Moving overseas is an exciting adventure when done right, but how do you make sure that no sudden surprises will spoil the experience?
Hiring an Ireland immigration lawyer can be an essential step when considering a move of this calibre, but even the hiring process might feel like a bit of a hurdle if this is the first time you have done this.
Exploring your options is an essential step, but how can you make sure that the immigration specialist you end up with is really suited for your needs?
Why Expertise and Experience Need to Match Your Circumstances
Immigration involves many nuanced processes that vary from country to country, so finding an immigration lawyer who has experience with your particular journey will be the first step to success. Whether you are an American national navigating the complex steps for moving to Ireland or you are merely living in the United States, there is a lot to be said about the differences individuals from various regions might need to be aware of when planning an immigration journey.
Really, little is exactly the same between one individual’s move abroad to another’s, but of course that is the immigration lawyer’s bread and butter. What you should look for, though, is evidence of experience with immigration journeys that seem at least similar to yours. While immigration rules change routinely, it is nonetheless good to know that the lawyer whom you might be entrusting with such an important step in your life has already navigated the overall requirements for the immigration process in the United States.
How to Find a Suitable Immigration Lawyer
When trying to find a suitable immigration specialist or immigration law firm, you should look for testimonials or other evidence that they have explicit experience with handling immigration journeys from American clients within a relatively recent timeframe. While you don’t need to worry about finding an immigration lawyer whose sole speciality is to navigate America to Ireland immigration, you will want to see that they are familiar with both the American and Irish immigration policies to offer you the most well-rounded overview.
Beyond this, you will actually benefit from lawyers who seem to have broad experience, as this will give you the most well-rounded overall experience. Beyond the formalities of immigration paperwork, there can be a lot of nuances to your journey and requirements that might benefit from discussion with an expert. The more well-rounded your immigration lawyer’s familiarity with the global immigration process is, the better their advice may be.
Should I Check Locally or Online?
When considering the support of an immigration lawyer, it might feel confusing where you should go and find one. While it makes sense to check your local availability, you don’t actually have to limit yourself to the providers in your area, especially if they might be less experienced with immigration processes most relevant to your needs.
Instead, you can seek counsel remotely, as many immigration law firms offer various ways to access their services. Here, you should consider what you might feel most comfortable with, but also whether your preference will give you the best coverage of services.
Most immigration lawyers offer some sort of free initial session to help assess your needs and give you an opportunity to discuss what you might be looking for and what they can offer. This can be another prime opportunity to ask about your particular circumstances and find out how well-versed the lawyer you are speaking to is in the relevant area of immigration law.
Do I Have to Hire a Lawyer?
While immigration from the US to Ireland doesn’t usually require a lawyer, it can still be highly beneficial to seek expert support. The immigration process is rigorous, and it is essential that you navigate it with a thorough understanding of what you are doing and what is expected from you.
Technically, it is possible to file the immigration application all by yourself, but especially for first-time applicants, this would likely be a much more time-consuming, stressful, and uncertain process, and there is no guarantee that you will actually save money. Mistakes in your application could lead to delays, penalties, or re-application, which would mean that you might have to pay certain fines again, or worse yet, battle a rejection due to a mismanaged application.
Hiring an immigration lawyer can feel like a frustrating additional expense at first, especially since moving itself is already a fairly costly process. Nevertheless, you might save yourself some stress and also further costs down the line by doing so now.
If you navigate the hiring process with due diligence and find a lawyer who understands American clients and how this might reflect in the Ireland immigration process, you are well on your way towards a stress-free and much more secure application.
Depending on your needs, your lawyer should be able to offer you a variety of support levels, from consultation to managing your full application. Picking a lawyer who understands both the US and Irish sides of the immigration process can also mean that there may be additional help available to you. Immigrating takes much more than just your visa application. From moving logistics, finding a new home or service providers, to selling your previous house if needed. Having the support of a well-versed immigration specialist can help you tackle a variety of your moving needs and do so much more effectively, as all things are managed under one roof.
You may also benefit from further support after your initial immigration, whether you wish to extend or change your visa, need to seek support about changing circumstances, or wish to move back or move on to yet another location. If you seek out an immigration lawyer who knows how to help you based on your circumstances, you can rest assured that you know where to turn with any of your immigration concerns, be they past, present, or future. It can make your life easier, and you won’t have to worry about understanding all the immigration rules all by yourself.
