Lawyer

[roscove 0]

Hello,

Can anyone in the Los Angeles area recommend an immigration lawyer they have used for their citizenship application? I have some complications that I need advice on.

Thanks.

Dave

[Aussielad 37]

what type of complications are they? they might not be that serious and just general questions that might be able to be answered here.

[NickD 202]

Do not feel it's necessary with an immigration attorney to find a guy next door, I live in central WI and found a good firm in Cincinnati. But I really hate to recommend a doctor or an attorney to anyone, while they may have served me well, did a terrible job with my friends or relatives. This firm just happened to be the firm that handled all the immigration services for the American base company my wife was working for, and she already met their attorney's in the past. They gave us excellent service at an extremely reasonable fee. But may not well happen with an outsider.

One sign of an attorney is to walk away, matter of fact, run, if he wants you to sign a contract even before he knows what your case is about. A good attorney will quote you a flat fee if he really understands your case, I do not even pay attention to the hourly rate. There are literally thousands of immigration attorney's that can be found on the internet or in your yellow pages, but I feel that finding a good attorney is tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack. A really great attorney is one that says, you don't even need an attorney, all you have to do is this or that.

[chapmart 0]

One tip, if you need a lawyer, find out who will be handling your case. In many law offices, you may initially meet with a lawyer, but that lawyer turns the case over to a "baby lawyer" without you knowing it. In many cases it works out fine, but I believe a client needs to know upfront and should be able to contact the lawyer they hire, if they should feel the need. Find this out before you sign anything. Also, the previous post was correct about signing a contract only after they know the details of your case.

If you have done things legally, you don't need a lawyer to get through this process. Visa Journey has a wealth of info to help you out. However, if you have made poor choices in the past, you may need a lawyer to deal with the consequences. Also, you said you need advise, his advise won't be free, but he should tell you what you can do on your own verses what he can do if you hire him.

Good luck.

[roscove 0]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies. Since you asked here is my situation. I am basically confused about the amount of days outside the US questions and trips taken. Here is why.

I am applying for my citizenship based on receiving my green card based on marriage to my US citizen wife. We were living in Germany during the time we received my green card and then moved to the US. However, prior to moving to Germany we were living in the US. I was living there on an L1 visa (inter company transfer visa). So I have lived in the US in the past five years twice with a year and a half in between in Germany. Further, we got married while I was in Germany and my wife was still in the US so while initially living in Germany I traveled back to the US a few times on business trips and also to get married.

so even though I am applying using the three year rule the question asks for five years of travel and days outside the US information and I have no idea what to answer since I lived there for some of it and should I include those times or what. To be a bit more clear here is my time line.

1998 to May 2004. Lived in the US on an L1 visa

May 2004. Moved to Germany

Traveled to US in October 2004 and got married to my now wife. She traveled back to Germany with me.

October 2005: Moved back to USA on my approved CR-1 visa.

Now applying for my citizenship.

I have seen different opinions on this site about how to answer questions on the 3 year versus 5 year travel information so that is why I do not know how to answer based on the above time lines.

Note, I have done the entire process so far without a lawyer and would be happy to continue but am not sure how.

Thanks,

Dave

[mooninlove 1]

Hello,

Can anyone in the Los Angeles area recommend an immigration lawyer they have used for their citizenship application? I have some complications that I need advice on.

Thanks.

Dave

You can visit this website:www.kaflaw.com, I used their services although I am not promoting them at all.You can ask them immigration questions for free. Although I would prefer applying without an attorney. Check your passport and list down all the dates you mentioned.Are you currently in the US? It seems like from the 5yrs point, you were out for 1yr & 5 months and the 3yrs 7 months were US residency based on the May 2004 marriage in the US...Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Hello,

Can anyone in the Los Angeles area recommend an immigration lawyer they have used for their citizenship application? I have some complications that I need advice on.

Thanks.

Dave

Didn't actually use his services, but Ron Gotcher (of Sherman Oaks) is generally considered excellent.

Gotcher Law

Also, Discussion Forum, Immigration-Information

[flavaofsummer 0]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies. Since you asked here is my situation. I am basically confused about the amount of days outside the US questions and trips taken. Here is why.

I am applying for my citizenship based on receiving my green card based on marriage to my US citizen wife. We were living in Germany during the time we received my green card and then moved to the US. However, prior to moving to Germany we were living in the US. I was living there on an L1 visa (inter company transfer visa). So I have lived in the US in the past five years twice with a year and a half in between in Germany. Further, we got married while I was in Germany and my wife was still in the US so while initially living in Germany I traveled back to the US a few times on business trips and also to get married.

so even though I am applying using the three year rule the question asks for five years of travel and days outside the US information and I have no idea what to answer since I lived there for some of it and should I include those times or what. To be a bit more clear here is my time line.

1998 to May 2004. Lived in the US on an L1 visa

May 2004. Moved to Germany

Traveled to US in October 2004 and got married to my now wife. She traveled back to Germany with me.

October 2005: Moved back to USA on my approved CR-1 visa.

Now applying for my citizenship.

I have seen different opinions on this site about how to answer questions on the 3 year versus 5 year travel information so that is why I do not know how to answer based on the above time lines.

Note, I have done the entire process so far without a lawyer and would be happy to continue but am not sure how.

Thanks,

Dave

hello u dont need a lawyer do it urself whats a lawyer gona do for u? fill out an easy application and charge u a grand, what advice is he gona give u that u cant take from some one else. lawyers dont do crapo and they always give u the wrong advice or make simple things sound complex so u pay them. i have taken trips outside the usa many times and long ones..at the interview ur on ur own no lawyer can do anything for u its the IO who will say yes or no so 4get the lawyer rest up to u.

[kmineo 0]

I would agree that you don't need a lawyer for this situtaion. People on here have put both there time outside the states for just the three years and also for the 5 years. Obviously the ones who put there time for the 5 years, sometimes exceed the allowable amount. I am not sure how closely they look at this number but you can always include and explanation of it. I think what they are really looking at is Part 7c (the trips you made after you got your GC). Either way I would just submit with your application the additional information. But I am not a lawyer but I think it would be a waste of money in this instance to go to one. Plus typically from what I have heard if they have questions that need to be cleared up the (usually not always) ask for additional information.

Good luck