Immigration specialists, including attorneys, paralegals, and law enforcement agents, have specific duties in the immigration process and must be knowledgeable in immigration laws. They work with government agencies, immigrants, and court systems and often speak multiple languages. Paralegals can advise immigrants but cannot act as attorneys. Immigration agents investigate alien status and assist in court cases against illegal immigrants. Immigration assistants guide immigrants in necessary documentation but cannot provide legal advice. Some regions require immigration specialists to register with government offices to protect immigrants.
An immigration attorney, paralegal and law enforcement agent are all types of immigration specialists. Each role has specific duties in the immigration process. Immigration specialists are expected to be well versed in immigration laws for their regions. An immigration specialist works with government agencies, immigrants and court systems and often speaks multiple languages to communicate with a variety of clients.
Immigration attorneys help immigrants with all aspects of immigration law. Immigrants being deported, seeking work visas or desiring citizenship can use the services of an immigration attorney to get through the process. Immigration attorneys maintain knowledge of current immigration laws for their regions and advise clients on the best way to achieve desired goals. An immigration attorney appears in court with the client on all legal matters. They also file papers with immigration offices and courts on behalf of clients.
Paralegals cannot act as attorneys, but they can advise immigrants on documenting documents, help them move forward in the process, and provide immigrant assistance with regards to most immigration issues. A paralegal is specifically trained in law but has not completed law school or taken the regional attorney exam. Paralegals usually work under the supervision of a lawyer, but their fees are generally cheaper than a lawyer’s fees. Some regions do not have paralegals, however.
An immigration agent is another type of immigration specialist. Typical duties of an immigration agent include investigating alien status, maintaining immigrant files, and assisting the court system in court cases against illegal immigrants. As an immigration specialist, an enforcement agent is also used to protecting national borders and proactively working to eliminate the threat of terrorism.
Some regions have immigration specialists called immigration assistants. These assistants are not lawyers or specifically trained in the law and therefore cannot provide legal advice. However, they can guide immigrants in the necessary documentation for visas, green cards or other necessities. Requirements vary by region regarding immigration assistants. For example, in some regions, the contract signed between the immigration specialist and the immigrant must be presented in the immigrant’s local language and in the language of the new region, so that both parties clearly understand everything it contains.
In the interest of protecting immigrants, some regions require all immigration specialists to register with their government offices. This helps reduce the number of untrained residents, taking advantage of immigrants seeking assistance in their new regions. Jurisdiction-specific requirements and information on how to register with a government office can usually be found on government websites.
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