5 Reasons to Employ an Immigration Lawyer
There are times when an immigration lawyer is needed in order to handle certain situations regarding immigrant status or citizenship concerns. This is a very complex arena of law in the United States. Something that compounds the difficulty is that many clients don’t speak English or if they do, it’s their second language and they may have fluency challenges.
Many law practices specializing in this legal focus have interpreters to assist clients in translations. Navigating through red tape and courthouse procedures can be difficult,
indeed, for a non-native English speaker. Advice from a savvy attorney will help. Here are 5 of the reasons that individuals decide to employ the services of a law practice specializing in immigration.
1) Being deported: When an individual or one of his or her family members is being deported, it can be a frightening experience. Deportation can occur because of an expired visa, suspected crimes, or a number of other circumstances.
2) Trying to obtain or extend visas: A visa is a pass for visiting the U.S. temporarily. This document is required for a non-citizen to be able to enter the country. A person trying to visit, work or reconnect with a relative will need a visa to get in. Unfortunately, this piece of paper isn’t a sure-fire guarantee of being allowed in. Customs officials review each person’s individual situation and say “yea” or “nay” at the gates. There are also visas which offer permanent resident status.
3) Obtaining a job: Some companies hire employees from other countries and go through the legal maze in order to do so. There are lots of reasons for hiring employees from other countries such as highly qualified personnel with special expertise or workers with specific knowledge that’s needed on a project. In order to do this legally, companies must have their own legal ducks in a row. Proper documentation to back up this employee’s residency must be ascertained. Hiring illegal aliens is punishable by the law.
4) Relatives of citizens: There are many U.S. citizens who have relatives who are still foreign nationals with citizenship from other nations. Having a relative who is a United States citizen gives an applicant an edge but it doesn’t offer a guarantee of admittance into the country. Spouses and unmarried offspring are the easiest individuals to get cleared. Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, brothers, sisters and even one’s own mom or dad do not have as easy a time becoming residents.
5) Citizenship: Individuals also need legal guidance when they decide to go through the naturalization process in order to become full-fledged United States citizens. Babies that are born on U.S. soil are granted citizenship as are permanent residents who have lived in the country for over five years. Some individuals from other countries opt for dual-citizenship meaning that they are citizens of two nations.
When a person faces issues such as deportation, extended or obtaining visas, hiring employees from another country, bringing relatives in from another nation, or trying to obtain citizenship or dual-citizenship, it can be a complicated process. Consulting with an immigration lawyer will be reassuring as well as a solid way to get through the maze of red tape.
