Как не стать жертвой мошенников, и почему не стоит рассчитывать на бесплатную юридическую консультацию. How to avoid legal and immigration scams, and about danger of free legal consultation.

In Russian: 

Российская газета "Новые Известия" опубликовала дельную статью про опасность "бесплатных юридических консультаций". Журналисты проинтервьюировали некоторых моих московских партнеров и коллег. 


Как известно, бесплатный сыр бывает только в мышеловке. Ты получаешь то, за что заплатил.

Хороший компетентный и этический адвокат НЕ будет предоставлять консультацию (давать юридический совет) бесплатно. В оказании юридических услуг самое главное - это получить правильный совет и знать что делать и как поступить.  

Среди "юридических фирм" и "иммиграционных консультантов" попадается немало мошенников или недобросовестных и малограмотных "специалистов". Особенно много вебсайтов на интернете, которые в поисковике выходят в самом начале как реклама (так как вебсайт платит за такое выгодное размещение) и нелицензированных "иммиграционных консультантов" или "нотариусов", которые предлагают "первую" консультацию бесплатно и готовы перезвонить потенциальному клиенту в течение 5 минут. Что следует дальше, об этом люди не задумываются. А им навязывается контракт на завышенную сумму, с ненужными сервисами или предлагаются ненужные или вредные для дела действия (которые дорого стоят). После предоставления бесплатной консультации, такому специалисту ведь нужно как-то заработать на клиенте (на которого было потрачено время) -- если уж не брать оплату за консультацию, то ее используют как ловушку для доверчивых граждан, готовых повестись на обман.

Следует иметь в виду, что хороший опытный адвокат не будет и не имеет права давать "гарантии" успеха или гарантии выигрыша вашего дела. Опытный адвокат ценит свое и ваше время, и для того, чтобы проконсультировать клиента ей/ему нужно изучить ваши обстоятельства и проанализировать возможные варианты и осложнения перед тем как давать платный (ни в коем случае не бесплатный совет). 

Хорошая статья обо всем этом в Новых Известиях, с консультациями моих Московских партнеров и коллег.

DV-2016 Green Card Lottery update from the US Department of State: 11 million people registered, 91 thousand selected as "winners", but only 50,000 Green Cards are available.

DV-2016 Green Card Lottery update from the US Department of State. More than 11 million applications submitted for DV-2016 program - more than 91,000 selected as "winners" - only 50,000 green cards are available annually in this lottery. 

Applicants from all over the world who registered for the DV-2016 program were selected at random from 11,391,134 qualified entries (17,573,350 with derivatives) received during the application period that ran from October 1, 2014 until November 3, 2014. 

The Kentucky Consular Center registered and notified the winners of the DV-2016 diversity lottery.Approximately 91,563 applicants have been registered and notified and may now make an application for an immigrant visa (so called"selectees" or "winners"). Some of the first *50,000 persons registered will not pursue their cases to visa issuance, this larger number (91,563 selectees) should insure that all DV-2016 numbers will be used during fiscal year 2016.

Visa issuance period starts on October 1, 2015 and ends on September 30, 2016.

Please remember that a visa must be issued prior to September 30th of the current fiscal year (09-30-2016 for DV-2016 winners). No visas will be issued after this date. If selected as a winner you should act fast and submit your applications and required documents in a timely matter.

Read more at: http://law-visa-usa.com/1/post/2015/06/dv-2016-green-card-lottery-update-from-the-us-department-of-state-more-than-11-million-applications-submitted-only-50000-green-cards-are-available-annually-in-this-lottery-visa-issuance-period-starts-on-october-1-2015-and-ends-on-september-30-2016.html

Extreme Hardship Waiver, USCIS I-601, and Provisional Waiver, I-601A, Approval and Denial Rates, RFE, USCIS Statistics for FY 2010-2013.

USCIS provided statistics on approval rate, denial rate, and RFE rate for Forms I-601 and Forms I-601A, for FY2010 through FY2015.

Information was provided in response to a FOIA request.

Since FY2010 thru January of FY2015, the average approval rate for I-601s is 79.6% and the average denial rate is 20.4%. 

The average RFE rate is 18.8%.

Since March of FY2013 thru January of FY2015, the average approval rate for I-601As is 70.2% and the average denial rate is 29.8%.

The average RFE rate is 26.2%.

The total number of I-601 decisions issued since FY2010 (over the course of 5 years and 4 months) = 64,826. 

The total number of I-601As issued since the program started in FY2013 (over the course of 1 year and 11 months) = 62,973. 

The highest approval rate for I-601s was 82.4% in FY2013 (the year the provisional waiver program started). At the same time, I-601A approvals were at their lowest in FY2013 at 63.9% -- This was pre-"reason to believe" guidance so this makes sense. Total receipts for I-601As since March of FY2013 = 74,439.

Read more stats at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_6gbFPjVDoxRExvLW92eXhHUEU/edit

Why should you schedule consultation with an attorney. Why can't an attorney give you free consultation and answer your quick questions on a spot when you call our office.

Almost daily, I hear from some of our callers: "I don't need legal consultation, I don't want to hire an attorney. I have only one or two very simple (or quick, or easy) questions, and I want an attorney to answer my questions right now and free of charge because my questions are so simple, quick, and easy!"

I will try to explain why this request doesn't make any sense and how to get proper legal advice.

