At Nelson and Associates, we are more than familiar with the demands of the immigration office in a variety of immigration situations. Today we want to talk a little bit about what you need to know when dealing with the immigration office and how we can help you with your immigration process!
Immigration Office – Information You Need to Know!
When we talk about the “immigration office” we are talking about U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is an agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security and according to the US Government website (USA.gov,) it is the USCIS’s responsibility to process immigration and naturalization applications and establish policies regarding immigration services.
In short, this means that anything regarding your immigration status or case with the U.S. Department of Immigration, is managed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Through the USCIS website (http://www.uscis.gov/), you can find most of the forms, manuals, guides, and any other paperwork you might need for your case.
So, if you can find most of the forms you need on the USCIS site, why hire an immigration attorney? Because while finding the paperwork you need on the USCIS website is easy enough, there are many more steps to the immigration process that require a little more understanding of the legal system to complete.
For example, while the forms you need may be easy to find, you are going to need to fill those forms in and that requires understanding of “legalese.” Understanding legal speak is difficult enough when English is your first language, but in many cases, immigrants were not raised speaking English and this makes reading, understanding, and completing immigration forms difficult.
When it comes to filling in paperwork, though, immigration attorneys are well versed in the forms their clients will need to complete. Attorneys also have experience dealing with the immigration process and understand the importance of deadlines which makes your job much easier – particularly if you struggle with English as a second language.
A reputable immigration attorney isn’t just able to help you to fill in the forms you need for immigration, however, they can answer any questions that you might have about your case and your upcoming appointments with the department of immigration.
Answering your questions is one of the most important things that your attorney can do for you when it comes to your immigration case. Whether your question refers to general procedure or to specifics involving your case, your attorney can help you to navigate the waters and ensure that you don’t make a mistake due to misunderstanding.
Other Information You Should Know About the U.S. Immigration Office
The main address for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is in Camp Springs, Maryland – 5900 Capital Gateway Dr., Camp Springs, MD 20588-0009 to be precise.
USCIS can be reached directly by calling 1-800-375-5283 or TTY 1-800-767-1833.
The USCIS website has a specific location on their website where all of the pertinent U.S. immigration forms can be found – Citizenship and Immigration Services Forms. These forms cover just about every immigration situation.
There are plenty more actions that you can carry out on the USCIS website, too! Some of the most commonly requested services on the site include:
- Applying for a Green Card.
- Renewing or Replacing a green card.
- Checking Your Case Status with myUSCIS
- Applying for Naturalization
Your Attorney Matters
It is important to have an attorney on your side when dealing with immigration court cases for reasons that we have already mentioned above…but how do you now that you have a good attorney? How do you choose the right attorney for the job? Here are a few things to consider!
- How long has the attorney been in business? A new attorney to the field is not necessarily a bad attorney, but they do lack one thing that a more experienced attorney can offer – experience. It is only through experience that an attorney can prove their metal.
- Has your potential attorney dealt with cases similar to yours in the past? It is always helpful to have an attorney who has worked with cases similar to your own because it means that they know the ropes and they may even know some of the other faces in the court when your court date comes up!
Have Questions About the Immigration Office?
If you live in or around Pasadena, California and need the services of an immigration attorney to help with your case, call our office today at 626-683-3451 and we would be happy to talk to you about your case and see if we can get your case moving along in the system!
