Need advice on my issue. Please help

[tomigaoka 8]

Hello guys,

I need some help. I was working illegally before for 6 years with this AGENCY. I was on a tourist visa and they help me land a job.

I signed up a contract with them for two years from 2010 - 2012. They tried to convert my visa to WORKING VISA but got DENIED and that was

2011. Still i continue to work on their client without any papers from 2011 - 2016. Our client or any other agency involve in the chain don't know

anything about this. Just me and my AGENCY

Now years passed by and I got married. I got my conditional green card now and decided to get out of my agency and directly work with AGENCY A

which is directly to client. Since i got my papers and for me to have something to reason out, i told MY AGENCY that im sick and need to stop

working for them. But what truly I did is to start something new, so I went directly to AGENCY A and provide all the LEGAL WORKING

AUTHORIZATION PAPERS so that I can have a better salary which i deserve instead of AGENCY A , B and MY AGENCY chopping of my salary

and the leftover is given to me for all those YEARS. At the same time, i cant work on my adjustment of status while still working with my AGENCY so

i get rid of them. I have no contract with them or BOND or anything.

Now heres the problem, i dont know how come my AGENCY find out that im still with the CLIENT. This OLD AGENCY of mine called me

and told me to pay him 15K DOLLARS or else he will sue me. Im thinking, how come he wants me to pay this amount of money, my contract

with them expired since 2012, they were not able to fixed my VISA status at all since it was DENIED, so in short all those years before

I got my GC, were just using one another. He helped me to land a job and he got a percentage of my salary all of this before when i was a TOURIST

VISA. Like i said, MY AGENCY only knows that ive got married but he has no idea that im legally able to work now

I need advice, what kind of lawyers do i need to handle this kind of issue to me.

MY AGENCY -> AGENCY B -> AGENCY A -> CLEINT

[Unlockable 7,316]

So he took advantage of you while you were working illegal? And what was the lesson learned?

Why not name these AGENCIES that are knowing helping people work illegally? Why help them continue under anonymity?

Edited November 1, 2016 by NuestraUnion

[Merrytooth 5,748]

Maybe the agency has a clause in the contract to prevent contractor employee from working for the clients directly for xx period after termination.

[Boiler 46,277]

Report them to ICE, that could get VERY expensive for them.

[Merrytooth 5,748]

Report them to ICE, that could get VERY expensive for them.

I like your strategy here -> "remove the bridge after crossing the river"

[tomigaoka 8]

Hello guys, i need some very formal advice.

I think they are trying to threaten me especially what they still know is that i'm illegally working with the client.

Anyway, im glad you guys somehow understand my issue.

[KierenHby 899]

Oh I love America.

Come to the US, break our laws, overstay, work illegally, and when in trouble, run for lawyers.

God bless America!!

[f f 725]

report the the agencies. might get a whistle blower reward.

Edited November 2, 2016 by f f

[f f 725]

just a quick question did you mention to immigration that you were illegally working? did you pay taxes on that income? cause as soon as this hits the courts it becomes public record and anyone including immigration has access to it. so I hope you were honest with immigration about working illegally since the g325a and i130 both have places that ask about your employment and hiding that not so little detail is fraud. well your fraud for the g325a and your usc's for the i130.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

Oh I love America.

Come to the US, break our laws, overstay, work illegally, and when in trouble, run for lawyers.

God bless America!!

Is it really unique to America?

**This is rhetorical. Of course it's not just something that happens in the US. There are careers for criminal and immigration lawyers in plenty of countries.

Edited November 2, 2016 by MorganandMichael

[tomigaoka 8]

just a quick question did you mention to immigration that you were illegally working? did you pay taxes on that income? cause as soon as this hits the courts it becomes public record and anyone including immigration has access to it. so I hope you were honest with immigration about working illegally since the g325a and i130 both have places that ask about your employment and hiding that not so little detail is fraud. well your fraud for the g325a and your usc's for the i130.

Hello,

YES i told them about this. In papers and interview. I even gave them the company and even show them my bank account to show that they

are depositing money. I told them i dont have paystub or w2 or even taxes since everything is under the table. But I paid my back taxes on my

own and I submitted everything. I went through all those interviews and we passed it. That's why i immediately get rid of this agency while in the

process of AOS I didnt hide anything from them. Now i work legally and my AGENCY dont know that i have gone through all this immigration

process, i get rid of them and work straight to their client (maybe that is my mistake here but i can resign anytime). Now hes threatening me. I think il

be fine, since everything about me and them are all illegal that time. Now i move on. Lets see if they will bring me to court exposing themselves that

they hire me ILLEGALLY. What u think?

Edited November 2, 2016 by tomigaoka

[Eric-Pris 1,607]

Now i work legally and my AGENCY dont know that i have gone through all this immigration process.

Maybe they think you are still working illegally, and this is some kind of blackmail/extortion attempt. I would let them know that you are legal now and call their bluff.

What I don't get is why you lied to them when you quit. Why tell them that you were sick? Why give a reason at all? You don't have to tell an employer why you are quitting. If they press you, say "I'm quitting for personal reasons".

[f f 725]

if I am reading his job progression correctly it look like he was with agency A working at company Z then switched to agency B and still worked at company Z.

Then you may have run afoul of Agency A's employment contract, which may have hidden in there some clause saying you will not leave them and work directly or indirectly for company Z for a set amount of time unless they give their approval. and the approval is usually given if a fee is paid by the company.

I worked for a big company through an agency and they had one of those clauses buried in the contract.

I would ask the agency on what grounds they are asking for the money and to send you copies of any relevant documents. since if it is a shake down you can easily see if they have a legal leg to stand on.

kudos for coming clean to immigration though

[Cathi 5,795]

Sounds like the agency had a non-compete clause and you broke that clause by working for a competing agency. This in NOT an immigration issue, this isn't something anyone here can help you with, this is not a DIY case. You need a lawyer and not and immigration lawyer..

PS: you are not going to get much sympathy from people here as you came here and worked illegally for a very, very long time. Especially because most members here chose to do things legally so don't be surprised at some of the comments being made. Good luck.

[Rc123rc 528]

Tell them you are seeking legal counsel to send you the documents proving why you owe them $15K. Don't say anything else to them. Make sure your signature is on the documents and not some generic document that someone might put together just to screw you over. Sounds like extortion. A lawyer is going to ask for the same documents anyway.