In the matter of immigration law difficulties, it is important to make sure you have a professional attorney on your side, representing you throughout the process.
Your attorney can submit paperwork on your behalf, represent you in immigration court hearings, and help you with other aspects of your case.
Plenty of immigration attorneys provide free first consultations and case reviews. That way, your first consultation can be helpful for any questions you have regarding your case.
The good thing is that you are not obliged to stick to your first choice; after the consultation is done, you have a right to choose if you want to continue to work with them or not.
But before starting this process, are you aware of what you should prepare for your first attorney meeting?
In this article, we will present you with the five best tips to make the most of your immigration consultation and create the best possible pick for your case.
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Get To Know The Process And The Person Representing You
Bring a list of questions to the initial immigration consultation with an attorney. For example, you should consider discussing the attorney’s expertise in handling immigration cases.
You should also question whether they have handled immigration cases with challenges comparable to yours, such as acquiring the proper visas for employees, applying for U.S. citizenship, or any other concerns.
Some of your go-tos should also be:
- What are the prospects for success?
- What is the best strategy for your situation?
- What can you do to make the case go more seamlessly?
Not quite familiar with the process or other important questions you should ask your attorney? Check this out – Brad Bernstein, an immigration attorney in New York, conducts live streams via different social media channels where he answers questions about the immigration process. Not only can you ask your questions during the live show, but you can also return to any missed episodes via YouTube.
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Collect All Of The Important Documents
The essential thing you can do before your appointment is to gather all of the required paperwork so that you can offer copies to the attorney.
During the meeting, they must view all the essential paperwork in person, as the dates listed on each document may be critical to your case.
Here is a breakdown list of everything you need:
- Current and all previous passports.
- All immigration paperwork (copies of all and any documents previously filed, previous employment cards, government notices, border crossing cards, visas, approvals, denials, court records, receipts, FOIA responses, etc.).
- Resume (if you’re seeking prospective employment-based immigration alternatives).
- Marriage license (if applicable).
- Your birth certificate and family members (if any).
- A divorce decision (if applicable).
- Any and all criminal convictions (both in the United States and/or abroad).
- If you have an upcoming immigration court hearing, you should bring a copy of the hearing notice to show the attorney, as it will allow them to affirm their availability.
- Any additional papers pertinent to your case.
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Prepare For The Best Scenario, Even For The Worst
The better prepared you are, the more effective your consultation will be. The following is what we advise:
- Prepare clear questions. There are no stupid questions, just bad answers. In the midst of your nervousness, you can forget what questions you wanted to put to the attorney during the meeting itself. Make a list in advance to save time and remember everything of importance.
- Include any language preferences while appointing your meeting. If you prefer that your consultation be performed in a certain language, kindly let the office know before scheduling your meeting so that they can accommodate you.
Some offices provide consultations in various languages. Nevertheless, if none of the available languages suits you, you are permitted to be accompanied by a translator; simply notify your collaborator before the meeting.
- Prepare for the worst. You may not end up liking everything you hear. It’s unfortunate that an attorney may provide you with information or answers that don’t match what you had hoped for.
They must tell you if you are ineligible for immigration since the law does not allow everyone to do so. Becoming more realistic about your expectations can help with this.
- Have someone accompany you. A friend or family member is welcome to join you for the consultation. However, it is important that you introduce the person and state your relationship with them right away.
Your companion may hear private and confidential information. Please be mindful of this. If a third person attends the consultation, the attorney-client privilege may be breached, and the material spoken can be used in a trial.
- Don’t lose precious time. A potential immigration attorney must know immediately if your case entails an emergency.
A federal order effectively expelling a person from the United States is a good illustration of when speed and efficiency are of the essence in immigration matters.
- Be on time. Arrive early for your appointment to ensure that you have the maximum time with your attorney.
If you arrive late, the attorney cannot promise that your consultation will be completed, and you may need to reschedule a follow-up call or visit. We recommend arriving a few minutes early to find your parking spot, find the office, and fill out the consultation intake form.
- Completely fill out any intake forms. As mentioned above, prior to your meeting, you may be given a form to fill out that requests information about your case.
Fill it out thoroughly and as soon as possible.
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Take Notes During The Meeting
Some of the information gathered during the meeting can get you nervous or catch you by surprise, resulting in you forgetting some important information. In order to avoid that, bring a notebook and a pencil with you and write down everything you need to remember.
Another advantage of taking notes is that you may compare them to those from previous attorney consultations to determine whether a certain immigration attorney is the correct one for you.
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Be Honest
Finally, and maybe most significantly, be truthful. It is the single most crucial thing you can do in your immigration consultation for yourself.
Remember that the U.S. government may already have a record of your past. If you are dishonest with your attorney, you place yourself at a significant disadvantage since they will be unable to effectively represent or defend you against what they do not know.
Furthermore, without understanding all of the specifics of your case, the attorney cannot provide you with an appropriate legal opinion.
Remember that everything you tell them during a consultation is kept strictly secret, even if you do not choose the person you talked to to handle your case.
For the attorney to proceed with your case, information such as why you left your country and if you have a sponsor is required.
If you are a refugee, put out specific events that caused you to flee your country. It is critical to provide them with as much information as possible.
Attorneys are there to help you with your case, but it can only be successful if they know the truth.
Author bio:
Tomas is a digital marketing specialist and a freelance blogger. His work is focusing on new web tech trends and digital voice distribution across different channels.
