Now everytime I write an artical like this one I have people ask me why tell potential clients how they can find an immigration attorney other than you?  The reasons are simple and clear.  First, our office provides a high level of client service, we can only help a limited number of people.  Second we are not the best fit for everyone.  Before we accept a new client they are reviewed for the legal services they request and their compatability with our office.  When we accept a new client we are doing so with the understanding that we will be available for not only this immigration matter, but any future matter as well.  We want to make sure we are a good match for the client.

How to Find a Qualified Immigration Attorney Nutshelled

It’s important to work with an attorney who focuses his or her legal practice on immigration law.  To find a good immigration attorney:

1. Ask friends, family, neighbors, and community members for a personal referral.
2. Ask the local bar association or professional advisors (such as general practice attorneys, estate planning attorneys, CPAs, or financial advisors) for referrals.
3. Google (or use your favorite search engine) and search “How to Find a Good Immigration Attorney”. 
4. Chat with each potential attorney and hire whomever you feel most comfortable with. 

How to Work with Your Immigration Attorney

Here are some hints that will help your attorney get the job done right and in a timely manner.

1. Provide all documentation requested as soon as possible.
2. Disclose all relevant information and, if in doubt, error on the side of disclosure.
3. Be completely honest with your attorney, remembering that your attorney will keep everything you tell him or her confidential.
4. Follow your attorney’s direction.  If your attorney asks you to do something, be sure to do it and do it in a timely manner. 
5. Let your attorney know if your contact information or any information included on your immigration forms and applications changes.  
6.  Read up on your immigration matters so you understand your attorney’s direction and know what questions to ask. 
7. Jot down your questions and concerns, so when you discuss the matter with the attorney you will get all of your questions answered. 

Get Good Immigration Legal Advice

If you (or a loved one) are looking for a qualified immigration attorney, you are welcome to contact our office and schedule an in person meeting, or if you live outside the Cincinnati area a telephone meeting.

Immigration is a very specialized area of law; be sure your attorney focuses his or her practice on immigration and helping people like you.  We focus our practice on immigration law and helping people visit, live in, go to school, and work in the United States.  We especially love bringing families together and helping foreign nationals start a new life, even become U.S. citizens.  You can reach us at 513-793-6555 or Thomasjr@geygan.com.  Your next step is to contact us. 

If you (or a loved one) must flee your homeland or another country, to avoid persecution and chaos, there are 7 paths to U.S. immigration.  This means that you can either come to the U.S., or avoid removal proceedings, if you qualify.  Obtaining refugee status is one of those 7 paths.  Consult with a qualified immigration attorney to determine whether obtaining refugee status, or one other the other 6 paths, is right for you.

How Do I Qualify as a Refugee?

In very general terms, you may obtain refugee immigration status, if you have a well-founded fear of persecution because of your:

• Race
• Religion
• Nationality
• Social Group Membership
• Political Opinion

The Refugee Process

This is a overview of the refugee application process; each next step assumes that the previous step was completed successfully.

1. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees must determine that you qualify as a refugee.
2. The Commissioner gives the appropriate U.S. embassy, your name.
3. The U.S. embassy orders a background check from a resettlement organization.
4. The background check is performed.
5. The State Department runs a name check via the Consular Lookout and Support System.
6. The potential refugee must interview with an officer from the Department of Homeland Security.
7. The application is then sent to the Depart of State.
8. The FBI and CIA do an additional review and issue a Security Advisor Opinion.
9. The State Department must give final approval.
10. Any specific relocation request based upon a family relationship is investigated.
11. The refugee must fly into one of eight approved airports, where he or she must participate in a face to face interview to ensure that he or she is actually the person approved for entry.
12. At the airport, the refugee is issued photo identification that shows that he or she is authorized to live and work in the United States.

It’s a complicated and lengthy procedure; it’s likely in your best interest to consult with a qualified immigration attorney to make sure that your request for refugee status is handled correctly and in a timely manner. 

Where to Get Help with Refugee and Immigration Issues

We focus our practice on immigration law and help people just like you every day.  We will listen to your concerns and answer your questions; you are not alone.

Your next step is to contact our office:  513-791-1673 or Thomasjr@geygan.com.  We will guide you through the refugee application and resettlement process.

If you’ve ever thought, “Immigration Laws are sooooo confusing,” you’re not alone – and you’re right.  Immigration law is very detail oriented, with lots of rules and procedures, which change continuously.  That’s why we focus our practice on immigration law and don’t try to be experts in all legal fields.

How We Can Help You and Your Family with Immigration Matters

First off, it’s important that you don’t feel alone and that you know you’re in good hands.  So, we explain how immigration procedures work and, specifically, how we will help you.  For instance, you may need representation in immigration court, help bringing a family member to live with you in the United States, or legal assistance to avoid removal proceedings and deportation.

Secondly, we answer all of your questions and address your concerns.  We explain what to expect, and how your specific immigration issue will be handled.  You will never be surprised.  We’ve found that these conversations help our clients to feel increased peace of mind and to sleep better at night.

Third, we guide you through all immigration matters step by step.  You are never alone, even if you need to go to court, have an immigration interview, or file applications with supporting documentation.

