(Below is a transcription of this video)
Hi, this is Michael Niren, an immigration lawyer and founder of visaplace.com.
One question we get a lot is, “Can I do my own immigration application? Do I really need a lawyer or immigration professional to help me?” For the record, let me clear this all up. The answer is a resounding NO. You don’t need an immigration professional. You don’t need a lawyer to do your case, in most cases. Some litigation cases where you go to court, you appeal a refusal, you are really going to need a lawyer to help you.
Temporary Resident Visa ApplicationsÂ
When it comes to applications for temporary resident Visas or permanent residence Visas, technically the answer is no. You can certainly do your application on your own. However, there are always risks and benefits to different paths to something that you ultimately want, and in this case you want to get a Visa, you want to get approved, you want to get entry to a country that you are not in, or you want to stay in a country that you are already in, and you need to take action. So, you have options.
Of course technically the answer is no, you don’t need a lawyer. The government often tells you that you can do it on your own, and sometimes they encourage you to do it on your own. The problem is that you are dealing with a process, a procedure where there is thousands and in some cases hundreds of thousands of applications in the queue, and you have government officials who are reviewing them, and you have to do it right. You have to fill out forms, you have to provide supporting documents, and after the application is submitted, it’s in a system. Often it can get lost in the system because there are so many other applications and you are dealing with the government bureaucracy.
Hiring an Immigration Lawyer Improves Your Chances of SuccessÂ
So, I think you know where I am going here. Essentially, you don’t need a lawyer. You don’t need an immigration professional, but we are in the business of doing this everyday, and we help people do it all the time. So, it’s a question of whether or not you want to improve your chances of success. Of course, no ethical immigration practitioner can ever guarantee results because that is just not realistic. However, the bottom-line is that if you are interested in immigration, interested in a Visa, it’s not a bad idea to consult with a lawyer or a law firm, or an immigration professional and get a sense of what they can do for you because if you are informed about the differences between doing it on your own and hiring a professional, then you can make an informed decision.
Why you Should Hire an Immigration Lawyer
In some cases certainly you may wish to go it alone. In our practice, we do have cases where people have made that decision and then they come back to us because errors are made or the government does something that they shouldn’t be doing, and then they come to us to help. Often, it would have been a better choice to have hired us in the first place, but I’m not going to say to you that you have to or you must hire an immigration professional for all your cases. It’s a personal decision, and only after consulting with a lawyer can you make an informed decision about what you want to do with your case.
Hopefully this gave you some insight. If you like the video, feel free to click like and visit us at www.visaplace.com
Are you Looking for a Qualified Immigration Lawyer?
If you looking for qualified immigration professionals, look no further than Niren & Associates. All you need to do is use our free online immigration assessment form here or contact us here. Once you fill out that form, we will get back to you (within 24 hours) to discuss your eligibility and immigration options.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
