People from all across the globe decide to come to America. Some hope for a better life for themselves and their families, others want to escape civil unrest in their home countries. Others arrive for work or educational opportunities.
However, coming to America isn’t as easy as just hopping on a plane and making your way to Stockton, CA. Moreover, once you’ve arrived, you may have paperwork and other criteria to meet in order to stay. Quite a few people find they require a little help in keeping up with everything or dealing with issues and questions after they arrive.
An immigration attorney can help local people in need of assistance with various immigration issues. This article will go over what they can help with, and provide tips to help you find the best immigration attorney in Stockton CA, for you.
There are many reasons people turn to immigration attorneys for help
Immigration attorneys assist their Stockton, CA clients in many different ways. They spend most of their time acting as a mediator between you and the immigration authorities to resolve disputes. These attorneys can help people:
- Get a Visa and ensure requirements are met to keep it.
- Attain U.S. citizenship.
- Secure a Green card.
- Fight deportation.
Though the majority of the immigration lawyer’s time is spent outside of court, your immigration attorney can and will accompany you to court if you have a hearing.
Tips to Find the Best Immigration Attorney for You
- Ask for recommendations from trusted sources. If you know someone who has used the services of an immigration attorney, ask them for recommendations. They can give honest and frank feedback about the Stockton, CA attorney they worked with, and even offer suggestions of other attorneys to avoid.
- Research your potential attorney. Once you have a list of a few potential attorneys, it’s time to start narrowing it down. Start by looking at their qualifications. See where they went to school and make sure they are a member of the California Bar Association. Make sure they focus on immigration law as well; you wouldn’t want to go to a law firm that specializes in another area.
- Ask for references and read reviews. Once you’ve narrowed your list to qualified individuals and firms, take some time to check the satisfaction of previous clients. You can do this by reading reviews online from both their website and search engines. You can also ask the attorney to give you a reference or two that wouldn’t mind if you contacted them.
- Negotiate your rate. Before you choose an immigration attorney, you want to make sure you can afford their services to ensure you won’t be overcharged. Research different firms and rates and negotiate the type of charges you want. Some attorneys charge based on an hourly rate, while others will charge a flat fee for a service. Decide which option makes the most sense for you based on your circumstance.
- Find an attorney you feel comfortable with and trust. It’s important you feel comfortable with and trust the immigration attorney you choose. Without this level of trust and comfort, it may be difficult to go to your attorney for advice.
Bonus Tip: Though it may not be possible to find an immigration attorney in Stockton, CA that speaks your language, it’s a bonus if you can. If not, evaluate the translation services they offer and make sure you’re confident in it. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Posts by SpeakBindas Editorial Team.