If you want to move to the United States to work, live or to be with your family, most U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) services, processes and applications can be completed online or in-person by the applicant themselves, without the help of an immigration attorney. It is not required that you hire an immigration lawyer for most routine procedures. However, immigration law is complicated, confusing and – especially now – changing rapidly. The advice and guidance of an experienced immigration lawyer can save you time, money and stress – and make the difference in whether your application is approved or denied.
According to the New York Times,
“Since 2005 in New York, 87 percent of unaccompanied children without a lawyer were deported, while only 24 percent of children with lawyers were.”
There are many reasons to hire an experienced immigration lawyer for both routine immigration procedures as well as complicated issues such as deportation or ICE cases.
1. Immigration Lawyers Have the Experience to Spot Problems Before They Happen
Choosing an immigration lawyer isn’t just hiring someone to represent your case – you’re hiring someone who brings years of experience in all types of different immigration situations. Their experience means that they can identify a potential problem before it happens, and suggest alternative options that strengthen your case.
2. Save Time and Money
Immigration cases have strict deadlines and are time-sensitive. A good immigration lawyer can see problems in your case, your documentation or your application that you can easily miss. A mistake can cost you time and money – and can delay or prevent receiving a work permit, Green Card, change in status, or other “routine” immigration application.
3. Insider Knowledge of the System
An experienced immigration attorney has gone through the process multiple times and knows how to track the status of your petition when it is submitted to USCIS. A skilled immigration attorney will know how to quickly respond if the government asks for requests for additional information.
4. Protect Your Rights
An experienced immigration attorney understands and knows how to protect your legal rights. The United States law our society provides everyone with dignity, safety, the protection of human rights. Regardless of your current immigration status, you have the right to be protected from abuse, exploitation, or crimes.
5. Little Known Programs and Benefits
Some immigration programs are not well-known. You may not be aware that you are eligible for some programs or benefit. An experienced immigration lawyer will be familiar with all these programs.
United States immigration laws can be extraordinarily complicated. A small mistake in a visa application can lead to years of delays or even outright denials and deportation. With numerous immigration policies, procedures, and regulations in place, navigating the intricacies of the law can be confusing, frustrating, and time-consuming. An experienced immigration lawyer can make the difference between your application being denied or approved. Contact Godoy Law Office, our skilled immigration lawyers in Chicago, Lombard and Oak Brook can answer any questions about immigration and guide you through every step of the process.
Immigration Attorney Mario Godoy has years of experience guiding clients with immigration issues through the immigration process along with guiding clients through the criminal case. Godoy focuses on family-based immigration law, business immigration law, removal defense, and criminal defense representation of immigrants. A criminal charge or conviction can be devastating to your immigration case. With over a decade of immigration law experience and memories of family members who were deported due to bad legal advice, Godoy is committed to helping other immigrant families receive the legal justice they deserve. As a legal entrepreneur who practices immigration law, criminal law, estate and probate law, and running two successful law firms, Mario Godoy understands the importance of keeping families together and making a home and future in America.
