People falling prey in hands of “immigration consultations and notarios”.

Thousands of aliens fall prey every year to certain individuals either who claim themselves as immigration attorneys or who proclaim themselves as immigration consultants or notario. But unfortunately, for those who believe them, these people have little or no expertise in the area of immigration law.

The fact is that these immigration consultants, notarios and even those who attain the degree of Juris Doctorate (JD) are in no way similar to licensed immigration lawyers. Most of the immigration consultants or notarios have very little knowledge about immigration laws and are not required to abide by the continuous education requirements that a licensed immigration attorney possesses.

Many aliens are deceived by these people mainly due to limited command over English which makes them more prone to immigration scams. Many aliens rely heavily on consultants and notarios because they feel that their immigration matter is simple and that the practice of immigration law is merely filling out certain forms.

In general, aliens form Spanish speaking countries and especially from Mexico, fall prey to immigration consultants who display themselves as a notary public, which is termed as “notario publico” in Spanish. Similar to a lawyer in the US, the notario publico in Mexico holds a position of legal authority. Thus, most of the Mexicans tend to think that the notarios have the same level of expertise as a qualified immigration attorney.

The actual problem is that these aliens falsely start thinking that they qualify for certain immigration benefits, which they in reality don’t. In most cases aliens from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Philippines are easy targets.

The consultants and notarios promise the aliens to obtain green cards and legal status for them even though they do not qualify for the same. They take huge amount in the name of doing so and the fixers submit the applications completely aware of the fact that it would be rejected. By the time aliens discover that they have been cheated, the immigration fixer gets out their sight and starts his conduct his false scams in a new location and a different name. Sometimes, even if the aliens know the fixers, they remain silent because they are threatened to be deported or handed over to police.

Many aliens do not hire lawyers who are specialized in immigration laws because they think that lawyers are very expensive. Alternatively, by hiring a notario or a consultant, they not only end up paying more money but also risk their chances of obtaining a genuine immigration position.

Thus, we recommend all aliens to hire only licensed attorneys and not become a victim.