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Does hiring an immigration attorney actually speed up the green card process?

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  • Does hiring an immigration attorney actually speed up the green card process?

    Hi everyone,
    So as the title says, Im wondering if hiring an immigration attorney would make things go faster with my green card since I've wasted enough time due to various reasons (married last year). Also, those of you who did hire an immigration attorney, how was your experience? About how much did it cost and was it worth it in your opinion?
    Any information/opinion will be greatly appreciated!
    PS: I was on student visa so it's gonna be I485 + I130 for me
    AOS from F1, spouse of USC - Seattle, WA
    I-485 + I-130 + I-765
    10/20/2018: packet sent
    10/24/2018: PD
    10/31/2018: 3 texts received
    11/05/2018: 3 NOAs received
    11/14/2018: bio appt letter received
    11/21/2018: Bio appt
    12/05/2018: Fingerprint review completed
    03/05/2019: RFIE for I-130
    03/14/2019: RFIE received by USCIS
    03/29/2019: Case ready to be scheduled for interview
    04/02/2019: got I-693
    06/04/2019: EAD card being produced

  • #2
    No. Its not going to speed up. It would still be same time except, you don't fill the 130, 485 applications. That will be filled by someone at law office and you will be paying what they ask of you. Onus is still on you to gather all the supporting documents/evidence.

    If your spouse is citizen , you should get your GC pretty soon. Good luck.

    Comment


    • #3
      It doesn't but it help you make sure all of your paperwork is fine

      Originally posted by nana.p View Post
      Hi everyone,
      So as the title says, Im wondering if hiring an immigration attorney would make things go faster with my green card since I've wasted enough time due to various reasons (married last year). Also, those of you who did hire an immigration attorney, how was your experience? About how much did it cost and was it worth it in your opinion?
      Any information/opinion will be greatly appreciated!
      PS: I was on student visa so it's gonna be I485 + I130 for me

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by nana.p View Post
        Hi everyone,
        So as the title says, Im wondering if hiring an immigration attorney would make things go faster with my green card since I've wasted enough time due to various reasons (married last year). Also, those of you who did hire an immigration attorney, how was your experience? About how much did it cost and was it worth it in your opinion?
        Any information/opinion will be greatly appreciated!
        PS: I was on student visa so it's gonna be I485 + I130 for me
        No it does not speed up the process, in fact if you select the wrong immigration attorney it can in fact slow things down even more cause they have no clue what they're doing and send in the wrong forms or delay sending forms in so that they can charge you more. you're better off just filing yourself via your spouse.
        This is strictly an opinion and should not be misconstrued as legal advice. The use of this information is strictly at your own risk.

        -Krypton9591

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by nana.p View Post
          Hi everyone,
          So as the title says, Im wondering if hiring an immigration attorney would make things go faster with my green card since I've wasted enough time due to various reasons (married last year). Also, those of you who did hire an immigration attorney, how was your experience? About how much did it cost and was it worth it in your opinion?
          Any information/opinion will be greatly appreciated!
          PS: I was on student visa so it's gonna be I485 + I130 for me

          krypton9591 said it all! some lawyers can really put you in a mess, however it is advisable to hire a lawyer if you know nothing about this process or are not willing to research, i filed in myself,my application was received by CHICAGO LOCKBOX on june 1 and less than 50 days it was ready to be schedule for interview, everybody has a different case based on evidence available, good luck

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by nana.p View Post
            Hi everyone,
            So as the title says, Im wondering if hiring an immigration attorney would make things go faster with my green card since I've wasted enough time due to various reasons (married last year). Also, those of you who did hire an immigration attorney, how was your experience? About how much did it cost and was it worth it in your opinion?
            Any information/opinion will be greatly appreciated!
            PS: I was on student visa so it's gonna be I485 + I130 for me
            It's hit and miss really. It certainly doesn't speed up the process in relation to how fast USCIS will work, having an attorney doesn't give you any special privileges. As others have said, oftentimes if you end up with a dodgy attorney you may end up extending the process as well as incurring high costs.

            If you have the ability, I'd suggest doing it yourself. Read the instructions carefully and fill everything out carefully. People on the forum can help if you get stuck. Alternatively, some people on here have gone through not for profit organizations to find a cheaper lawyer who is doing it because they actually want to help and not for the large sums of money you'd have to pay them. As an example, someone on here said they paid $500 for their help, and most regular attorneys will cost in the thousands just for help doing the paperwork, it's extra if you then need to respond to an RFE, bring them to your interview etc.
            Marriage AOS - 2018

            4-10: Sent to Chicago Lockbox
            4-12: Arrived in Chicago
            4-14: Picked up by USCIS
            4-19: Email & text notifications received
            4-23: I-797 Receipts received
            4-27: Biometrics notice received
            5-10: Courtesy letter for I-693
            5-11: Biometrics completed
            6-04: Interview scheduled
            6-09: Received interview letter
            7-10: Interview complete & approved, status change to New Card being Produced
            7-13: Card was Mailed
            7-18: Green Card in Hand

            Comment


            • #7
              Echoing what others have said, I think it depends on how comfortable you feel with the process, how complicated your case is, and what you need done. Having an attorney will NOT make the process faster, generally. It does not change the way USCIS works and having an attorney does not make anything move faster. However, if you have a complicated case or don't know what you're doing, having an attorney can make the process faster in the sense that you may get hit with an RFE or NOID if you do it on your own, whereas an attorney might avoid those. If you have a straightforward case and some confidence, then it's usually fine to go it alone. The process was not designed to require attorneys most of the time.

              If you do get an attorney, you should be careful to read as many reviews as possible, make sure they are in good standing with their local Bar Association, and ask a lot of questions. How long have they been practicing immigration law, what type, etc. etc. You should look for someone with a positive track record and a genuine interest in helping immigrants. You should go to someone who only practices immigration or immigration and one other field. Do not go to someone who has a primary business in a different field (just my personal opinion but I think immigration is very complicated and fast-paced and easy to screw up so I wouldn't go to someone who does like real estate law or something. But criminal/immigration and family/immigration are common combinations that would probably be fine).

              A good attorney can make the difference in a tough case and be well worth the cost, but unfortunately there are many people out there who are only interested in taking your money, have no idea what they're doing, or simply don't care and think that immigrants have no leverage.

              Also, if you can't afford the high prices of private attorneys, there are many public interest immigration attorneys. Their salaries are low, so you can at least know that they are committed and genuinely care about the cases. Most of them are very good and will charge on a sliding scale based on what you can afford.

              I recommend going to a public interest attorney first (IF you decide to go with an attorney) because even if they can't take your case, they can refer you to a GOOD private attorney - they will know the reputations and won't send you to a scammer.

              EDIT: You can always go it alone and then hire an attorney for something specific like an RFE or if something happens. Even if you have an attorney, it doesn't have to be for the whole process.
              2/20: Received at Chicago lockbox
              4/04: We reviewed your biometrics and are processing your case (I-765 & I-485)
              4/18: Ready to be scheduled for an interview (No notification, not updated on either site until Aug 27)
              4/19: Request to expedite EAD
              5/11: Received EAD
              6/26: Applied for Advance Parole
              8/09: Advance Parole approved
              8/29: Scheduled for Interview
              10/11: Interview
              10/12: RFE on I-130 (misplaced G28)
              10/16: Sent new G28
              10/19: Approved!

              Comment

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