There are a lot of people who would like to cheat and trick you out of your hard earned money. In the process they could expose your ability to apply for an immigration benefit or a right to assistance. So if we are hiring an immigration consultant or immigration assistance service provider, than we need to take these important points to protect ourselves from immigration fraud.
- Make sure the person we hire is honest and genuine and only performs basic non-legal immigration services for small fees. Remember, immigration consultants and immigration assistance service providers are not attorneys; they do not work for a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recognized non-profit organization, and they cannot provide legal advice and legal services.
- Do not trust people who claim to have special contacts with USCIS or who Guarantee results or faster processing. No organization or person offering help with immigration matters has a special relationship with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and can guarantee results or faster processing.
- If we use an immigration consultant or an immigration assistance service Provider, obtain and keep a written contract from them. The contract should be in English and in our native language. The contract should list all the services that will be provided to us and how much each service costs. Ask for reference before when we are signing the contract. Make sure that we fully understand the contract before we are signing it and that we can cancel it within 72 hours of signing it. Keep a copy of the contract for our records.
- We should avoid paying cash for the services of an immigration consultant or an immigration assistance service provider. Use a own check, certified cheque or credit card to pay for the services of an immigration consultant. Make sure you get a receipt anytime you make a payment and make sure that the receipt has the agencies or provider’s name and address on it. Never sign a blank form, application or request. Do not sign any forms, applications, or papers contain any false statements or incorrect information.
