Do's and Don'ts About Immigration Process

Deciding to immigrate to another country is a serious step and should be considered carefully first before you act upon it. A lot of people might be intimidated when they think of the immigration process, especially if there is an interview involved, That's why you need to do your research first to ensure that everything goes according to plan. However, due to how stressful this process could get, you might be overwhelmed with the instructions, so to avoid this, we've prepared a few pointers to help you out in the following guide.

Do's: 

Prepare the Paperwork

The first thing that you should take care of is the heaps of paperwork that you're going to need for the process. You are expected to bring all the necessary copies of your forms, as well as your document originals. Some of the documents you might be requested to prepare include, but are not limited to, Permanent Resident Card, Employment Authorization Document, Reentry Permit, and Foreign Passport. You should also have enough information about these forms to answer any questions about them without resorting to research.

Hire an Immigration Attorney

Because immigration law is more like the thorny side of the law, no one should navigate it alone. Anyone who has undergone the immigration process will tell you that hiring an immigration attorney has helped them out to a great extent, especially during the interview phase. The legal specialists over at https://abogadoray.com/practice-areas/immigration/ explain that hiring an attorney at that point is important to avoid making mistakes as much as possible, by helping you sort through the paperwork. They are also adept at performing procedural maneuvers, which is going to help you acquire documents such as permanent residency documents, work permits, or even full citizenship to whichever country you are immigrating to. They can also be very helpful in terms of understanding your situation. For example, if your circumstances are so sensitive to the extent that you're facing deportation, they will lay down all your options for you.

Make Sure That There You Have a Support Network

Immigrating to a different country can very easily turn into a recipe for disaster if you don't already have friends, relatives, or acquaintances there. Even if you have a plan in place for living in that new country, it might be doomed to fail if you don't have support. That's why you might want to establish support through support groups, which you can be referred to by an immigration consultant.

Don'ts:

Get Sidetracked

When you're in the interview, it is a must that you pay attention to everything the immigration officer says to you, even if you have your lawyer with you. You want to pay attention to all the questions they ask you, as you don't want your interview to take a bad turn due to you not responding appropriately to these questions. What aggravates immigration officers is the lack of information or indirect answers. For example, if an officer asks you when you arrived in the US, you have to give a specific date, but if you give them non-sequiturs to every question they ask, they might think that you're lying. Thus, understanding and answering questions accordingly is a must. If you don't know the answer to a question, a simple answer of “I don't know” will suffice, as guessing or making up an answer may also be considered as a form of lying.

Rush Things Up

If anything, you will have to load all the patience you have for the immigration process. Let's be realistic, your application won't be processed in a day or two, much less approved by the program you've applied for. In fact, some programs, like the Express Entry program take more or less 6 months to process all the complete applications. But even that duration can vary based on several factors like the type of application, where you've applied, and where you applied. 

The immigration process can be very daunting, especially if you don't know where to start or if English isn't your first language. However, with the help of the right immigration attorney and a good background on how that process goes, your dream for immigration will certainly come true. It is important that you don't take any steps without consulting an expert or the attorney you've hired. It should also be noted, that all your efforts would be for naught if you take any unethical steps, like lying during an interview or committing a citizenship fraud. By following the right legal path, you'll overcome the obstacles during this process.