This is going to be an ongoing series of postings about choosing an immigration lawyer. Today I chatted with someone who needed a lawyer because his mother died but left property in India and has a dispute with his sister. It was mainly a counseling session on how to focus the issues, sift out emotions, and pick the right lawyer. To recap: One. Absolutely be aware of any impending deadlines and tell a prospective lawyer immediately. I advised this individual to send a letter overnight express to request additional time to respond to a motion so he could find another lawyer. He can even ask his previous lawyer as a courtesy to e-file it. Two. Dial back the emotional fervor. Seek grief counseling. If there is no relevant death in the circumstances, think about one’s emotions in general. This helps a potential lawyer analyze your situation and decipher facts from emotions. Three. When looking for attorneys, focus on the factual issues. Identify your specific role in the matter to a po...
"How much for an H1B?" It’s been a while since my last blog post and for that I apologize. First off, happy new year! And what better way to kick off 2020 than a new H1B visa filing season! I’ve discussed a lot of H1B issues in the past, and first usually refer newcomers to my blog post providing the big picture H1B process, and what it means to employers and foreign nationals. Please do read my H1B Primer . “HOW MUCH FOR AN H1B?” Because I’m a solo practitioner, this is often the first question I get about the entire process. It always feels strange to me, as if the time and expertise needed for immigration application is less if one uses a solo attorney. More important, does the employee become less valuable depending on the price of the attorney? So when I’m posed with a question about fees right off the bat, I try to answer with another question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is the H1B’s approval?” For foreign nationa...
Credit Reuters Happy days to the Indian national cricket team, taking its first grand title of a T20 World Cup. A nearly blemish-free record by most accounts. By the way, this year was also America's first serious ICC Cricket tournament on home turf. The U.S. team actually won enough games to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India! This rather reminds me of U.S. immigration law. This is because, in addition to the many requirements for U.S. naturalization, applicants must have what is called Good Moral Character (GMC). This can be a highly discretionary standard used as a catch-all for a derogatory past that may not be technically disqualifying. Some people think it only matters for the previous five years. This is not true. For clients without a blemish on their record, I don’t submit proof of GMC. For those that do, I work hard to prove this up. So what is considered a blemish? This must be examined early in a client screeni...
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