Immigration Attorney

[favored 31]

screw da attorney, otherwise they will screw you first!.. lol.. seriously do it urself and. then pray. VJ is gudin but I didnt even use vj or knw vj much wen i did mine. ii followed the instrutions on USCIS thats attached to da form. i did it step by step. most pple on VJ mite tell u to include names/ location

on pics, but da instructions just said to send proofs of meetin. Da only other time i feel people want attorney is cuz dey think it will be faster, dnt even wish so. Do it urself and da best help to hire is ur fiance. All you gotta do is screw her to pay up!

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I've been working for several months without a day off, and I am still very unsure about doing the paperwork myself for a K-1 Visa. I've decided to hire an Immigration Attorney. I did a Google search and found several at prices ringing from $995 to $2495. I'm not certain who to use or who to trust. They all promise results.

If anyone can make a recommendation for an attorney, send it in a PM or email me at Hangernaid@gmail.com. I know this site is not for commercial purposes and I don't want to have a thread deleted by violating any rules.

I appreciate the recommendations.

Jim

I second the motion of everyone on here so far, the ONLY way you should get an attorney is if there was something unique about your case(ban, multiple marriages to foreigners, etc)other than that, it's pretty much straight forward.

I filed my CR1 paperwork before I found this site, but even then I had no hang-ups whatsoever until the interview part(a oversight on my part). You can ask people on here for help and they will be glad to assist you, save your money and time.

Good Luck:)

[Operator 1,927]

I've been working for several months without a day off, and I am still very unsure about doing the paperwork myself for a K-1 Visa. I've decided to hire an Immigration Attorney. I did a Google search and found several at prices ringing from $995 to $2495. I'm not certain who to use or who to trust. They all promise results.

If anyone can make a recommendation for an attorney, send it in a PM or email me at Hangernaid@gmail.com. I know this site is not for commercial purposes and I don't want to have a thread deleted by violating any rules.

I appreciate the recommendations.

Jim

I think you will find the majority of the K-1 petitioners on this site chose not to use the assistance of an attorney. It's true that when someone does speak up about their lawyer its to complain how they screwed them or didn't do their job correctly and they were a waste of money. I think thats because this VJ community is kind of DIY and for me anyway wouldn't be the place I would come and proclaim what a great job my lawyer did for me.

Jim you are an adult making adult decisions for yourself. You know your situation, capabilities and schedule and we don't. If using an immigration attorney seems like the right thing for you then do it. I did my own and it cost me probably less than 20 man hours.

As far as recommendations I would contact the BBB or your local Chamber of Commerce. If you use another attorney for anything else ask them to make a recommendation.

Good luck!

[skiptex 225]

I will do it for you for $500!

[Mikedmaster 1]

I will do it for you for $500!

Do I here $400...I will do it for $499.00

[Noah Lot 391]

I've been working for several months without a day off, and I am still very unsure about doing the paperwork myself for a K-1 Visa. I've decided to hire an Immigration Attorney. I did a Google search and found several at prices ringing from $995 to $2495. I'm not certain who to use or who to trust. They all promise results.

If anyone can make a recommendation for an attorney, send it in a PM or email me at Hangernaid@gmail.com. I know this site is not for commercial purposes and I don't want to have a thread deleted by violating any rules.

I appreciate the recommendations.

Jim

All that will happen if you hire an attorney is that your wallet will be emptied...all of the forms you need to complete could be done by a 12 year old. You end up gathering up all the information; the attorney bills YOU $300 an hour to make some photocopies, draft some silly boilerplate cover letter telling USCIS that the marriage is bona fide (like his or her opinion means anything!) and bundles all of this up and applies some postage. You could buy a case of ball point pens and save a small fortune.

Immigration attorneys are like TV evangelists....they both promise something that they cannot deliver (either a front row seat in heaven or a visa) while fleecing the flock (via 'love gifts' or obscene amounts of money on an hourly basis while selling you the idea about how complex our immigration laws are....) along the way. They both use sleight of hand techniques (nonsensical logic about the relationship between donating your cash and the integrity of your faith, or about how mysterious our laws are and that only the attorney can decode those mysteries....while you pay) to relieve little old ladies of their social security checks, or hard working individuals such as yourself who mistakenly believe that they cannot fill out what are essentially 'color in the dots' forms.

Take another close look at those forms....they are easier to complete than a mortgage loan application. Save yourself a bucketload of money...do it yourself.

Attorneys have zero authority or control over the visa process, no matter what baloney they will tell (and sell) you. They will tout their success stories but neglect to mention their failures. And be on the lookout for those attorneys whose ethics are on the same level as the DC city council.....(i.e. non existent)...

Edited January 12, 2012 by Noah Lot

[skiptex 225]

Do I here $400...I will do it for $499.00

[Operator 1,927]

All that will happen if you hire an attorney is that your wallet will be emptied...all of the forms you need to complete could be done by a 12 year old. You end up gathering up all the information; the attorney bills YOU $300 an hour to make some photocopies, draft some silly boilerplate cover letter telling USCIS that the marriage is bona fide (like his or her opinion means anything!) and bundles all of this up and applies some postage. You could buy a case of ball point pens and save a small fortune.

