When to Hire Immigration Lawyer for Your Green Card?

Many people around the world dream about obtaining a Green Card for the United States and living their lives happily, but unfortunately it is not easy to obtain the coveted Green card. In this article we are going to give you lots of useful information so you know when to hire a marriage immigration lawyer and quickly start applying for your Green card without paying high immigration lawyer fees.

First, you want to know there are different ways to obtain the Green card and you want to make sure you apply for the Green card correctly otherwise you can run into problems and possibly even get banned from the U.S. When hiring a green card lawyer, you want to hire a lawyer that specializes in the type of Green card application you want to do.

You should consider hiring a Green Card Immigration Lawyer to assist you, but before you hire one you should know the answers to these questions:

Is there a difference between a green card lawyer and a marriage immigration lawyer?

1. How much does an immigration lawyer cost?
2. Do you need an immigration lawyer?
3. Lets answer these questions for you, so you can get started with you green card application.

Difference between a Green Card Lawyer and a Marriage Immigration Lawyer

There are different ways of obtaining a green card. You can obtain it through marriage, by employment (work) sponsorship, changing your status from one visa to the permanent resident (green card) visa or even winning the Green card lottery (Diversity visa).

Most lawyers are able to complete the Green card by marriage application. Not all lawyers are able to do the Employment Based Green Card as it is more complicated and requires numerous steps and a lot of supporting documentations.

What Questions to Ask Your Marriage Immigration Lawyer Before Hiring Them

If you require a marriage immigration lawyer, ask them the following questions:

Are you recognized by the American Bar Association?

1. What is your Bar number
   
2. What State did you obtain the Bar# from?
3. Is you Bar # active and valid?
4. Have you ever been suspended from the Bar? Why?
5. How many marriage immigration cases do you do each month?
6. Do you have paralegals working for you? How many
   
7. What is your Office address?
8. Once you obtain this information you will know if they are a good marriage immigration lawyer.

 Verify their Bar# at the American Bar Association website (https://www.americanbar.org/) or at the specific State Bar Association website. Verify the marriage immigration lawyer is in good standing, has always been active and never been suspended. Make sure they have an office, even if you never visit them – you want someone that is established.

What a Marriage Immigration Lawyer Costs

If you are nervous or worried that marriage immigration lawyer fees are very high, you are not alone. However, this is not always true and after reading this article you will know how to hire a green card immigration lawyer that meets your budget and you can afford them.

Immigration lawyer fees can range from $1000 USD to $20,000 USD or more depending on the type of Green card lawyer you are looking for. If your lawyer belongs to a very large law firm with lots of lawyers and big offices in different cities, they will be charging more, they probably also give a lot of personal attention. If you can afford this, then you may consider hiring them.

Most Marriage immigration lawyer cost between $1200 and $5000 USD depending on how many people (wife, kids) require the Green card. Independent lawyers who own their office, are the owner and main lawyer usually charge less. What really makes a cost difference between a $1200 lawyer vs a $5000 lawyer is how many cases they are handling each month. Some marriage immigration lawyers provide a little less personal service, have more paralegals helping them and they try to do more cases by lowering the prices to help many who cannot otherwise afford the high immigration lawyer fees.

The most important thing you should remember is to verify this is a good lawyer, make sure you feel very comfortable with them and you trust them. Price might be important to you, but what is more important is they will help you obtain your Green card.

Do You Need to Hire a Marriage Immigration Lawyer?

Many people do not know this and it is very important to know. You do not have to hire a marriage immigration lawyer or a green card immigration lawyer to complete your application. USCIS (US immigration) does not make it mandatory that you hire a lawyer. Many people attempt to complete their own application, but what happens is that Green card applications can get complicated very quickly. So, before you make a decision of whether to hire a green card immigration lawyer or not, know what can go wrong and then make an informed decision.

Know What Can Go Wrong With Your Green Card Application

You can complete the marriage green card application yourself, but there a lot of complications and issues to deal with that can give you a lot of stress, put a strain on your relationship and cause possible problems with your Green card. If you are very confident you can do this application yourself, that is great!

