Avoid immigration scams and find authorised legal help

Who may provide immigration legal advice

USCIS and the Department of Justice draw a clear line: immigration legal advice may come from an attorney in good standing or a DOJ-accredited representative working through a DOJ-recognised organisation. Accreditation belongs to the representative through that organisation; it is not a general licence to operate an unrelated private practice.

A notario in the United States is not the same as a civil-law notary in some other countries. Immigration consultants, travel agents, tax preparers, translators and document preparers are not authorised to give legal advice merely because they know how to complete forms.

Sources: Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review, USCIS

Warning signs before money or documents change hands

Stop when someone guarantees approval, claims a special relationship with USCIS, asks for cash without a receipt, wants a signature on a blank form, refuses to provide a copy or directs a government fee to a personal account. Be equally cautious with urgent social-media messages and lookalike websites.

Verify the person's name and status independently. Read the written scope and fee agreement, confirm who will sign the filing, and insist on a complete copy. Keep original identity and immigration documents unless an agency or verified professional needs them for a defined purpose.

Sources: USCIS, Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review

If something may already be wrong

Do not let the same unverified helper quietly submit a second filing to conceal the first. Gather copies, payment records and messages, then consult an authorised professional about deadlines, withdrawal, correction or disclosure. False information on a form can have serious consequences even when another person typed it.

USCIS provides fraud-reporting information, and state consumer-protection or law-enforcement agencies may also handle unauthorised-practice complaints. A report is separate from getting advice about the immigration case itself.

Sources: USCIS, Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review

QueueCheck's conflict rule

QueueCheck does not sell immigration leads, accept payment for provider placement or rank lawyers and accredited organisations. The DOJ roster is the neutral starting point for recognised nonprofit organisations; state-bar directories are the starting point for attorney licensing.

Sources: Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review