Benefits Outweigh Costs
The perks of hiring an immigration consultant are far more than the cost that you are likely to incur by way of the fees you pay out. While you are not obliged to hire a representative for immigration and refugee matters, hiring a consultant is a move that ensures your documents are properly prepared in accordance with applicable immigration law. Set aside the cost to see that it saves time and gives you peace of mind.
The consultant will fill out your applications and help you to gather supporting documents while staying on top of immigration regulation changes that might affect your application selection, process and timeline.
Immigration Consultants & Immigration Lawyers Are Different
Immigration consultants and immigration lawyers are different people with different sets of expertise. Immigration consultants may have little experience with the immigration system or be experts. They might also have a high degree of education (which may or may not include some legal training) or very little education on that front. Of course, you will want a highly recommended specialist with a good legal background for your own work. It may be a little cheaper to hire otherwise but if you want real peace of mind it’s better to pay a little more for top quality services and a great reputation.
The biggest difference between immigration consultants and immigration attorneys/accredited representatives is that consultants are not permitted to give legal assistance. For instance, they may not be able to tell you how you should answer immigration interview questions or what application or petition to apply for. They also cannot represent you in immigration court.
What an Immigration Consultant Can Do
Immigration consultants provide immigration assistance which includes services such as assistance with filing applications and petition, helping to gather required documentation or translation.
What an Immigration Consultant Cannot Do
• give you advice on what to say in an immigration interview
• give you legal advice on what immigration benefit you may apply for
• represent you before USCIS (only immigration attorneys and accredited representatives may represent you)
• claim to be qualified in legal matters or in immigration and naturalization procedure
• charge considerable fees - consultants may only charge nominal (inexpensive) fees as regulated by state law
Should You Hire an Immigration Consultant?
Finally, the big question is… should you use an immigration consultant? This depends on whether you really need one. For instance, if you need help with filling in the forms or need a translation, then you should consider hiring an immigration consultant. However, if it so happens that you're not sure whether you're eligible for a particular visa or need any other legal advice then an immigration consultant will not be able to help you. You will need to get assistance from a qualified immigration attorney or accredited representative.
There have been many cases of immigration consultants providing services they are not qualified to offer. There are also many legitimate immigration consultants who provide valuable services; you just need to find such a consultant. Shop around, seek references, do a background check and only then zero in on an immigration consultant.
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