Read the possible issues you may have to deal with. Ensure you are comfortable handling them if a problem arises.

Issue 1: Do You Know If You Qualify?

This is one of the most important items to be sure about. If you are sure you qualify this is good.

We suggest whether you are sure or not sure, you should speak to a green card lawyer and verify you qualify. You can speak to an immigration lawyer with a quick consultation and have an answer. This will allow you to move forward with your application confidently.

You can also start by clicking here and taking this free Marriage Visa Qualification Quiz.

It is not guaranteed but can at least get you started.

Next email us at support@tnvisaexpert.com. to setup a consultation if you want to speak to a lawyer. If you have a lawyer you can speak to call them and discuss this.

Issue 2: Do You Have Any Red Flags?

What are Red flags? Red flags are possible problem areas that can arise due to your situation. This can include arrests, DUIs, drug issues, diseases, medical conditions, divorces, having kids as dependents and many more.

Before you start your green card application, always make sure you know whether you have Red flags or not. Again, when you have your consultation with a marriage immigration lawyer, they will help you identify if your situation has any red flags and what extra documentation you will need to complete for application to still be successful.

Issue 3: Missing Information in Your Application

This is a very common problem and results in denials or your application being returned with a Request for Evidence (RFE) from US immigration. The Green card application requires multiple forms, cover letters, supporting documents and sometimes amendments. The forms also need to be completed correctly and any mistakes will result in problems. A lawyer or paralegal who has experience with green card applications will be able to help you with this.

For example, there are additional forms which you can submit at no cost to get you work authorization and other benefits. If you do not know about these forms, you will lose out on many benefits while waiting for your application to be approved.

Issue 4: Is Your Application Organized to Look Nice?

Unless you complete a lot of marriage visa applications, you may not even be aware of this problem. No one talks about it, but most lawyers know this. When you send your application via mail to the USCIS office, how it looks and how it is organized can determine how quickly your green card application is approved.

If you do not believe it, imagine a Case Officer who must review 5-10 green card applications each day. If they come to their desk and open an application that is unorganized and messy. Then there is another application that is nicely organized, in a particular order with a proper cover letter, etc — which application do you think they are tempted to start with. This is just human nature but we know this is how it works. So knowing how to do this, makes a difference.

Issue 5: Not Responding to an RFE correctly?

If you receive an RFE and you do not complete it correctly, this can cause your application to be rejected. When this arrives in the mail it can get you very stressed and worried since USCIS has found something wrong with your application.

When to Do the Application Yourself

These are all possible problems you want to avoid. If you are confident and know you can handle all the issues listed above, do the application yourself.

When to Hire a Green Card Lawyer

If you are unsure about any of the issues above, at the very least talk to an expert immigration lawyer. Find out if you have any red flags.

Once you’ve spoken to them, you will know whether you want to hire them or do the application yourself. Also, if you are applying for an employment based green card (your employer is sponsoring you) then you should hire a lawyer.

Protect yourself, proceed with all the information you need to be successful.

How to Find a Green Card Lawyer

There are many ways to find an immigration lawyer. What is really important is you know they are recommended and have good references. Always try to use a lawyer from the US since if you have a problem they are regulated by the Bar and have codes of conduct. Many lawyers in foreign countries are known to be fraudulent or not familiar with US immigration application procedures.

Use Yelp and look at their experience and rating.

You can also email us and we can provide you lawyer we work with who have helped thousands of people with their questions and application.

Your Success is Important

Finally, you should do what you feel is right. No one can make this decision for you. We just want you to know all the risks and then make an informed decision. We suggest you do not attempt to take the low cost route and save a few dollars only to have problems later. Remember, this is for the rest of you and your spouse’s life. If you spend $1000 to $2000 to have your application completed and you look at this over the next 20 years, then this really cost you less than $10/month.

Wish you all the best. If you have any questions, please email us at support@tnvisaexpert.com.