What To Look For When Searching For An Immigration Lawyer
A lot of people travel around the world for different reasons. While there may be many travelling on a holiday or vacation with short duration stays, many people around the world travel from one country to another. Some for work, some to study, some to relocate, and a lot of them to eventually become permanent residents in the new country. Irrespective of why you wish to travel to another country, you will require a valid visa issued by the destination or transit country.Â
There are different types of visas for various reasons, all based on the purpose of your visit to that country. It becomes quite a task sometimes to understand and assess the type of visa and supporting documentation compliances required. At such times, it is best to seek advice and help from expert lawyers like Total Law, who can guide you and ensure that you have the correct type of visa and appropriate documentation while travelling to a particular country.Â
All over the world, some agencies and individuals claim to have the requisite knowledge of immigration laws and requirements thereof. This raises the big question of how you, as a traveller, will decide which agency or individual will be best suited to help and guide you through the immigration process. What would you look for? The agency or individual charging the least, or would you look for the agency with specific expertise and experience in the service you seek?Â
It is all about you, the traveller, getting precisely what you need regarding the type of visa, relevant documentation, and full compliance with all the laws of the country you are travelling to. Looking for the cheapest service may not be the best for your needs at all times. That is why searching for and selecting the most relevant immigration lawyer best suited to your specific requirements is essential.
A few ways to source a best-suited and relevant immigration lawyer could be:
Seeking Referrals
This is the best and most reliable method to source a good immigration lawyer or agency. In today’s world, your social media network referencing and recommendation can become a big bonus and add value to your search for a good immigration lawyer. Obtaining references from friends, relatives, associates, and other connections is always helpful. This way, you can get unbiased information about the person’s experience with the lawyer and how well the lawyer met the expectations and processes.Â
Approaching The Appropriate Bar Association
Every country and state has a Bar Association through which almost all qualified lawyers network and connect with clients. Whenever a client sends a search through the Bar Association, the network within the Bar Association searches and recommends the best-suited lawyer for your needs. Some Bar Associations also have this facility through an online process, while some have it offline. Whatever your need concerning legal services, the Bar Association will almost certainly recommend an appropriate lawyer for you.Â
Having searched for an appropriate immigration lawyer, the next most crucial step would be to assess the lawyer’s capabilities and decide what you expect as a service for your needs.Â
A few pointers for the assessment could be to check:
The Lawyers’ Professional Qualifications And Regulatory Compliance
In the UK, all legal immigration advisers must work in or through a solicitor firm duly registered and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). In the case of non-solicitors, they should be registered with and regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). You must always confirm these basic prerequisites before engaging with a lawyer in the UK. Next, you must verify the qualification credentials of the lawyer.Â
References and Reviews
Today’s world of the internet can generate an immense amount of information which could help you to check, verify, and select an immigration lawyer. Many people post reviews and their individual experiences through which you can get valuable insights into the actual working capabilities of the immigration lawyer. This can be followed by direct recommendations from your personal online network.
Service Charges and Fees
As a traveller, you always seek the most cost-optimised service. It is always better to decide on the total service required and then mutually agree to a fixed fee for the entire service, with a deliverable result tied to the final payment. By doing this, you and the immigration lawyer can work seamlessly to achieve the required goal as per your specific travel requirement.Â
Searching for and selecting an immigration lawyer can sometimes be a daunting and uphill task. Still, with the right type of search criterion and networking, you can get the best-suited lawyer.