How do I choose the best immigration experts for my individual case?

Ryvin Wallace Group (RWG) provides seven key factors to consider when choosing an immigration legal services provider.

by Christina Lang Wallace, Partner, Ryvin Wallace Group

Here are some helpful hints for the many people in the United States and abroad who need help sorting out the issues to choose the best immigration legal services provider for their matters. While easy when done right, immigration matters pose some unusual difficulties. Whether you are an individual who is having to transfer visas between US employers, entering the US legal system for the first time as a student, organizing your family or marriage-based sponsorship, or arranging complex business strategies to open US immigration roads for yourself of for family members -- you should be able to call an attorney who can easily advise you on the right strategy or approach needed for the particular situation. Here’s what to look for in your attorneys.

1.) Immigration Specialty Area. Find a law firm and make sure it specializes in immigration AND in your type of immigration problem. There are many fly-by-night notarios, as well as good law firms doing various types of law but not specializing in immigration. Even with pure immigration law firms, make sure the attorney you use has experience handling your type of case - temporary work visas, green cards, investment visas, family sponsorship, asylum matters, deportation/removal, cross-border immigration matters, immigration policy or I-9 training – whatever it may be.

2.) Responsiveness. Make sure the firm you choose gets back to you and defines what they will do for you in short order. They will either outline a plan for you immediately and send you the appropriate questionnaire to proceed. Or they should schedule you for a consultation (usually for a fee) during which they should clearly start a course of action. Care that you are not being strung along while they are learning on your dime, however case-specific research is a good thing provided your attorney can clearly explain to you why those areas require further investigation and how long it will take.

3.) Fees. Keep in mind that there are always three main fees in your immigration representation: the legal fee, the disbursement charges, and the filing fees to the government. Consider whether you wish to use a firm with a Standard Flat Fee pricing structure (typical in immigration law) or whether you are hiring a firm that runs its fees on an hourly basis. You should ask for a Fee Schedule. Flat fees tend to guarantee that you are not paying for negative efficiencies.

4.) Representation of Interests. When your case involves deportation/removal or asylum, your case is about you against the US government. However, in business and family immigration legal cases, the attorney normally represents the interests of two separate parties (you and the sponsor) vis-à-vis the government. This is called dual representation. Make sure that the firm doing the work represents and understands your interest and that your sponsor allows you to have reasonable access to information regarding your own case.

5.) Communication/IT Tools. Your immigration law firm should have an immigration specific case management tool that tracks certain critical information: like personal and visa information, visa projects being completed with due dates on everything, company information being utilized on government applications, expiration dates, easy to understand tracking features and reports. You may or may not get password access to it, but your law firm should be using immigration specific IT tools.

6.) Good Lawyering. Don't forget to check the credentials of the lawyers in the firm. Immigration law, in the complexity as it exists today, is fairly new and as a result the industry is riddled with sloppy lawyering. Has your attorney been around for 10+ years, have they seen the immigration landscape grow and change? Is the attorney a member of AILA, the American Immigration Lawyers Association www.aila.org? Does the managing attorney have a solid background including a reputable law school and identifiable work experience?

7.) Adequate staff and Attention. While any family immigration matter requires no more than one attorney, consider the advantages and disadvantages of using a solo attorney law firm versus a larger law firm or boutique with multiple attorneys and staff. If you are working with a family-based immigration lawyer, does he or she have the time or staff to adequately and efficiently handle your immigration needs? The larger corporate immigration programs require several immigration lawyers and paralegals to handle the corporation's volume of cases. For family matters, you will want to avoid the pass-around that might occur with too many specialists and paralegals handing your case around inside a larger law firm. Ask what kind of updates you can receive. See if you have any choice in the types and frequency of updates you receive.

Friendly Reminder: Your Job and Copies of Paperwork. When providing information to the attorney or government, always give copies only. Keep originals, including government issued documents, unless specifically requested and only if you have double checked with your attorney. Also, note that your initial consultation serves you best if you are ready to show any and all documents received from the US government and if you can clearly remember past dates and events like US exits and entries, and anything relevant to your case. Provide your counsel with thorough information.

Please do not hesitate to call our experts, Ms. Christina Wallace or Mr. Michael Ryvin, to discuss your current immigration needs. Ms. Wallace and Mr. Ryvin have been practicing immigration law for more than 25 years combined and are partners in the firm, Ryvin Wallace Group (www.ryvinlaw.com). Their experience is varied as they have worked in the large and prestigious immigration-only and multi-specialty law firms as well as smaller immigration boutiques, serving many types of individuals. These include those individuals organizing family or marriage-based sponsorship, professionals transferring between US employers, prospective students entering the US legal system for the first time to study at US university, or arranging complex business strategies involving substantial investment in the US. Their ethics and dedication are reflected in their consulting and legal strategies and carry through the firm’s culture. For a consultation on how to best obtain optimal immigration legal services, please contact Christina Wallace at 703-531-0790, christy@ryvinlaw.com or Michael Ryvin at 415-888-8296, michael@ryvinlaw.com.