I've got some news for all of you foreigners out there thinking that applying for a permanent residence in the US is impossible to achieve on your own! Nope, it's quite doable. Why pay an overpriced attorney when you can do it all by yourself?
I completed all the paperwork myself and I submitted them yesterday. I have yet to find out if I did everything right or not, but I'm pretty confident they're ok. It's true, an experienced attorney's opinion is very important in this, but it's expensive...very expensive. But if you can't afford it, doesn't mean you can't take the challenge full on. Besides, there is a cheaper alternative to this: you can have an (almost) -expert opinion about the immigration process. In my case, it was the Social Services provided by the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee. The Catholic Charities run the Center. It provides asistance to people who can't pay their utilities, can't put food on the table and other social services... like immigration help. There's actually a very knowledge-able lady at this Center whom I made an apointment to see on Tuesday. I needed somebody to look at our papers, to make sure they're filled out right. I was positively surprised. She counseled me on how to put the package together, where to send it and I could ask her whatever questions I had. All the forms were already pretty ok but still... Best part: she charged 50 times less than an immigration attorney.... $60!!!!!
So my advice is: read all the instructions that come with the forms three times, four times, five times...well, as many times as you think you completed everything perfectly. Then, if you need an attorney, think again. Look for another cheaper option: like the Catholic Charities of Collier County or some other charitable organization in your area. Just ask for help, and you shall get it. I did.
Helpful link if you live in Collier County or surrounding area: http://www.catholiccharitiescc.org/
I completed all the paperwork myself and I submitted them yesterday. I have yet to find out if I did everything right or not, but I'm pretty confident they're ok. It's true, an experienced attorney's opinion is very important in this, but it's expensive...very expensive. But if you can't afford it, doesn't mean you can't take the challenge full on. Besides, there is a cheaper alternative to this: you can have an (almost) -expert opinion about the immigration process. In my case, it was the Social Services provided by the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee. The Catholic Charities run the Center. It provides asistance to people who can't pay their utilities, can't put food on the table and other social services... like immigration help. There's actually a very knowledge-able lady at this Center whom I made an apointment to see on Tuesday. I needed somebody to look at our papers, to make sure they're filled out right. I was positively surprised. She counseled me on how to put the package together, where to send it and I could ask her whatever questions I had. All the forms were already pretty ok but still... Best part: she charged 50 times less than an immigration attorney.... $60!!!!!
So my advice is: read all the instructions that come with the forms three times, four times, five times...well, as many times as you think you completed everything perfectly. Then, if you need an attorney, think again. Look for another cheaper option: like the Catholic Charities of Collier County or some other charitable organization in your area. Just ask for help, and you shall get it. I did.
Helpful link if you live in Collier County or surrounding area: http://www.catholiccharitiescc.org/
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