- Have important documents handy, see which ones are the most important.
- Assign a power of attorney to a relative or person of your trust to manage your property and accounts during your absence.
- Create an emergency contact list for your family. Share a copy with your children and relatives, with your children’s schools and with persons of your trust.
- Prepare a power of attorney for the care of the minors. This document allows a relative who is not a child’s mother/father to register the child in public school, make school or health-related decisions and make other important decisions on behalf of the minor. This must be updated every year. Keep the school updated with name and contact information.
- If your children were born in the U.S., apply for citizenship of the parents’ countries of origin. Contact your country of origin’s consulate.
- It is the law to carry immigration documents. People 18 and older should always carry immigration documents.
- Organize a folder with important documents. Keep it in a safe place (with certified English translations)
- Find an immigration attorney. You should be able to trust your attorney and always carry your attorney’s information with you.
- Avoid fraud.
- Do not use a public notary to obtain legal advice. In the U.S., notaries are not attorneys and must not offer legal help.
When talking to a lawyer
Talk to a lawyer or representative who is accredited before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). Request the following information from your legal advice provider: credentials, contract and how much you will pay, copies of the contract and every document filed in your case and payment receipts signed and dated by the provider in your language of choice. Keep your original documents in a safe place at your home and give copies of the requested documents to your legal advisor.
Make an appointment with the Immigrant Rights Defense Center today!