The process of legally immigrating to the United States can be lengthy, complicated, and emotionally draining. The more complex your individual circumstances are, the more involved the entire process is likely to be. Even with the best of immigration attorneys working at your side, the act of immigrating requires a fair degree of patience and perseverance.
Of course, when it comes to immigration, one thing that tends to catch many unsuspecting people by surprise is the overall cost involved. While most would know better than to assume that anything government-related will be easy or cheap, plenty are surprised to learn exactly how expensive the process from start to finish can be. Daniel Fisher of the law firm Fisher & Frommer, NYC is an immigration attorney who spends his days (and in some cases, nights) helping clients with all of their immigration needs, and he thinks that it’s important for people to account for all of the costs involved in immigration. The following are some expenses relating to this significant process:
Filing fees
The immigration process includes its fair share of paperwork, much of which comes along with unavoidable filing fees. Depending on the situation at hand, your filing fees alone could easily amount to well over $1,000, and this assumes that you get your paperwork right in the first place. Remember, if you happen to submit improper paperwork, then your application can be denied, and the government will have no obligation to refund your filing fee. For this reason, it’s a good idea to hire an immigration lawyer to ensure that such a costly mistake doesn’t happen.
Medical exam
In some cases, the immigration process can involve an official medical exam to ensure that you aren’t carrying any infectious diseases. Naturally, the cost of this exam is something that will come out of your pocket, not the government’s.
Attorney fees
Although most people technically have the option of tackling their immigration matters themselves, in the majority of situations, an immigration lawyer is truly the better way to go. Immigration attorneys are necessary to account for changes to the law and help people deal with the complexities involved in their proceedings. Of course, when it comes to the cost of immigration, legal fees can certainly play a huge role in the overall expense. The cost of attorney services can vary based on the lawyer and firm at hand. A fancy law firm’s fees might highly exceed those of a more modest firm, though certain attorneys have a policy of working on a sliding scale basis depending on their clients’ individual needs and financial circumstances.
Additionally, some immigration attorneys charge a flat fee for their services, whereas others charge an hourly rate. It can be difficult to know which of the two options is truly the better one. A flat fee means that there won’t be any surprises down the road, even if the matter ends up requiring more hours than initially expected. On the other hand, some attorneys, knowing that they aren’t going to bill by the hour, will charge a more significant fee upfront to protect themselves in the event that they end up spending a significant amount of time on a particular case. While attorney fees can represent a large chunk of your overall immigration bill, the help of an attorney is not something that you ought to forego in an effort to save yourself some cash. No matter how you look at it, the immigration process is bound to be expensive. But if you’re going to go through with it, then you might as well do so correctly.
Time
The immigration process can also be time-consuming. From attorney meetings to immigration interviews as applicable, you should be prepared to make yourself available as necessary in order to move the proceedings along. In some cases, this might require taking time off of work without pay or sacrificing personal or vacation days. If you’re a believer that time is money, then you’d better incorporate that philosophy into your immigration budget.
There’s no question about it: The immigration process can be costly. However, the good thing about it is that once you’re approved and granted the status that you’re looking for, you won’t have to worry about ever dealing with it again. So as much as it might pain you to fork over your salary to attorney and filing fees, remember that in return, you’ll be getting to live in one of the greatest countries in the world. After all, it’s hard to put a price on opportunity and freedom.
