Before you begin anything as important and final as an immigration application, whether it be for citizenship, adjustment of status, deportation/cancellation hearing or an extension of status:
Always get a second or even a third opinion before you file.
Find out what the qualifications of the agency and/or representatives are. Try to stay away from agencies that focus on other fields and just do immigration work intermittently or as a sideline. This is much too complex and important a field to trust anyone who doesn't do this type of work on a daily basis.
Don't leave any important or one-of-a-kind documents with the agency or practitioner. The USCIS has not needed originals with filings for many years now; you may and should always bring the original documents, and a copy of same, with you to the USCIS interview.
Make sure of what you are signing; try not to sign blank forms unless you check the title and number of each form signed. (These form numbers can be found on the bottom left hand corner of every I.N.S. form, they usually begin with an I, N or G followed by three numbers.) Department of State forms begin with DS or OF.
ALWAYS make copies of what you give the agency and get copies of what is filed on your behalf. Be certain mailed filings are done by certified mail/return receipt.
You should try to pay with a personal check or a bank teller's check. If you don't have an account you may use a family member's or trusted friend's. As a last choice you can use a money order but they are usually more difficult, time consuming and costlier to trace.
Whether you pay with cash or check, always obtain a receipt with: your name, the agency name and address, the amount paid, any balance left to pay, the type of case being done, -ex. I-485 and the printed name and signature of the individual in the agency helping you or receiving your money.
Besides a receipt, you should always insist on a written contract/retainer with the agency that clearly spells out what is being done for you and what it costs. If possible, it should also list what extra follow-up work may be involved and its cost.
If someone promises to "speed up," "fix," "guarantee," or otherwise influence your case before the USCIS -usually for a sizable upfront fee- it's a very good indication that they are fraudulent practitioners. No one can guarantee any results except the USCIS itself.
Use your common sense. If someone tells you that they alone can do something when all the other agencies have told you they cannot- it's most probably fraudulent advice. Although it may be what you want to hear, remember that fraudulent practitioners are extremely skilled at baiting the hook and that you are the fish. They rely on your wanting a result so badly that you'll overlook glaring problems with what they've told you.
**ANYONE WHO FEELS THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF FRAUD CAN CONTACT OUR OFFICE TO GET HELP.**
We may be able to file a bonafide case, help you file a criminal complaint with the proper law enforcement agency and work with NYC Consumer Affairs to get some or all of your money back.
