Lawyer VS Visa Journey

[DHEL_IR1 3]

I LOVE VISA JOURNEY I LEARNED A LOT MORE HERE IN VJ... LAWYER IS WASTE OF MONEY... MY HUBBY WAS GOT A LAWYER 2 TIMES THEN, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED SO WE STOPED OUR PAPERWORK FOR A WHILE... AND NOW WE DO IT FOR OURSELVES.....

VISA JOURNEY IS A BIG HELP INFO....

[mugumogu 18]

thanks for all your advice. i never received a call back from my attorney who quoted me. so im going on this one solo. ill start my timeline once i submit my k1 application to keep all posted.

When I first started this process, I felt uncomfortable doing it myself and called a couple of lawyers. I had a consultation with one for $130.00. It was completely worthless. Someone recommended an immigration consultant to me, which is someone who helps you with the process, but isn't a lawyer. She was helpful and charged only $50.00 per visit. Visa Journey is a good consultant too though. You don't need a lawyer.

Edited October 18, 2011 by mugumogu

[jkelly07 120]

you can do it yourself, read the guides over and over, look at the example forms you need,you can get the forms uscis download or vj some things you don't know ask a vj member for help with your answers.the lawyer ask you for your information then fills the forms at a big fee, you can do that yourself a printer,good luck what ever you decide.

[iwuvcheshert 6]

we did our processes by ourselves, no lawyers in between, so far with vj aid, we are on the right track.... better do it yourself, a lot of money will be involved if you would get a lawyer

[dirtsquirter 7]

I used a visa service, it cost me about 400 bucks, and my NOA2 was back in 30 days, don't know if it was because of them, but they only specialize in filling up forms the way the USCIS wants to see them, so no RFE's, just smooth sailing. Of course, I have had a few setbacks since then, but it's from waiting for things like police clearance and missing a date on the DS-230, also my own fault for not sending in a I-864 and an I-864A, so it is slowing me down a little, but again, through no fault but my own. It's totally up to the Petitioner - How valuable is your time? Do you mind waiting months for something that could have taken weeks? I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't care, I am with my wife here in Philippines and I still want it done ASAP. If I had to do it again I would do it the same way, the money isn't that important, waiting around for 90 days only to find out your missing something or didn't cross a "t", or dot an "i" just plain sucks in my opinion...

[Mochamich 7]

thanks for all your advice. i never received a call back from my attorney who quoted me. so im going on this one solo. ill start my timeline once i submit my k1 application to keep all posted.

Good luck with the application. But I'm sure you'll receive your first NOA1 without a problem. You are in great company.

[Barbara J 115]

No Lawyer we did it o our own and I never had VJ either did it all myself and just got mu USC to sign and provide the documents needed lol We were approved 3 months so you can do it and if you get stuck on something you come here and ask Good luck.

[Casprd 167]

We used an attorney in China for ours. cost was more than reasonable and he was a great help and security blanket. If you do go with an attorney, that doesn't mean you can disengage from the process. I think that is where most people with attorneys get in trouble. Remember it is YOUR petition. Use the attorney to double check things and help understand the process (ours helped us avoid some pitfalls and delays).

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

The answer to this question is going to be different for each individual case, and you can't possibly know how to answer the question for your own case unless you spend the time to do the research. Generally, if your case has no red flags, and you're not dealing with a difficult consulate, then you can do this yourself without any assistance or advice from a lawyer. But how will you know if your case has any red flags? How will you know if you're dealing with a difficult consulate? You won't unless you've done the research. The VJ guides alone aren't going to answer these questions for you. The guides only cover how to complete the bureaucratic process, but they don't cover the discretionary factors that could sink your ship. There's just too many of them, and a lot of them are unique to each particular consulate.

When you first come to this site, an immigration attorney will have three major advantages over you. First, they'll know the immigration laws that apply to your case. Second, they'll know which discretionary factors may or may not be a problem for you based on his/her experience with previous cases. Third, they'll be authorized to represent clients at legal proceedings. There's nothing you can do about this third factor, short of becoming an immigration lawyer yourself. However, you can become proficient enough in the first two areas to be able to maximize your chances of success on your own, but only if you're willing to spend the time and do the research.

Rebecca's advise is sound. It never hurts to at least consult with a lawyer, especially if the lawyer has experience with the consulate you'll be dealing with. Even if the lawyer only confirms that you're doing it right it will still be money well spent.

[ayomide1 5]

Unless you have a complicated case..I will advice you to stick to VJ....Its better than most lawyer around

[World Traveller 4]

i want to make sure i do everything right, but have found most of my info here on visa journey.com.

i consulted a laywer and he will charge 600+340 to pay us application fee. thats allot of money.

has anyone done this k1 application by themselves?

if you used an attorney any recomendations on one?

Hi,

I guess you should be find with VJ if you do thorough research here on VJ. I have a lawyer (for me it was through my employer, so i do not have to pay a dime). My lawyer did not add much value to what I already got from VJ. if you have as unusual case, then you might take an advice from lawyer. But, again. you should find most of those scenarios here on VJ. Good Luck with your journey.

[Brit Abroad 166]

Spend some time on the forums, reading the sorts of problems that crop up in other people's applications.

There are some obvious problems that require waivers and there are some personal histories that really need a GOOD lawyer to get through the immigration process.

Basically, only YOU and your fiance/e know the circumstances involved in your case. Go to USCIS.gov and download ALL the forms that you would use in your process (from fiance visa right the way through to citizenship) and see how easily you can answer each of the questions, and provide evidence to support them.

If there is anything you have difficulty answering, ask questions here and, if you don't get an answer that sits well with you morally, go see a lawyer.

There are some wonderful and knowledgeable people on VJ, but they can only work with the degree of information you are prepared to share. Most people don't give the whole story, so they don't get the BEST advice available.

If you have a simple case with no arrest history, no drug history, no children or divorces involved, then you'll probably find it is something that you can happily do for yourself. However, each country has different issues that cause "red flags", so make sure you visit the regional forum based on your fiance/e's location.

[jken 2]

Visa Journey! We did the application wwith the help of all the great folks here - you can do it too! Ask when not sure for help and readdddddddddddd; reading all the threads here will make it more managable and finding friends will go a long way too here good luck

[Joandjo 20]

i want to make sure i do everything right, but have found most of my info here on visa journey.com.

i consulted a laywer and he will charge 600+340 to pay us application fee. thats allot of money.

has anyone done this k1 application by themselves?

if you used an attorney any recomendations on one?

I would never advise someone against using an attorney for anything if they can afford it. We used someone who has alot of experience with this process and was also a family friend of my fiance (in fact we met through him). I come here often and have met like minded couples through this process.

We consciously didn't choose to use an attorney.

[Michael Ruffin 1]

I suggest you do it yourself. I contacted a lawyer and they want $900. There are guides in Visa Journey.com that will guide you through K1/K2 visa process. That's what I used. If suggest you keep a record of all chat or communication available. I suggest you fill out the documents yourself. They are PDF files so you can fill them in online. Make about 4-6 copys of each documents need for your petition and you sign them. Keep 2-3 for yourself and UPS the documents to your fiance for her to sign. Have her keep 2 copies and sign back the rest to you. On the cover letter and declarataion letter of marriage. Make sure she signs and date it send back a 2 copies and then goto a notary public to get the papers notorized! I put the link below that gives detail steps on how to begin. I found it very helpful. I hope it helps. If you have any questions feel free to ask away.

Sincerely,

Michael

http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1faq.htm