Saving a Few $$ on Immigration Representation Not Worth It
It’s a very sad story that attorneys doing immigration work hear every day. An immigrant comes into the lawyer’s office and says that he or she needs help with their immigration paperwork. There’s something wrong, but they don’t know exactly what it is. We make some calls and do the research into their papers and realize that they have been a victim of unscrupulous “Notarios” or “immigration consultants”. These people, who are not licensed to practice law, have on many, many occasions, filled out paperwork either (1) incorrectly, which results in a person’s application being denied and them being forced to leave the U.S., or (2) fraudulently in an effort to trick the United States Government into allowing a person to live and work in the U.S. legally, which can end up getting a person detained for long periods of time and deported and barred from ever entering the United States again. The problem with this plan to purposely fill out immigration forms with incorrect information in an effort to get the desired result from the government is it’s pretty much impossible to trick the U.S. immigration officials. They have seen every fraudulent thing a person can or will possibly do to get permission to be here legally.
These Notarios (or notaries or consultants) tell immigrants they don’t need to pay for a lawyer, that they’ll do the paperwork for them much cheaper. The thing they don’t tell the immigrant is that 1) they are doing something illegal just by giving them legal advice, 2) they cannot represent the immigrant in any hearing, action, or interview because they are not licensed to practice law, 3) they will probably be long gone by the time any problems are discovered by the immigrant, and the immigrant will be removed or deported, unable to get justice against these people.
Not all notarios or consultants are evil people who mean to harm others. Many of them are just uneducated about the laws and about what they are or are not supposed to be doing. But some are bad people, just trying to make money from hard working immigrants who want nothing more than to live peacefully in the United States, work hard, raise their families, and pay taxes for the benefit of all citizens.
At Visa-Me, we are attorneys who know the immigration rules and laws and can represent our clients at hearings and interviews. We can file documents with the Courts, and we can draft and submit appeals. We are held to the highest ethical and legal standards by the Bar organizations to which we belong, and anyone not happy with our services has legal recourse against us.
Don’t take one of the most important things you will do in your lifetime, which is to secure residency or citizenship in the United States, and try to manage it without adequate legal representation provided by a licensed attorney. It’s not worth the cost you may end up paying, to save a few bucks up front.
See the attached document that details who you can call if you’ve been wronged by a notario or other immigration consultant who is not an attorney.
CLICK HERE for Notario or Immigration Consultant Complaint resources
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