying that hiring an attorney is slowing down the process and we can do it ourselves. So I don't know anymore, I don't know what would be best for us because I am not leaving in my home country. Where are the NOAs sent to?

Our lawyer is Pierce & Hahn in Ann Harbor.

If anyone has comments or recommendations please let me know...

Thanks

Laure

[KimandRuss 0]

Hi Laure, welcome to VJ.

Have a read through the guides and faq's at the top. Visit the links and the flow chart and learn about the process. There is a checklist for the K1 and example forms as well. It's really not that difficult to take on.

I think a lot of people here have had to find out the hard way that all immigration lawyers are not created equally. Either a document is forgotten or, like poor sara(estadia), they can really slow it down if they leave something out. That being said, there are people who have had no problems.

Consider this... you must gather everything your lawyer needs anyway. The only thing they do is check it over and mail it for you.

You've found a gold mine of information and resources you will need in these forums ...use them.

It doesn't matter that you're not living in your Country. You can request the interview be held in Canada. All documention including NOA's (I797's) will go to your fiance...the petitioner. You will know when it's your turn because the Consulate will send you a packet to complete before your interview.

Edited September 3, 2008 by KimandRuss

[chadlaure 2]

Hi Kimandruss

Thank you for your reply! and sorry about the mistakes between leaving and living (shame on me!!)

I've been readying many posts for the past few weeks now, but only today I'm having questions about hiring a lawyer. I remember your profile because you reply often, share your experience and give great advice!

Our laywer said it would take 7 months to hear from the immigration and it will take another 3 to 5 months to get the visa. But it seems that it takes 4 months if everything goes well. Although we have to file with the California office so I don't know if it takes the same amount of time.

What about if we make a mistake and they send us back our I-129F? Does it count against us?

[KimandRuss 0]

We were approved in 120 days. 3 weeks ago there were couples from CSC who filed after us but were approved before us. The centers have all gone through big changes since last year. Vermont has been quicker historically but right now they're about the same. How it will be in a few months time is anyone's guess really. You just never know. 12 months for the process seems a bit of a stretch for most tho.

The K1 checklist is a great resource for you right now. Simply go down the list and get what you need. Use the example forms to help you fill out the forms. If you follow that, it's not likely you will have an issue.

If something is not checked off or if they require more information from you, you will receive an RFE (request for more evidence) when the adjuticator begins to go through your petition..usually months after you send it in. If you do get an RFE it's not the end of the world, most folks are only held up a couple of weeks. It does not count against you.

Use the waiting time to educate yourself to the rest of the process. There is a great group of Canadian folks here on VJ in the Regional forums that are very helpful. K1 interviews are held in two Consulates in Canada. I know one has about a two month waiting time for interview..not sure about the other.

Having a laywer can not and does not help you speed up the process at all. A lawyer, or the para-legal he has do the work, is not going to take any more care regarding your petition than you are. Of course there are people who probably should hire someone to help them but usually those are people who either have special circumstances to consider. It's just my opinion but if you are relatively intelligent and have good comprehension skills you can do this yourself and save the money for a visit with your fiance.