Immigration law is a very complex, and rapidly changing, area of law. When an application is submitted, Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) uses the submitted information for several purposes:
FIRST: the information is used in conjunction with deciding if a benefit (such as asylum, residency, different visas) should be granted.
SECOND: the information can be used to determine if the non citizen should be placed into removal (deportation) proceedings.
When someone who is inexperienced with all the nuances of immigration law, they are more likely to make mistakes due to a language barrier and/or ignorance of the law/regulation/requirement. The attorney can look at your situation from different angles, and anticipate problems before they arise. The attorney can offer a sound strategy based upon the latest information and most current laws. Hire a trusted immigration lawyer, such as Sufen Hilf of the law firm of Hilf & Hilf, PLC.
Asylum cases – the non citizen suffers the consequences of inaccuracies in the Form I-589 asylum application. If Citizenship and Immigration Services believes that false or frivilous information was submitted in the asylum application, it is possible that the government will seek an Order of Removal before an Immigration Judge. When the lawyer prepares the application, he/she can prepare the application in a way that is both truthful and consistent. The lawyer also will be present at the interview to help explain the responses if any questions arise.
Arrests/ criminal police contact – an immigration lawyer should always be consulted if the non citizen is arrested or investigated for alleged criminal conduct. Immigration consequences will potentially arise even if the matter is reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, the conviction is expunged by operation of law (such as HYTA status, 769.4a, and section 7411 status in Michigan). The non citizen needs to be informed of the potential consequences as to how a criminal charge is resolved in order to try to avoid a result which could lead to removal (deportation). Certain types of visas require waivers if the alien has a criminal history. Disclosure of this information to your attorney is important so that the criminal history will not be a ground for denial of your petition.
Citizenship applications – Form N-400 requires complete and thorough information. Providing false or erroneous information could prove detrimental to the non citizen. Information could be brough to light, such as criminality, failure to pay child support, abandonment of status due to travel for business or leasure, which would not have otherwise been discovered. Having an attorney review the information could prevent a disasterous disclosure of information to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Green Card applications – the process of obtaining a green card can take years. The process often involves providing financial information on an affidavit of support. This information could be of interest to Citizenship and Immigration Servives and the Internal Revenue Service. Your lawyer needs to know financial issues in order to sponsor immigrants. The lawyer can advise you on the proper forms and evidence to gather to properly support your application. Sometimes Citizenship and Immigration asks for additional evidence which the applicant would need to provide in manner necessary for it to be considered. There are changes in the law which occur over time that can affect the application process. Even though the process might seem straight forward, complications can and do arise. The experienced immigration lawyer will handle those obstacles, and help minimize the stress and anxiety of this process.