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K1 Visa Scams

Ever feel like the people who are supposed to be helping you are really just taking advantage of you? This happens way too often, especially when it involves obtaining a K1 visa. There are several things you need to be aware of when you are applying for a K1 visa. The following list will help you avoid any pitfalls you may encounter on your way to obtaining your K1 visa.

Watch out for:

• An incomplete visa attorney profile: the profile does not include the state that the attorney is admitted to or the date of admissions. Also, it does not state the law school attended, background, or experience.

• No physical address is provided: if there is no address, you should question the legitimacy of the lawyer or firm.

• Unprofessionalism: this involves a do-it yourself website. The lawyer should be involved with all aspects of the process and should oversee all papers and documents.

• Claims without detail: if the ad claims that it has taken care of “hundreds of cases”, ask for some proof. Taking care of “hundreds of cases” is one thing but the results are what you are interested in.

• Provides money back guarantees: this is prohibited by the attorney’s code of professional responsibility.

• Provides an “online startup”: Attorneys are supposed to consult before start-up.

• No contract provided: all terms should be detailed in a contract.

• Emotionally manipulative: if the lawyer is playing on your emotions, he/she may not be looking out for your best interest. More likely, that lawyer is looking for your wallet!

• False testimonials: along with their claim of “hundreds of cases”, they may also present you with testimonials of previous clients. You can ask to verify that they are legitimate if you suspect that they were written by the attorney himself or someone on staff.

• Claims that do not have a parallel promise in the contract: whatever has been said or promised to you should also be well worded in the contract.

• Outdated information: the government fees are not accurate or up to date. They may still be calling the USCIS by its former names of INS or BCIS. (Note that some sites may intentionally use the former names to attract search engine traffic for keywords such as “INS visa” for example).

• Sloppy grammar and spelling: if they can’t take time to proofread their work, what makes you think they will be willing to put in extra time for you? It’s also a sign of unprofessionalism.

• Attorneys who pay matchmaker firms or other businesses for referring clients: referrals may be made based not on the merit of the attorney but on how much the attorney is willing to pay the business for referring a client. Attorneys can pay for advertising but are not permitted to pay a referral fee for recommendations.

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