How Do I Find A Good Immigration Lawyer?

Submitted By: Marcela Devivo

Finding a good lawyer is one of the most important things you can do for yourself if you're looking for help with immigration issued. As in any other field of law, a good immigration lawyer who knows the ropes and understands every aspect of immigration law is imperative to winning your case, filing your papers, or any other action you pursue.

However, immigration lawyers are not created equal. There are some who excel and others who are terrible and everything in between. The most important thing to think about before you begin your research is whether or not they specialize in their field.

This is important, as an immigration lawyer who specializes in amnesty law may not be the best person to choose for deportation matters, and vice versa. They should have direct experience in their sector of immigration law. Of course, many immigration lawyers have several specialties, so just make sure that, above all, they have experience with cases similar to yours (as well as decent results).

Another thing to check for is background. You can find out what school they applied to, where they took their bar exam, what professional associations they belong to and much more. This is especially important in knowing who is a professional with the license to help you and who just wants your money.

Make sure the immigration lawyer you choose belongs to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). While this isn't the only indicator of a lawyer's worth, anyone with legitimate credentials who pays a fee can get in. This weeds out the real fakes and allows you to narrow down your list and focus on reputations.

Reputations, reputations, reputations. This can't be stressed enough. If a lawyer has been in the news a lot for positive cases, serves as a source for newspapers or anything similar, you can bet they're pretty good at what they do.

References and a successful track record are a must. If you can, get your hands on some references and do some research online. Forums, chat rooms and the like are great places to find valuable information about the lawyer you're looking into. The internet is a powerful tool and is one of your best friends when looking for a good immigration lawyer.

Remember: knowledge is power. Ask lots of questions and don't be afraid to grill your potential lawyer. You're the client, and have every right to know if your lawyer knows their stuff. Come prepared knowing a little about immigration law, or at least the basics, and an understanding of the services you need for yourself. For example, if you're dealing with deportation, look up US deportation laws and familiarize yourself with them enough that you understand what your lawyer's saying.

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Legal Designations Of People Under US Immigration Law

Submitted By: Marcela Devivo

Here are some common terms for people who are pursuing action under US immigration law. These are some definitions of common terms that crop up in the everyday, though most people have only a vague idea about what they actually mean; here is a chance to find out.

Citizen:

A citizen is someone who hold citizenship, which is defined as state wherein a person holds membership in a political community and whose rights, social and political, are defended by the country where they maintain citizenship. A citizen has political rights, such as voting, whereas a non-citizen does not. While similar to the term 'nationality;' citizenship differs because you can have a nationality with having citizenship (this means you are subject to the laws of the country of your nationality, but have no political participation rights). It is also possible to have political rights without being the national of a state as long as you are a citizen.

Native-born citizen:

A native-born citizen is a citizen who was born in their country of citizenship. If a person is born in any country, they are automatically given fully legal citizenship at the moment of birth. A person is considered to be a citizen at birth if they’re jus soli, or born in the country in a certain place, even with non-native parents. They are also considered a citizen at birth via jus sanguinis, which is descent from a citizen of the country in which they were born. Either of these factors or a combination of both constitutes natural citizenship. If a person is both born in the country of citizenship to citizens of that country, they are considered a native-born-citizen. Both positions have all the same legal rights in a country; they're simply different ways of categorizing people.

Naturalized citizen:

A naturalized citizen is a person who chooses to voluntarily apply for citizenship (and gets it) in a country that is not their place of origin. People who apply for naturalization run the gamut from immigrant workers to refugees and aliens. Usually a person must meet certain requirements before becoming a naturalized citizen.

Dual citizen:

A dual citizen is a person who holds citizenship in two countries. An example might be if a child was born to Costa Rican parents in the US. They would hold not only US citizenship, but Costa Rican citizenship as well. Another example would be if a child was born to an American parent and a Costa Rican parent in Costa Rica. The child would be a Costa Rican citizen, but could apply for naturalization in the US. Keep in mind that some countries, like the US and Cuba, don't allow dual citizenship due to unresolved political disputes.

Alien:

Legally, an alien is anyone who is not a natural or native citizen of the country in which they live or work. Legal aliens are those allowed to stay in a country if they meet a specific set of criteria; a resident alien is one who has a permanent or temporary living space; a non-resident alien is what anyone is considered if they legally visit another country other than their own; In law, an alien is a person who is not a native or naturalized citizen of the land where they are found; an illegal alien is a citizen of one country who resides illegally in another country; an enemy alien is a person designated an enemy of the country they're in on.

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