U.S. immigration law is very complex and constantly changing. There have been no major immigration reforms or amnesties in the past few years. However, there have been significant changes introduced by our administration and executive branch in the form of USCIS memorandums, executive actions, guidance, practice advisories; and changes through our judicial branch (courts), such as, the caselaw, decisions by the BIA, AAO, Courts of Appeals, US Supreme Court, or even by a federal district court judges (for example, the temporary injunction by a judge in Texas which singlehandedly put on hold nationwide federal revised DACA and new DAPA programs).

U.S. immigration law is federal in nature and is the same in all states. However, it may apply differently to your situation depending on your background, your place of residence or domicile, US embassy in the country where you apply for a visa, etc.

An experienced immigration attorney may be able to guide you and advise you about specifics, loopholes, various options, and can spot possible problems before they happen, even if it seems to you that your case is pretty straightforward and you have only "one quick question". Even an easy case and a simple or quick question not always can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" answer. You may not realize it, but a situation may have a lot of hidden potholes or variables depending on your venue, court jurisdiction, your factual circumstances, your arrest and criminal record, your family situation and status, timing, prior legal assistance, or prior legal actions and applications filed, etc.

You can find a lot of useful immigration-related INFORMATION on our Blog. We often post here updates and news about various visas, new policy guidance, reforms and relevant caselaw.

To ask basic questions about USCIS immigration forms, filing fees or to inquire about status of your pending case, you can contact USCIS, Department of Homeland Security, by calling their 800 Customer Service Hotline (number is on their website), or send an e-request via a webportal at USCIS website. Case status can be checked online, as well. Immigration courts, U.S. embassies and consulates and National Visa Center each have their own hotlines, call centers or other ways to contact them.

To receive a case-specific legal advice you should talk to a lawyer. Before we can advise you and schedule a consultation with you, we always email you our confidential immigration questionnaire, and ask you to complete and return it to us. In some cases, we can ask you to email us copies of your immigration forms, paperwork, some personal documents. When an attorney reviews your answers to our questionnaire and your paperwork, it helps her to get to know you, your situation, and decide what legal and/or visa options you shall consider, what are your best chances of obtaining certain visas and immigration benefits, how and when can you bring your family to USA, are you eligible for permanent residency or a green card in the United States, can you safely apply for a US citizenship, how can your children become US citizens, etc.

It's important that you provide truthful, accurate and complete answers to our questions because an attorney's advice to you is based on information you provided to an attorney. It could be dangerous to give misleading or incorrect answers to an attorney.

An attorney or a lawyer is often called "a counselor in law". It means that an attorney counsels and advises you, helps you to understand your situation better, anticipates any possible future issues or complications, offers guidance, and a long-term strategy and planning for yourself and your family. 

Legal advice is never a simple "yes" or "no" answer, it's never "use this form"  or "this is the link where you can find all information and all answers you need". Legal advice or consultation is like going to see a doctor. A doctor will ask you questions, take your vitals and administer necessary tests, then she will be able to diagnose you and offer you an appropriate treatment plan. The same is true about work of a good and ethical attorney. An attorney will have to ask you a number of questions, review your documents and paperwork, and only then she will be able to advise you, and offer you guidance and counsel.

In order to avoid mistakes and future complications, it's smart to consult an attorney before starting any legal, immigrant or visa process. Consultation with knowledgeable and ethical attorney should serve as a preventative measure and a way to establish a roadmap and plan your future.

In over ten years of my practice in the United States, I have come across of many unfortunate people who got themselves into deep trouble after reading wrong advice on internet forums, listening to their friends, co-workers, relatives and neighbors advice based on their experience, or paying to complete their "paperwork" to an unlicensed "immigration consultant", or "notario", or "tax preparer", or somebody else who speaks their native language in their immigrant community but has no proper training and is not a licensed attorney. In some of these cases, person's chances of living in USA legally were permanently destroyed. Some can become permanently banned from the United States, no matter how many close family members (wife, kids, parents) and other ties they have in USA. Immigration law is more complex than tax law, and non-compliance could bring more severe consequences than penalties in criminal law (except for the death penalty, of course). Where a convicted criminal can usually expect to be released from prison after a number of years and be reunited with his family, a person who was deported and permanently banned from USA may never be able to reunite with his family and loved ones in the United States. Lack of knowledge or bad advice is not always an excuse in immigration law. "Simple mistakes" in immigration law context could be costly and often irreversible.

Do yourself a favor and consult a knowledgeable immigration attorney in advance before filing of any application or petition with the USCIS Department of Homeland Security, or before submitting any visa application online. You can also schedule a consultation to seek a second opinion, if not sure that your attorney's advice is correct as applies to you. When you have questions or need legal advice you can email us to schedule a consultation. We will be glad to help you.

May 2015 Visa Bulletin: Retrogression for EB-5 Visa Category for China to May 01 2013. Dependent children under 21 and CSPA issues.

In May 2015 Visa Bulletin, the US Department of State had implemented a cutoff date for EB-5, immigrant investor visa category for China. 
In May 2015 Bulletin, it retrogresses to May 1, 2013 (two years).

How will it affect dependent children of a primary investor? How to protect dependents from ageing-out and becoming ineligible for a visa?

On April 13, 2015, Visa Office attended IIUSA 2015 EB-5 Regional Economic Advocacy Conference and provided some guidance on application of CSPA to those derivative children:

May 2015 visa bulletin can be found here. 

See at Smal Immigration Law Office Blog.