Immigration Form G-28 – 10 Tips
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services allows immigrants to have an attorney or accredited representative handle their cases for them. Upon hiring a representative, they will be expected to fill the G-28 form to indicate this decision.
- Get a qualified attorney
To increase the chances of getting the immigration benefits that one is pursuing it is essential to have an attorney that knows what they are doing to handle your case. RunRex.com has proven itself in the past, and any immigrant should highly consider contracting them for this service. Once any of their professionals sign the G-28 form, the immigrant can be guaranteed of efficient handling of the case.
- Correct filing of the form
- The G-28 needs to be correctly and fully completed.
- All the information needs to be clear. The filling can be done electronically. Alternatively, it can be accomplished by hand, but a black pen will have to be used in addition to any information being within the allocated spaces.
- No part of the form should be greyed out. Correction fluid should also not be used. If mistakes are made, a new form should be filled.
- The form needs to be signed with a pen. Both the applicant and legal representative must sign. The former signs in Part 4 while the latter does so in Part 5 of the form.
- The original form should be submitted. USCIS does not accept any photocopy of the G-28 form.
- Fees
There are no charges for filing this form. Therefore, there is no purpose to deny yourself this advantage.
- What happens after you submit this form
Upon signing this form, you sanction that your attorney can have access to your immigration file. A person’s immigration file is usually confidential, and people not in the US government can only view it with your consent. He or she can then send and get correspondences from USCIS regarding your case. Upon evaluating the facts concerning your immigration status, he or she can also advise you or negotiate for you.
- Why it is advisable to have a representative
There are many benefits of having an attorney as your representative.
- He or she has a stable address.
- He or she knows how to track your case efficiently.
- He or she will instantly comprehend the significance of any letter that the USCIS sends. For example, if additional documentation is mandated, the attorney will know the reasons for such a demand being made. He or she will also help in satisfying the requirements in time.
- He or she acts as a backup recipient. Any correspondence is usually sent to you and your attorney. However, you may change addresses and forget to relay the information. Conversely, even after informing the immigration authorities of this move, such a notification may become lost. Hence, the attorney will get it, but you will not. In this case, having an attorney is instrumental in ensuring that you are always aware of any information from the US government.
- What if you do not want to work with your attorney
You are not obligated to retain the attorney throughout your case. However, you must communicate this decision to the USCIS.
- If any switch between representatives is made, a new G-28 form must be submitted, which will substitute that of the old attorney. The new form must also be appropriately filled by both parties, the applicant, and new representative.
- If you do not desire any representation, you should send a letter to the USCIS. It should indicate the intention to withdraw the current representative and to have the case continue without any legal representation.
- What if the attorney wants to withdraw any representation
An attorney may also wish not to appear in a proceeding before the Homeland Security on behalf of an immigrant. He or she will need to submit a written request stating this desire.
- Fill the current edition of the form
USCIS has made revisions to the G-28 form. Therefore, ensure that you submit the correct version.
- Validity of the G-28 form
A G-28 form is only applicable to a particular petition or application. For instance, if a G-28 form was filed in 2017 for an application for employment authorization, it will not be valid for a new application submitted in 2018. Therefore, representatives must file a G-28 form with every application or petition they prepare for the client.
- What happens when the representative changes address
An attorney may shift offices thus requiring a change of address. However, he or she needs to inform USCIS of this change to ensure that any correspondence is sent to them and not to the old address. The representative can thus file a new G-28 form for any pending case besides incorporating the receipt number.
In conclusion, a non-citizen may have an attorney or any other accredited representative handling any application or petition at the USCIS. There is no fee for doing so besides there being many benefits of having a legal expert for your case.