Immigration attorneys are like TV evangelists....they both promise something that they cannot deliver (either a front row seat in heaven or a visa) while fleecing the flock (via 'love gifts' or obscene amounts of money on an hourly basis while selling you the idea about how complex our immigration laws are....) along the way. They both use sleight of hand techniques (nonsensical logic about the relationship between donating your cash and the integrity of your faith, or about how mysterious our laws are and that only the attorney can decode those mysteries....while you pay) to relieve little old ladies of their social security checks, or hard working individuals such as yourself who mistakenly believe that they cannot fill out what are essentially 'color in the dots' forms.

Take another close look at those forms....they are easier to complete than a mortgage loan application. Save yourself a bucketload of money...do it yourself.

Attorneys have zero authority or control over the visa process, no matter what baloney they will tell (and sell) you. They will tout their success stories but neglect to mention their failures. And be on the lookout for those attorneys whose ethics are on the same level as the DC city council.....(i.e. non existent)...

Just out of curiosity (no disrespect of your opinion intended) have you retained the services of an immigration attorney in the past. You have such a strong dislike of them that I would be interested to hear your story. Likely it would be good for other members to learn from your bad experience with immigration attorneys.

[Joandjo 20]

I've been working for several months without a day off, and I am still very unsure about doing the paperwork myself for a K-1 Visa. I've decided to hire an Immigration Attorney. I did a Google search and found several at prices ringing from $995 to $2495. I'm not certain who to use or who to trust. They all promise results.

If anyone can make a recommendation for an attorney, send it in a PM or email me at Hangernaid@gmail.com. I know this site is not for commercial purposes and I don't want to have a thread deleted by violating any rules.

I appreciate the recommendations.

Jim

I paid a Visa service to do the paperwork, he did all the paperwork from I129F to I131 advance parole form, he gave us the instructions, lives in the country of origin. It worked good for me and was worth the $495 I was out, I was able to afford it.

One of my VJ friends started with a service and wasn't happy at all with the communication or service he got. It sounds like we're in the same boat, I have a full time job and a secondary business.

The guy I used is in the Philippines and won't work another country. There probably is someone on this site that has this type of service available and will help you for a fee.

[Noah Lot 391]

Just out of curiosity (no disrespect of your opinion intended) have you retained the services of an immigration attorney in the past. You have such a strong dislike of them that I would be interested to hear your story. Likely it would be good for other members to learn from your bad experience with immigration attorneys.

I had a couple of years as a para legal for one, and after discovering the kind of methods and techniques this clown used to (a) fleece clients and (b) violate numerous laws, I left to pursue a different occupation. This individual was not alone....there are no shortage of ethically challenged immigration attorneys out there, circling around like sharks, ready, able and willing to say and do anything for money, while claiming to be engaged in some noble calling. they will sell out American workers for $300 an hour, and many have a Rolodex chock full of 'marriage for money' future brides (usually a bevy of desperate people who need the cash) or employers who will make phony job offers that can be turned into H1b visa applications....so caveat emptor.

[BlueBonnet 84]

I didnt use an attorney and I think most people here didnt either, what I found most helpful was the user guides, but also the sample forms. Just d/l the sample forms and change the information they have inputted there to your own. It really does make life so simple, and honestly its exactly what your lawyer will make you do anyways.

I consulted a lawyer before we started too, and they said that it would be around 4k but that they would buy all the forms for me. I thought, Oh wow, thats awesome, until I found out all the forms were free to begin with.

Between the air flights, hotel bills, phone bills, gifts, immunizations, visa fees, consulate fees, why would anyone want to add in lawyer fees ?

Ive also seen alot of ads where the company promises faster service or guaranteed results, this is a blatant lie. No one petitioner nor lawyer can speed up the process and no visa is ever guaranteed.

[eebee 0]

As someone who is currently working with, and being delayed by, an attorney, I agree wholeheartedly with everything that everyone here has said! You will end up doing the majority of the work gathering your information. If you are at all interested in getting things done quickly, you will also need to spend the time to research and inform yourself on the process anyway in order to keep on top of the attorney. Better just to do it yourself. I'm regretting hiring a lawyer and I wish that we had done some research first and not been intimidated by the process.

[AMP 54]

I agree you should do this yourself it is really not that hard. All a lawyer will do is fill out the paper work for you. You will still have to provide the evidance and do the leg work.

That beening said we do hire a lawyer to get my wifes Russian Crimnal Record, since they wanted a record for all countires lived in after the age of 17. She was born in Barabazhon, and moved to Israel in 2000.

I suggest you list out what you have done on the forum and people will let you know what is missing. Take you time and know that we are here to HELP.

Best of Luck.

[Sirdaniel42 86]

Follow all the guides here on VJ, there are also a lot of friendly people here that are more then willing to help you

You can do this your self, finding this forum was 50% of the work!!!!!!

[pereira=delgado 0]

I agree with everyone else. If possible do it yourself. Had I known what I know now I would have done it myself too. I hired an attorney thinking it was playing safe when it came to my application because I wanted everything to be perfect turns out he held my apllication and all proof I turned the same day I filed for 7 weeks before mailing it in and at that he mailed it to the WRONG LOCATION/ADDRESS!! He then would not return my calls or messages I felt like a complete paparazzi stalking him down for answers. At that he had to resubmitt my application correctly to USCIS on October.....I came to his office in early July. He wouldnt give me any answers I found out about the application wrongfully being submitted after calling, emailing and even writing a personal letter to USCIS!! It was crazy all this and I paid for a complete back up. I was extremely upset. I think you should take everyone's advice and do it yourself. That was you can assure things get done correctly! ;-)