Getting a visa to come to the U.S. either on a temporary or permanent basis is a monumental task made harder only by the sheer number of foreigners who want to do the same thing. The situation is no different for those already in the United States and has no legal status or their status has expired but wish to get one. Navigating the legal process by which one can get a visa or regularize their status if in the U.S. already requires an experienced and best immigration attorney if you are in the Chicago area.
U.S. immigration law is complex, and not every lawyer is conversant with all of it, and this is true even among those who practice in this area of law. The law is also factually driven, meaning, even a slight presence or absence of a tiny fact can make the difference between approval and denying of a case between two otherwise similarly situated individuals.
For this reason, having a complete and total understanding of the client’s immigration situation is the only way to ensure all options can be explored to meet the client’s objectives. This means the first thing a good immigration lawyer will do after you contact them is to have a thorough intake session, usually during your initial consultation. The lawyer will ask questions and collect information and documents that make your complete file before giving you options to be pursued based on that information and documentation.
Once the lawyer has all the pertinent information and requested documents, they will prepare an application package for you that will be filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). There are a myriad of these application forms, so the lawyer will identify the correct application form that will need to be filed, have it accurately and correctly completed and signed by you.
It may seem on its face not that a complicated thing to do just to complete and file an application form, but many are wrongly completed and are rejected for that reason alone. A rejected application must be re-submitted, and this will cause unnecessary delays that can set you back months when the same could have been avoided by having an experienced lawyer make sure the correct application form has been filed and correctly so.
A good immigration lawyer will also present your application package in such a manner that the immigration officer reviewing your file finds it easy to understand exactly what you are asking for and why he or she should approve the application or petition without more.
After your application is submitted, you may be called to go to an immigration office for an interview. Should that be the case, your immigration lawyer will have you prepared by going over the application or petition you have filed and make sure you fully understand what to expect at the interview and are prepared to answer the questions you may be asked there.
For more information or if you are in the Chicago area and need to talk to an immigration lawyer, contact Minsky, McCormick & Hallagan, P.C. today and request a consultation.