Educational Requirements for Immigration Lawyer

Immigration Lawyer Career Duties and Education

Educational Requirements for Immigration Lawyer

One must have a bachelor’s degree and a Juries Doctor Law degree in order to practice law as an immigration lawyer. In order to specialize in immigration law during law school – the course load includes in statutory analysis, citizenship, interviewing and advising. For job applicants – internships and other applicable work experience are essential. In order to legally practice law in the state of residency, the BAR exam must be passed once the law degree has been achieved.

Required Skills and Job Description

Immigration lawyers may represent their clients by offering legal counsel in court or outside the courtroom. Immigration lawyers deal with issues such as:

  1. Deportation
  2. Employment
  3. Acquiring U.S. Citizenship
  4. Immigrant Investor & Business Permission
  5. Family Reunification judicial Issues
  6. Achieving A Resident Permit or Green Card
  7. Filling for Refugee Status or Political Asylum

Those who are applying for a green card, the immigration lawyers help their clients through the process which can take a long period of time. When companies need work visas for foreign nationals, they hire immigration lawyers to assist them. Then immigration lawyers finalize the paperwork, file the solicitation and advise the company in consent with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Laws.

The capability of speaking other language is an asset for immigration lawyers because it often helps their clients for who English is not their first language. Because of the close contact with clients from other cultures – nice people skill and clear communication is essential.

Who Practices Immigration Law ?

Immigration lawyers work in private practice. They also work for the public interest and for the government as well. A lawyer can build a private practice that focuses on immigration issues. Clients pay a logical fee in exchange for representation. On the other hand, there are non-profit associations that help peoples with their immigration issues and these associations employ solicitors helping clients to finish paperwork and navigate the immigration process.

However, immigration solicitors work on behalf of the U.S. government. They strengthened immigration laws and might review applications, come in court or help with the improvement of laws and politics for immigration.

Why Become an Immigration Lawyer ?

Immigration law can be a stable and financially a good legal career. There are many people who need the help of an immigration lawyer and the U.S. immigration system impacting millions of people every year solving important and critical issues. Immigration lawyers tend to gravitate to big cities and entry spots to the country while they are existing throughout the United States.

Setting a diverse skill is another reason to practice immigration law. Those who have a good knowledge of multiple languages can find immigration law is a good way to use their foreign language skills as well as their legal skills. Sometimes, immigration lawyers interact with people from other cultures. Immigration lawyers have an awesome impact on the lives of the people they work with. You can make a career out of helping peoples to reach their immigration aims.

Is Immigration Law A Good Career ? Or, Immigration Lawyer Salary & Career Outlook ?

Immigration lawyers work for non-profit organizations, in private practice and also for the government of U.S. In the year 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics –the mean annual income for lawyers was about $1,30,000. However, with other lawyer professions, the salary changes depending on education, experience, and location. For example – a beginner lawyer starts his practice earning at $30,000 whereas an immigration lawyer employed in Washington D.C. earns at $1,61,000. Immigration law is a well-paid profession. However, immigration courts don’t give defendants with a lawyer. They are compelled to attain representation on their own.

Immigration Lawyer Responsibilities to His Clients

An immigration lawyer’s first and main responsibility is to provide the best solution to his client issues and best advice to people who are facing problems and looking to hire an immigration lawyer. Basically, an immigration lawyer will help you cope with citizenship concerns and a lot of more complicated immigration issues. These immigration issues can be more complicated with several factors like constant immigration reforms by the government.

  • Communicate with the clients.
  • Maintain the privacy of the clients & his/her case.
  • Make their client case powerful.
  • You must keep separate your own property from his or her personal property and ensure you keep your money in an escrow account.
  • A lawyer should seek improvement of the law as citizen and access to the legal system, the administration of justice and the quality of service performed by the legal profession.

Relationship Between the Immigration Lawyer & the Client

Here are some basic rules that a professional immigration lawyer must follow:

  • Always follow the practices that are legal and be ethical with both the client & case.
  • Provide the best service possible driven by powerful analysis and research.
  • Efficient communication with the client is a responsibility.
  • Information privacy is a must. It is the clients right and should be respected.
  • With the client – You should not have a personal bond.
  • The must be a reliable resource.

It is very important that the privacy of the client is to be preserved. Any other party should not know the information. It can be shared by the clients themselves after it has been authorized.

Client Responsibilities After Hiring an Immigration Lawyer

You have to follow a few rules as a client as well. However, there is a lot of cooperation and coordination combined here. Before signing up with a lawyer, the clients are required to sign an agreement.

  • Clients have to give correct information and to be honest with the lawyer.
  • Whenever needed – always willing to respond positively and coordinate with the lawyer.
  • Available to the lawyer.
  • Always be regular with lawyer’s payment.

However, the lawyer isn’t only coming in the court for the client issues. In order to pursue a case, the lawyers do a lot of work behind the scenes. Lawyers may need to discuss matters with the clients while completing the steps. Therefore, proper cooperation and coordination are the keys to a victorious relationship.

Paths to Immigration

A person who wants to come to the United States needs official permission to enter the country. Visa is the document that gives you permission. The United States separates visas into categories depending on the purpose of the visa and the length of the person’s staying in the country. A traveler may not need a visa for very short stays that are not for business purposes. Family visas and employment visas are the most common visas that people use to come to the United States.

What Things Do Immigration Law Cover ?

Immigration laws regime what are the things people need to do to enter and leave the United States. It means inspections at the general entry points such as roads and airports at the border crossing. For travel documents as passports and visas, immigration laws might create these requirements. When you enter the United States, the customs officials have a right to inspect your belonging in general and they can even arrest you for questioning as well.

What Does Immigration Lawyer Do ?

First of all, the immigration law of the United States is very complicated. So, not hiring a lawyer to solve your issues may cost you more. Because the lawyers know how to challenge Evidence. Always remember, following the wrong procedure or filling the wrong document could ruin your case. Immigration lawyers have access to the witnesses and experts you will need on your side. Also, a lawyer can present your strongest case. Rather than fix the legal problems, it’s always better to avoid them. Again, the immigration lawyers know how to deal with settlements and plea bargains.

When Do You Need an Immigration Lawyer ?

Every immigration issue doesn’t require legal services but there are some issues for those you may need an immigration lawyer. Let’s jump into it:

  • If there is uncertainty about your green card.
  • It is hard to achieve a USCIS green card, citizenship or any other immigration benefit.
  • When you receive USCIS notification against you that deportation or removal proceedings have been launched.
  • If you wish to come back in the United States as you have been deported from here.
  • If your immigration application has been denied.
  • If you have committed any criminal offense and want to enter the United States.
  • If you want to protect yourself from being deported from the United States.
  • When you want to go to the U.S. to work for an American employer but he / she isn’t helping you with the immigration process properly.
  • To deal with numerous forms and documentation that must be prepared for the submission as they are too confusing and time consuming and you realize that you need a legal assistance to deal with.
  • When you need to apply for an investment-based visa.

Immigration law in the United States is quite complicated. Many times, hiring an attorney saves your money, frustration and of course, your precious time. Immigration lawyers are aware of the administrative process and time-saving measures that actually deliver the results quickly. Again, if USCIS has initiated deportation proceeding against you – even then, immigration lawyers assist to aggressively defend you.

Author: Alamin Howlader

Get an Expert Consultation Call Now