Some immigration lawyers offer free consultations, while others charge a fee. Either way, it would be best for you to look at your consultation not only as a chance to seek advice about your immigration case, but also to interview the attorney to find out whether he is a good fit for you. The following are some tips on selecting and interviewing immigration lawyers.
The following five questions are essential, although you may need to ask other questions as well.
Lynn Lee (DL), Clifton, VA Lynn M. Lee is a Partner at BSIS (By Sea Immigration Services) and focuses her practice on both corporate and family immigration matters. Ms. Lee possesses a special interest in consular-related issues for immigrant visa (IV) and nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants worldwide, including IV petitions filed abroad, waivers, and complex liaison issues. She also speaks frequently on various immigration issues at both national and international conferences. Ms. Lee currently serves as a Board member for the AILA Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) Chapter, committee member of the AILA National DOS committee, and member of the AILA RDC-EMEA Consular Committee. Ms. Lee graduated magna cum laude from Bridgewater College in 1999, and from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2003.
After a year of U.S. embassy closures and travel bans, cases have piled up at the National Visa Center (NVC) and embassies, waiting for consular interviews. The experts on this intermediate panel will examine the current state of these backlogs, provide an update on policies and procedures, and highlight best practices for breaking through the backlogs and securing an interview for your client.
Sandra Sheridan Reguerin, AILA DOS Liaison Committee Chair, Phoenix, AZ Sandra Sheridan Reguerin has practiced business immigration law exclusively since 1996. She has extensive experience in the J-1 area including IGA, no objection and physician waivers, Exchange Visitor program designation applications, and 16 years as an Alternate Responsible Officer for a variety of corporate Exchange Visitor programs. Sandra orchestrates large-scale moves of temporary assignees for multinational companies with an emphasis on L-1 visa usage. She has represented individual and corporate clients before numerous U.S. consular posts around the world and before the State Department.
Eligible participants can receive up to 1.8 CLE credit hours. AILA will administer CLE credit only to individuals who register and log into the web seminar. AILA cannot verify your attendance and participation in this program unless you register directly for the web seminar and use your name to log in to participate in the program. Therefore, persons who log in or listen in on the web seminar as part of a group will not be able to obtain CLE credit.
Mahsa Khanbabai, AILA Board of Governors/AILA DOS Liaison Committee, Easton, MA Mahsa Khanbabai is the founder of Khanbabai Immigration Law and an adjunct professor at Stonehill College. She is an elected Director of AILA’s Board of Governors, a past chair of the AILA New England Chapter, and currently serves on the AILA State Department Liaison Committee and as an editor of the AILA Law Journal. Ms. Khanbabai received her J.D. from Albany Law School (1998).
How long will it take to complete my case?
The answer that you might most want to hear is also the answer that should raise the most concerns. In most cases, the quicker the lawyer promises to resolve your case, the less realistic his estimate is likely to be — and the less trustworthy he is likely to be. Immigration cases usually take time. This is not always the case, but it usually is. A good immigration lawyer should offer a plan of action with an estimated timeline.
There is a rebuttable presumption that continuity of residence is disrupted if there is an absence of six (6) months or more. There are factors to use in establishing the continuity of residence and exemptions to consider to establish that the client has continuous residence.
What is a functional manager and how can you prove it in the L-1A/EB-1 context? This video gives an overview of the definition of functional manager, its requirements, and how to prove the beneficiary will be working as a functional manager.
Can I include evidence if I missed the call up date? Emergency motions to accept the late-file documents, what to say on the call or voice message.
Documents and forms that need to go with this filing in a basic case, what color to print each part, where to file, who else to serve.
Suggestions and examples of what to include, common items USCIS will expect, what not to include.