Full Disclosure is Required; Confidentiality is Guaranteed

While we, as your immigration lawyers, do all the things mentioned immediately above, you must be active in your immigration case as well.  Basically, this means that you must be completely honest, and disclose all information even if you think it may be harmful to your case.  We can only help you if we know everything.  Just like a medical doctor can only diagnosis and treat a problem if you disclose all of your symptoms, we, as you immigration attorneys, can only understand your immigration issues and determine what legal path to pursue if we have all the facts.  Once we establish the attorney-client relationship, anything you disclose to us will be held in the strictest of confidences, as required by law.

Where to Get Help with Immigration Issues

We focus our practice on immigration law and help people just like you every day.  We will listen to your concerns and answer your questions; you are not alone.

Your next step is to contact our office:  513-791-1673 or Thomasjr@geygan.com.  We will gently walk you through your immigration issues, even representing you in court and before the Department of State.

“LPR” stands for “lawful permanent resident.”  If you’re like most people, you’ve heard the term, “green card,” but aren’t sure what it actually means.  A green card is a colloquial term for the legal document that proves that the holder is a lawful permanent resident and has a legal right to live and work in the United States.  It’s also called the “United States Permanent Resident Card” (formerly, “Alien Registration Receipt Card.”)  But with a name like that, it is easy to understand why the term “green card” is so widely used.

It may not surprise you that green cards are green.  However, they have been green; then pink, then cream and, now again, green.  They are small laminated cards with the permanent resident’s photograph and fingerprints.

What are the benefits of a green card?

The green card benefits are significant.  The green card indicates that the holder is a “lawful permanent resident,” having the right to live and work in the United States.  The holder also has the right to be protected under the laws of the federal government as well as his or her state and locale of residence.

The green card also serves as a reentry document, meaning that the holder has the right to reenter the United States after a short absence, without providing additional documentation.

It is significant to note that a lawful permanent resident or green card holder is not a U.S. citizen.  And, thereby, does not have all the rights associated with citizenship such as voting in national elections.

Does the green card expire?

The green card is permanent, although it must be renewed every 10 years (like a driver’s license needs to be renewed.)  However, there are two limitations:  First, the holder’s U.S. residence must remain his or her primary residence.  Second, conviction of certain crimes will nullify lawful permanent residence status.

How to get a green card

Remember the romantic comedy (1990) feature film, “Green Card?”  A young American woman enters into a marriage of convenience so that a Frenchman can attain his green card.  Having a family member or fiancé petition for a green card is just one way to become a permanent resident.

The most common ways to get a green card are through:

• a family member
• a job (typically, a high level professional position)
• political asylum or as a refugee

If already in the U.S., a green card applicant goes through a process called “Adjustment of Status” to obtain a green card.  If living outside the U.S., the applicant must go through a process called “Consular Processing,” applying at a U.S. embassy or consular outside the U.S.

Who makes these green card rules?

Although most people have heard of “INS” and seen references to it on television, the INS was dissolved in 2003.   All immigration matters are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS.)  The USCIS is an agency under the Department of Homeland Security.

Where to Get Help Becoming LPR or Obtaining a Green Card

If you have questions regarding obtaining a green card and becoming a lawful permanent resident, consult with a qualified immigration attorney.  Immigration is a very specialized area of law; be sure your attorney focuses his or her practice on immigration and getting green cards.

We focus our practice on immigration law, LPR status, and green cards; and, you can reach us at 513-793-6555 or Thomasjr@geygan.com.  We will gently walk you through the immigration process, represent you in court, and aggressively fight for your legal rights.  We look forward to hearing from you.

It is natural to question the benefit of hiring an immigration lawyer, especially in today’s economy.  However, anytime you are dealing with the legal system, especially a foreign one, it is likely in your best interest to be represented by an immigration attorney.

If you take the following points into consideration, you are likely to view your immigration lawyer fees as an investment in your family’s future and well-being, not as a questionable expense.

An Immigration Attorney is an Investment Because:

* A qualified immigration attorney understands the innermost workings of the legal system as well as the intricacies of the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS.)  In addition, he or she knows how to file the appropriate forms, documentation, and fees.

* An immigration attorney keeps abreast of all the law and policy changes, regarding immigration and helping people like you and your family.

* Your immigration lawyer will literally speak the same language as the immigration officials, English.  In addition, he understands the language and terminology of immigration laws and the USCIS.

* You attorney is legally and morally obligated to be on your side, representing your best interests.

* In all immigration matters, the consequences of failure are extreme:  deportation from the U.S., refusal of admittance to the U.S., and/or separation from family.

* Your immigration lawyer can represent you in court, before the USCIS, and in all meetings or other administrative law courts.

* Your lawyer will answer your questions, address your concerns, and set appropriate expectations so as to eliminate fear of the unknown.

* Once you hire your immigration attorney, you can rest assured that you and your family have an advocate who will aggressively fight for your legal rights.  You’re likely to breathe a great sigh of relief, have increased peace of mind, and sleep better at night.

How to Hire an Immigration Attorney

It’s easy to get help.  We will answer your questions and address your concerns.  Call or email our immigration lawyers today (Thomasjr@geygan.com.) We will gently walk you through your immigration issues and aggressively fight for your legal rights.  Call today:  513-793-6555.

At Geygan and Geygan, we focus our practice on immigration matters so we are uniquely qualified to help you and your family.  Success with immigration matters requires a full understanding of the facts, the immigration law, and the current immigration policies.  Our office is located in Ohio, but we are licensed to practice immigration law throughout the United States.  Please contact our office to discuss how we can help you.  All conversations are confidential.