INTERVIEWS AND HEARINGS
INTERVIEWS AND HEARINGS
We represent clients and their families at interviews and hearings regardless of where they live, in the United States or any other country in the world.
Because immigration law is federal law, the same rules are generally used whether a person lives in Florida or in New York. Blandon Law attorneys attend Immigration interviews or Immigration Court hearings in any of the 50 states.
One of our most unusual cases involved a client who had an Immigration interview in California the Wednesday before the Thanksgiving holiday. Our attorneys spent more time on the flights then on the ground. The client did not pay for an overnight hotel stay because the interview was mid-morning.
Having an attorney at interviews and hearings makes all the difference. Studies have shown over and over again that persons who go into an Immigration office or into a courtroom without an attorney are much more likely to LOSE their case. Thus, our attorneys are available to travel throughout the United States or, to save money, a local immigration lawyer can be vetted and hired by Blandon Law.
For Immigration Court, one lawyer can go to the Master Hearing and another attorney goes to the Individual Hearing. The firm remains responsible for the case when we use local lawyers for interviews and hearings.
CAN WE REPRESENT CLIENTS AT US EMBASSIES IN EVERY COUNTRY?
The last step for consular processing of an immigrant visa is an interview at a US embassy or consulate in a foreign country. Interviews in U.S. embassies and consulates are also held, however, for persons wishing to get temporary visas. The most common types include student visas and visitor visas. Persons who decide to make the United States their permanent home with Green Cards often base the decision on pleasant experiences as students or visitors.
We complete online applications, prepare the client for the embassy interview, and prepare the documents given to the consular officer. If there is not an approval, attorneys discuss the matter with the headquarters of the Department of State. This is tremendous power, but it is not limitless. Attorneys cannot attend an interview. It is the client who must speak for themselves.
As with interviews and hearings in the United States, we can use local attorneys to go to the US embassy appointment although professionals’ help is extremely limited there.