How to verify and choose an immigration attorney
A verification checklist using free, official sources — not a directory
This page recommends no one. It explains how to independently verify anyone offering immigration help, what a fee agreement should contain, and the warning signs of fraud — all with free, public sources.
1. Only two kinds of people may represent you
Before USCIS, legal representation is limited to two groups: attorneys licensed by any state, and Justice Department–accredited representatives working at recognized nonprofit organizations. Anyone else offering to "handle your case" cannot represent you.
Verifying an attorney
- Ask which state licenses them, then search their name in that state bar's public lookup (every state has one, free).
- Confirm the license is active and check the disciplinary history.
- Check EOIR's disciplined-practitioners list: justice.gov/eoir
Verifying an accredited representative
- They and their organization must appear on the Justice Department's official roster.
- The roster is public, searchable by state and city: justice.gov/eoir
- Accredited representatives work only at recognized nonprofits — not at private businesses.
2. A real representative files a G-28
Form G-28 is the official notice of representation. Someone genuinely representing you signs it and files it with your case — and from then on USCIS sends the representative copies of case notices. It is one of the simplest checks there is: a person who prepares your forms but does not want their name on a G-28 is not acting as your representative, and that combination (preparing without signing) is a known pattern in immigration scams.
3. What a written fee agreement should contain
Rates vary widely between offices, and per-case flat fees are common in application-based work. More important than the number is that the agreement is in writing and answers:
- Exactly what it covers: which forms, which stages (is the interview included? an RFE?), and what would cost extra.
- That USCIS filing fees are separate, and who pays them — those fees are the same with or without a representative (the official amounts are on our filing-fees page).
- Refund terms if the relationship ends before the work is complete.
- Who will work the case day to day and how updates will be communicated.
- Copies for you of everything that gets filed.
4. Warning signs
These patterns show up again and again in the fraud cases USCIS and state prosecutors document. None of them is normal:
- Guaranteeing an outcome or a timeline. No one can guarantee what USCIS will decide.
- Claiming a "special relationship" or connections inside USCIS or the government.
- Refusing to provide a written agreement or receipts.
- Keeping your original documents (passport, certificates, green card) — your originals are yours.
- Suggesting you lie or omit facts on a form. Beyond the legal risk to you, it signals the person cannot make the real case.
- Refusing to sign as the preparer or to file a G-28 (see above).
USCIS's official avoid-scams guidance: uscis.gov/avoid-scams
5. Questions to ask in a consultation
- Which state licenses you? (Then verify it yourself — section 1.)
- How many cases like mine has this office handled?
- What is the total cost, including USCIS fees, and what happens if an RFE or appeal comes up?
- Who will work my case, and how do updates reach me?
- Will you file a G-28 with my case?
- How does my situation compare with the posted processing time? (Current times by office are on this site, free.)
Free and low-cost help
- EOIR list of pro bono legal service providers
The Justice Department's official list of free legal service providers, by state.
- DOJ recognized organizations and accredited representatives
Nonprofit organizations authorized by the Justice Department to provide low-cost immigration help through accredited (non-attorney) representatives.
- USCIS: finding legal services
USCIS's own page on who may legally give immigration advice and where to look — including how to avoid scams.
Considering filing on your own? What it involves, form by form →
This page is consumer-protection information from official public sources; it is not legal advice and recommends no particular representative.
Frequently asked questions
How do you verify that an immigration attorney is licensed?
Every state publishes a free attorney-license lookup (search "[state] bar attorney search"). Check that the license is active and has no disciplinary history. The Justice Department also publishes a list of practitioners disciplined before the immigration courts. A legitimate representative will readily say which state licenses them.
What is Form G-28?
The G-28 is the official notice of representation an attorney or accredited representative files with your case at USCIS. With a G-28 on file, USCIS sends copies of case notices to the representative. Someone who "helps" with forms but refuses to sign and file a G-28 is not acting as your representative before USCIS.
Are flat fees normal in immigration cases?
Yes — for application-based work (family petitions, naturalization, work permits), per-case flat fees are common, and rates vary widely between offices. What matters is not the number: it is that the agreement is in writing and says what it covers. USCIS's own filing fees are separate and are the same with or without an attorney.
Can a notary help with immigration forms?
Be careful: in much of Latin America a "notario" is a legal professional, but in the U.S. a notary public is NOT a lawyer and cannot give immigration legal advice or represent you before USCIS. This confusion is one of the most exploited in immigration scams. Only licensed attorneys and Justice Department–accredited representatives may represent you.