Full Answer
Fees for Employment Non-immigrant Visas Application/Petition Type Initial Attorney Fees Fees Due Upon Approval H-1B, Skilled worker (new) $2,100 $2,100 H-1B Transfer, Extension and Amendment $950 $950 H-4 Dependent (With H-1B) $350 None H-4 Dependent only $550 None 11 more rows ...
Applying for a visa is a costly and complicated process. Most people will advise that you need the help of a specialized attorney. The reality is, many people that apply for visas and green cards, can’t actually afford the high attorney fees that come with them.
Legal assistance when filing basic immigration forms costs $250 to $800, while green card assistance runs from $800 to $5,000, plus the USCIS fees of $460 to $700.
That makes it easy to compare fees between attorneys. A typical fee for this particular service is from $250 to $500. The lawyer might also separately bill you for expenses, such as the costs of photocopies and mailing documents to USCIS. You can ask the attorney to estimate these costs in advance.
An immigration lawyer charges between $150 and $300 per hour, with a typical 30-min consultation fee of $75 to $150. Legal assistance when filing basic immigration forms costs $250 to $800, while green card assistance runs from $800 to $5,000, plus the USCIS fees of $460 to $700.
You are not required to have a lawyer when applying for an immigrant visa or green card in the United States or overseas.
Lawyer fees for a consultation vary throughout the United States. On average, consultation costs will range from about $250 an hour to $350 an hour. Rates will change depending on location, type of law, and attorney experience.
Attorney FeesCase TypeUSCIS FeesInitial Attorney FeeH1B (new)$460 + $1,500* + $500 (if applicable)Contact UsComplex H1B$460 + $1,500* + $500 (if applicable)Contact UsH1B (transfer, extension, amendment)$460 + $1,500* + $500 (if applicable)$1,400H-4 dependent (with H1B)$370$400
The immigration process can be intimidating and take a long time, but hiring an immigration attorney to support you with your case can speed up the process and help you meet your goals.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for lawyers, which includes those practicing immigration law, is strong. The agency expects employment in this field to grow 9% by 2030, which is about as fast as the average rate of occupations in the general workforce.
You can pay anywhere from $50 to thousands per hour. Smaller towns and cities generally cost less while heavily populated, urban areas are most expensive. The more complicated the case and the more experienced the attorney, the more you'll pay. Lawyer fees can range from $255 to $520 per hour.
The minimum for an hourly consultation is around PHP 1,000.00 outside of Metro Manila and PHP 2,500.00 in Metro Manila. The rate only goes higher depending on the lawyer. There is no standard rate for an hourly consultation so it is best to ask for the consultation fee before booking a consultation.
Throughout the United States, typical attorney fees usually range from about $100 an hour to $400 an hour. These hourly rates will increase with experience and practice area specialization.
In general, a visa sponsorship costs approximately $4000 but may cost $8-9,000 if a company has more than fifty employees and 50% of those employees are foreign nationals.
Even the sponsor does not technically have to hire an attorney and may file the visa without one. However, due to the complexity of the process and administrative changes, as a sponsor, it is advisable to hire an attorney, especially for first-time sponsors unfamiliar with the process.
the employerFiling Fees: According to the Immigration and Nationality Act and federal regulations, each of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) fees associated with an H-1B filing must be paid by the employer and cannot be borne by the H-1B employee.
Immigration cases are complex. There are layers of complicated rules, laws, and regulations you need to navigate to get a successful outcome. Some cases are simple and don’t need special assistance.
There are a lot of resources and information on immigration available online. So, it might seem unnecessary to pay a high price for an immigration lawyer when all these resources are free. The reality is, however, the immigration process is complex, and there is usually a lot at stake.
There is a whole host of factors that will influence the cost of an immigration lawyer. Generally, however, the following factors will affect the price you are charged:
As we’ve explained above, there is a whole range of factors that will influence the actual cost of an immigration lawyer. What we can do, however, is look at what the average costs are for different types of visas.
Now you no longer have to wonder how much does an immigration lawyer cost. These legal fees can seem very expensive. But it may save you time and money in the long run. It could also be the difference between a successful application and a possible denial (or worse – deportation!).
Immigration lawyers typically charge between $100 and $250 for a detailed consultation and many credit this to legal fees should you choose to hire them. Many also offer introductory calls at no cost – these are not meant to be detailed consultations, but an opportunity to share some context, get to know the lawyer and decide if you want to work with them. You’ll find many lawyers that specialize in removal / deportation cases do not charge any consultation fees at all.
However, a lawyer in California may have more exposure to the immigration issue you are facing. It is important to balance cost and experience.
If you are here unlawfully, an attorney can help you figure out if there is a path to legal status. If you’ve had any brush ups with the law, even if you weren’t convicted, you might be at risk for deportation. These are just a few scenarios in which the advice of an immigration lawyer is crucial.
Immigration law is federal, which means that you can live in California and work with an attorney in New York, if you are comfortable working remotely. This works for most people, unless you are dealing with issues that require frequent visits to immigration court (such as in removal/deportation cases).
Note: If you come across a “notario” or immigration “consultant”, they are not lawyers and are not licensed to practice immigration law. Be very careful who you trust with your immigration needs. Navigating U.S. immigration is incredibly time consuming and complex.
