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| How
do I go about selecting a reputable
immigration service? |
Question:
Can somebody please explain how I
would go about selecting a reputable
immigration service. Are there qualifying
examinations that they must take.
Are there state or federal registration
requirements. Do all agencies need
to have an immigration attourney on
staff? In Australia immgration services
must be licenced and they must pass
a law exam. I am curious if the same
stringent requirements are here or
if someone can just place an ad. Thanks
in advance
Answer:
You've just hit on a very sore nerve
for lots of immigration attorneys,
foreign nationals, and government
officials. The only restriction on
"immigration services" are the Unauthorized
Practice of Law (UPL) provisions of
U.S. law. These provisions usually
are enforced only where someone takes
the time to go after a particular
agency or person who charges for immigration
services but doesn't have a law degree
and doesn't consult a lawyer in conjuction
with the services they charge for.
Myself, I'm of the opinion that a
law degree doesn't ensure competence,
and I've seen lots and lots and LOTS
of examples of Incompetent Practice
of Law by people who have law degrees.
That said, I would still recommend
that anyone looking for assistance
with immigration matters contact the
American Immigration Lawyers Association
(AILA). They have a website, www.aila.org,
and there are local AILA chapters
all over the country. Members of AILA
aren't required to take any substantive
exam, but they are required to have
their membership ratified by the other
members of the chapter, and I know
of at least one instance where the
chapter refused to admit a lawyer
whose ethics were in question.
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