You want to be sure that the lawyer you hire is qualified and experienced in immigration law
This is an important thing to consider since a lawyer who is not experienced or qualified in this particular field may end up costing you more money because they will need to hire other lawyers that specialize in immigration law. Not only is it better for your wallet if you hire someone who specializes in immigration law so you won’t have to pay a second time for another lawyer, but you will avoid additional legal fees and save yourself the stress of dealing with two lawyers instead of one.
In light of this, it is advisable to seek recommendations and gather information about attorneys who specialize in immigration law. Their expertise can be instrumental in obtaining the appropriate visa for your intended visit to the United States, taking into account the specific nature of your purpose. For instance, if you are an athlete visiting the US for a sports event, you may need to consult an immigration lawyer specializing in P Visa in Toronto, ON (or in your respective country). Similarly, if your visit pertains to business or educational matters, you might need to apply for a B-1 or F-1 visa. In short, relying on an experienced immigration lawyer will help you get valuable advice and guidance throughout the process.
The US has strict immigration laws. You know you may not have the proper papers, but you still try to enter the country through an airport or border crossing. You are caught by the officials and taken into custody. The government wants you prosecuted for illegal entry (8 USC 1325). A prosecutor charges you with misdemeanor unlawful entry on the balance of probabilities standard, which is harder to satisfy than beyond reasonable doubt and more petite than proof beyond a reasonable doubt that ordinarily applies in criminal cases.
They threaten ten years imprisonment, financial penalties of $250,000, and probation if convicted ( 8 USC 1326b ). Your family cannot afford a high-priced lawyer, so they ask for a court-appointed one; the lawyer assigned to you is not very experienced and does not know what your options are (18 USC 3006A). If you want a jury trial, it will be held in another district court where the judge thinks like a prosecutor, so you waive your right and go to the bench trial before that judge.
The judge has no choice but to find you guilty because the border patrol officer testified against you using perjured testimony of alleged eyewitnesses who said they saw you cross into Mexico without documents when all they did was talk with a Border Patrol agent who put them up to lying.
Your family has been living in the US for many years, and now they want to go back to their home country
In the earlier days, if the family had a case pending in an immigration court and couldn’t go back to their country, they could ask for a “stay of departure.” This means that the court continued the matter to give them more time to finish their case.
Considering that most immigration cases can take more than a year to be adjudicated, it is better if the case gets settled within that period. However, the USCIS can also extend your stay in the US for humanitarian reasons. For example, if you have a sick family member who needs medical attention and no one else could take care of the patient.
In some cases, you can ask for more than one stay of departure. However, suppose it’s already been granted for humanitarian reasons, and there are no other valid reasons why your family needs to stay in the US. In that case, it is not possible to extend the stay again under new circumstances.
You’re going through a divorce or custody battle with your spouse who lives outside of the US
That is entirely understandable. Any person who has had to hire attorneys before will tell you that it is not easy finding great ones for reasonable rates. For people going through such disputes, having two excellent and affordable lawyers on their side can be what puts them over the edge of getting the best results possible in their cases.
However, although this might make sense to those of us with experience in hiring lawyers, numerous men and women often get discouraged by looking for a family law attorney and an immigration lawyer to save the additional costs of hiring a second attorney. They believe that they are stuck choosing between one or the other when, in reality, that is not the case at all.
Although there are numerous benefits to hiring two separate attorneys to represent you during your injury claim or divorce, it might be difficult for some people to get into their heads why this would be such a good idea. That is why I am writing this article both as an additional resource for those who have already hired an immigration attorney and those who haven’t yet decided whether or not they want to do so.
For more information, you may ask or consult with Houston immigration lawyers.