Government filing fees are not optional (unless you qualify for a fee waiver. Whether you work with an attorney or file your paperwork yourself, you will incur these costs and they can be quite steep. Thousands of people immigrate to the U.S. each year without the help of an immigration lawyer.
Non-immigrant work visas are visas that are obtained for the purpose to work, invest, trade and do business in the U.S. Non-immigrant visas only apply for a limited time period and do not lead to permanent residency or citizenship.
H-4 visas are visas dependents of H-1B visa holders can apply for. This visa is used so that dependents (spouse and children under the age of 21 years) can stay with the H-1B visa holder in the U.S. Your application for an H-4 visa can be submitted with the H-1B visa application. H-4 visas allow the holders to work en get an education in the U.S.
The N-400 application can be used by lawful permanent residents in the U.S, that is older than 18, to apply for U.S citizenship. Your green card must have been valid for at least 5 years prior to your application to be eligible. If your green card is based on marriage, it only has to be valid for three years.
An EB-1 green card is an employment-based petition for permanent residency in the U.S. The EB-1C was specifically designed for the most skilled and proficient business managers and executives. EB-1 green cards do not require PERM labor certification
U.S Citizens and legal permanent residents are allowed to petition for foreign relatives to come live in the U.S legally. There are two categories, namely Immediate Relative Petitions and Family Preference Petitions. The category of family members that are allowed to come to live in the U.S differs if you are a U.S citizen versus only being a green card holder.
Foreign nationals with extraordinary abilities in one of the below categories can obtain an O-1 non-immigrant visa. The purpose of the visa is for these individuals to engage in the activities in the U.S.
The terms “travel visa” and “tourist visa” are often confused and used as if they have the same meaning. This is not true and a traveler should take care to remember their differences. Generally speaking, any type of visa document permits a person to travel in or out of a certain county.
As discussed above, the requirements for travel visas will vary widely from country to country. Although there is no overarching category of a travel visa in the United States, there are many specific types of visa that may be used to enter and return to the United States from another country.
As previously mentioned, the requirements to get a travel visa will vary based on the type of visa that a person is applying for as well as the requirements set by a particular country. Thus, it is very important that persons looking to secure a travel visa research and review the entry requirements of whichever country they plan on visiting.
It is essential that a foreign-born individual have a valid travel visa if they intend to travel to the United States from another country, or alternatively, travel abroad and then return to the United States.
It's going to be harder to find a lawyer who is willing to just review work you've done before you send your application . This is because even a simple review creates a lawyer-client relationship and all of the responsibilities that come with it for the lawyer. Most lawyers will want to have complete control over the work product ...
Most lawyers will want to have complete control over the work product if they are going to take on the lawyer-client responsibilities, and therefore a reduced fee for what you hoped would be a simple review is not going to be worth it to the lawyer. When you're ready to hire a lawyer, make sure the lawyer-client agreement says exactly what ...
The lawyer can also attend your citizenship interview with you — mostly to take notes about what happens during the interview in case you are denied, but also to speak up on your behalf if the USCIS officer needs clarification or asks you inappropriate questions.
In the American system, an immigration lawyer does not have any special influence over the government's decision. There is nothing outside the law that a lawyer can do that will make your application process go faster or make it more likely that you will get your citizenship. However, a lawyer will know everything that is legally possible ...
However, a lawyer will know everything that is legally possible to make your application process go as quickly and successfully as it can. Your lawyer cannot tell you how to answer any questions on the application form, although he or she can explain the questions to you so you can understand how to answer. At your citizenship interview, your ...
An immigration lawyer can save you time. Not just the time it would take you to figure out how to apply, but also time you might waste if you make a mistake in applying or don't send the right type of document. At the least, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the government agency in charge of naturalization, ...
Don't expect your lawyer to give you a ride to the USCIS office, unless you've agreed to this arrangement. There aren't many immigration lawyers who will help you with your English or your knowledge of U.S. history and government (civics), if you need that kind of test-preparation help. The best the lawyer can do is tell you where to find ...
Not everyone can afford an immigration lawyer, and not everyone needs one. In fact, 46% of our readers went through the process without help. Slightly more (48%) hired a lawyer. Their citizenship applications may have involved complicating circumstances that call for expert immigration help.
More than 9 in 10 readers who hired a lawyer had their citizenship applications granted.
Tourism visas expire more quickly than most, since tourists rarely stay for an extended time. These visas are for people who are traveling for vacation. Often, you will need to include the date that you plan to leave the country in your visa application, and the visa will expire on that date or shortly afterward.
Immigration visas are much more difficult to get than tourist visas. An immigration visa is the famous “Green Card.” This is where an immigration attorney becomes absolutely essential.
Student visas are for people who are in the country to get an education. The visa will expire after a set amount of time, although it is often possible to have a student visa renewed before it expires.
Work visas can be ever harder to get than immigration visas. Governments tend to prefer that their own citizens hold most of the jobs and drive most of the economic activity in their countries.
Because the laws can be so complex, it is difficult for many people to understand how their travel visas work and whether or not they qualify for a visa.
Please answer a few questions to help us match you with attorneys in your area.
In order to determine the filing fees, and whether one is exempt from them, an applicant must first determine their category of eligibility under the Instructions to Form I-765.
If you wish to have a lawyer help you prepare the Form I-765, the lawyer must charge for these services. For standard tasks such as these, most immigration attorneys charge a flat fee. That makes it easy to compare fees between attorneys. A typical fee for this particular service is from $250 to $500.