Do i really need a lawyer? or can we do it on our own ?

Question

My fiance and i are planning to get married, i'm in the country legally, i have no criminal history and everything is good, i came to the US as an international student and i graduated last year, right now i have a work permit, which lasts till december. My fiancee and i have been together for 5 years now, this process will be legit, when we went to see the lawyer today he acted like we really needed him. But do we really do? or can we do all this process on our own, all the together will be like almost 1,600... and he charges 25,000 for all the process plus the 1,600.. i don't know what to do. any advice will be helpful and if you know the process please tell me what do i need to do any tips anything! thanks

Answer 1

I'm sure you can do it on your own. Just make sure you put plenty of time into studying every step you need to take to do everything correctly. If there's any legal terms etc. that you don't understand make sure to look them up so you know exactly what it means. Good luck!

Answer 2

Well, don't pick THAT specific lawyer.. that is just robbery.. but it is better to have help from a lawyer because sometimes there are little forms that were never mentioned before and immigration is so busy right now that with 1 little paper missing everything could be delayed years!

Try looking for a non-profit orginization in your city. There is one where I live and they only charged me $50 for the consult with an immigration laywer and was very helpful and informative.  

Answer 3

It will take you an hour to fill out the forms.  You don't need a lawyer for anything.

After you get married:

Your husband files I-130, I-864 and G-325A with the USCIS.

You file I-485, I-131, I-765 and G-325A with the USCIS.

You file them all at the same time, in the same envelope.  The total cost to file is $1,365. (The I-131 and I-765 are free when filed with the I-485).

In less than 90 days you'll get a work permit.

In about 6 months you'll have your interview.

In about a year you'll get your green card in the mail.

You can find the forms here...

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/m...

Answer 4

Get a second ... and third opinion on this.

The problem with do-it-yourself in this case is that if you don't do everything just right, you might find yourself deported.  Is that worth saving some money?

Answer 5

Do everything that Yak Rider says and save yourself some money.

http://www.visajourney.com is a good source of information and support while you are filing as everyone there is doing the same thing.

Before you get married start getting copies of all the paperwork you are going to need including getting a new police certificate from back home.

Make sure you marry at least a couple of months before your visa runs out as if you leave it to within 30 days of expiry the presumption is that you married to extend your presence here and you risk denial.

If you really feel you need legal advice you can look for Catholic Social Services in your area, they have good quality immigration lawyers there and they charge according to your income. You don't have to be Catholic to use them.

Answer 6

You don't necessarily need a lawyer. Just follow guide lines and here are some website that would be helpful for you. Congratulations and good luck!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index....

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/m...