Are you wondering what you should expect from your first immigration lawyer appointment, then you’re in the right place! Here at Nelson and Associates, we want to be sure that you’re fully prepared for your first appointment with us so that we can make as much progress as possible on your case, so today we’re going to cover a few things you need to know.
Making Your First Immigration Lawyer Appointment
When you’re ready to make your first immigration lawyer appointment with us here at Nelson and Associates, the first thing you need to do is to set up your appointment time! To get started just pick up the phone and give us a call or send us a message via our contact page and we’ll give you a call back as soon as we get a moment! Don’t forget – if there are constraints on your schedule and prefer to make your appointment for a specific time of day, let us know and we’ll do everything we can to accommodate you! It’s also important to let us know if you don’t speak English. We do have select translation services that can assist with your first appointment if you let us know ahead of time, but it’s always best to bring along your own interpreter if you need translation help.
How to Prepare For Your First Immigration Lawyer Appointment
There are many reasons you might be coming to your first immigration lawyer appointment, but no matter the reason for your visit, there are some things that you can do to prepare.
Firstly, put together a brief summary of why you are visiting your immigration attorney. You don’t have to provide an extensively detailed explanation, but write down the important parts of your case so that when you meet your lawyer, you will be able to give them a clear idea of what you need from them and how they can help you.
Secondly, write a list of questions that you want to ask your immigration attorney. These questions might be about how your attorney can help you with your case or it may be about more detailed aspects of your case. Whatever questions you might have, write them down so that when you show up to your appointment you don’t forget them. A lot of people feel overwhelmed when they show up at their first appointment and it makes them forget what they wanted to ask, so if you have everything written down you will have something to reference.
Thirdly, have a clear picture of what YOU want to gain from your appointment. By the time you walk out of your lawyer’s office what will make you feel as though you have accomplished something? What do you need to know to feel confident that your case is going to be handled with care?
What to Bring to Your First Immigration Lawyer Appointment
It’s always better to bring too much to your first immigration lawyer appointment than to bring too little. We recommend putting together an accordion folder that contains everything that you think you might need when you’re working with your immigration attorney. This will make it easier to ensure that you have everything you need each time you have an appointment and keeping the folder organized will make it all easily accessible.
When you come to your appointment it’s a good idea to bring the following:
- Any copies of immigration forms you have already filled in or filed
- A copy of your birth certificate
- A copy of your visa if you have one
- Any documents you were given when you entered the United States
- A brief summary explanation of why you left your country
- Contact information for your sponsor for coming to the U.S. if you have one
- Contact information for any witnesses in your case if relevant
- A copy of your green card if you have one
- A copy of any work permits
- A copy of any immigration judge orders
- A copy of your file if you have worked with another immigration attorney before this visit
On the Day of Your Immigration Appointment
On the day of your immigration appointment make sure to show up for your appointment early. This will give you time to fill in any new client paperwork and it will also give you time to get all of your paperwork in order. If you are meeting an interpreter at the attorney’s office, this will also give you time to meet up with them and introduce yourself.
When you meet your immigration attorney it’s CRUCIAL that you are upfront with them about everything to do with your case. Your attorney is working for you, but they can’t do their job properly if they don’t have all of the information about your case. Don’t be embarrassed or afraid and don’t feel like you have to hide anything from your attorney. If you do hide information from your attorney it can end up hurting your case if that information comes out during your case and it’s revealed that you have concealed information. Remember, your attorney is YOUR attorney, they are there to help YOU and the only way that they can do that is when you’re fully transparent with them even if it makes you feel uncomfortable.
In Need of an Immigration Lawyer?
If you’re in need of an immigration lawyer in the Pasadena, Florida area, Nelson and Associates can help! Just send us a message through our online contact page and we’ll get right back to you in no time at all!
