Hiring An Immigration Visa Attorney - Steps To Getting Your Visa

If you'd like to come to the US either to settle or conduct business, you'll need the proper papers. Hiring an immigration visa attorney can help you to sort things out and may even be the step that gets it approved. This article looks at the steps in coming to America, and how an immigration visa attorney can help.

Getting Started - The Proper Paperwork

The first step in getting started is to get the forms you'll need. If you are presently in the US, go to the nearest Immigration and Naturalization Service. If you're not, try the American Embassy. You can often get the forms necessary by simply calling them and requesting them. If their office is not near you, this is an especially good option.

You'll have to decide early on which type is appropriate for you. There are lots of different visas, and the purposes of them are not so self-explanatory. This is one reason many people choose to hire an immigration visa attorney. They can help you decide which is right for you. This is also important because applying for the wrong type may prevent you from going using another.

Determining Eligibility

The next step is to decide if you're eligible for the type that you've selected. Each has rigorous criteria that you must meet in order to be accepted. Your immigration visa attorney can help you with this as well, since it is often written in difficult legalese. Even if you don't have problems reading and understanding English, it can be very difficult to interpret.

Application

The next step is to apply. This involves submitting your forms, copies of your personal documents and possibly other things as required. They may also make additional requests throughout the application process, so be ready to send more. Your lawyer can help you with this as well.

After you apply, there is nothing to do but wait. You should have at least 3 months leeway before you plan to arrive. The time it takes depends on many factors, so it could go by very quickly or it could take months. Furthermore, even if you feel that you meet the requirements of eligibility, there is a chance that your application will be rejected. This is because the issuance of visas depends on quotas and other factors in addition to candidate eligibility.

Once a decision has been made, they will send a notification to your lawyer who will forward it to you. It will specify the date from which your visa will take effect and its duration. It will also tell you the requirements for renewal and other specifications.

A good immigration visa attorney can help you in a variety of ways. With years of experience in getting applications sent in, they can help you navigate the difficult waters of the law. The rules and requirements are difficult for anyone to understand and that's why this field of law exists. In your own country, a lawyer can also help as intermediary and translation service. Hiring the right legal help can make this daunting task much easier.