Greetings.
Since there are many non-Americans living and working in the US on this site, I was wondering if some of you would be willing to share your experience with immigration lawyers.
I was considering getting one approximately a year ago to help me make a plan how to obtain a green card and eventually a citizenship, but then, after doing some research on the Internet about the US immigration laws,
it did not seems to me as if a lawyer could really bring anything new to the table as the laws are fairly straightforward. Nevertheless, today I had a discussion with someone who, despite not having personal experience with immigration lawyers, claimed that a lawyer's expertise can help a lot in the whole process. This made me reconsider my opinion so I would be interested hearing about your experience.<p>I'm not sure if this is relevant but I'm a rising college junior originally from the Czech Republic attending a college in Massachusetts who wishes to stay in the US after graduation. I have seen the similar old threads about immigration issues on HN but this thread is more about experience with immigration lawyers rather than the process itself.<p>Recommendations for immigration lawyers in Massachusetts are also very welcome.<p>Thanks to all in advance.
I'm not a lawyer, but I have a little experience.<p>After completing college you should be eligible for an OPT (optional practical training) visa, which will let you work in the US for a year. You can use that time to catch on with a company who will sponsor you for an H1B.<p>Speaking more personally, I've dealt with a family-based immigration case but not employment based. I filed my family-based petition <i>mostly</i> on my own, and took it upon myself to learn all the applicable laws and forms and stuff. I say "mostly" because I had a lawyer act as a consultant, and he gave me reviewed my forms, gave me some tips about how to package the filing, and set expectations. It was a lot less expensive than hiring a lawyer to file the application, and it was a big help.