What is an immigration consultant?

You may find that there are numerous "Immigration Consultants" who offer their services for immigration. Often, but not always, the fees that they charge are low, making these services appear attractive if you require immigration help but are concerned with the amount of money involved. However, you should be warned that immigration consultants are not licensed immigration attorneys, and are not authorized to provide legal immigration advice. Immigration consultants often do not have the necessary experience or education, and do not have the ethical obligations imposed by the State Bar Association. The consequences of hiring an immigration consultant may be extremely unfavorable. Filing a badly-prepared immigration petition can delay or even destroy your chance at obtaining immigration benefits. In many cases, immigration consultants have accepted money and then failed to provide any service at all. The situation has become so serious that the U.S. Congress has proposed legislation ...  more