If you believe that you may qualify for the new recently announced Deferred Action for DREAMers immigration policy for undocumented immigrants, you should beware of notario scams. "Notarios" are so-called immigration experts who may use the recently announced Deferred Action for DREAMers program as an opportunity to take advantage of unsuspecting foreign nationals by deceiving them into paying expensive fees for their assistance. Immigration consultants, notaries public, and notarios cannot legally represent you in the immigration process. If you have questions about the new DREAMer program, the attorneys at The Law Firm of Shihab & Associates, Co., LPA have decades of combined experience in immigration law. Contact us for a consultation.
Notarios and other unscrupulous people may misrepresent the DREAM Deferred Action program as a "new law" or as a "path to immigration status" as a scam to prey on undocumented immigrants who are desperate for legal immigration status. This is not a new law, but rather it is an enforcement policy of the executive branch, which could easily be overturned by a new president. It also does not provide a path to legal status, a green card, or U.S. citizenship. Instead, it provides a shield against deportation and grants work authorization.
Foreign nationals who wish to apply for DREAM deferred action should avoid anyone who claims that they can submit a request to the USCIS before a process has officially been set up. Since notarios are not lawyers, it is against the law for them to give legal advice, and they are not permitted to represent foreign nationals and cannot talk to the government on their behalf.
For example, you would not want a pretend surgeon to operate on you because the fee would be less expensive than paying for a real surgeon because your life not worth the risk. The practice of law is the same way. If you rely on advice from a notario because the fee is less expensive, you are gambling with your life. An unqualified immigration consultant or notario who pretends to have the knowledge and skills to competently represent you could ruin your immigration dreams forever.
A non-attorney may not be sufficiently competent to understand the legal consequences of certain actions or inactions by the applicant foreign national, but a skilled attorney can. Falling into even one pitfall can be very harmful because your application may be rejected or denied. The USCIS could in fact take adverse steps against you if you are not qualified to apply for the DREAMer program but you applied anyway as a result of bad advice from a non-attorney.
Avoid notario fraud. If something sounds too good to be true it probably is. Do not believe someone who tells you that the DREAMer program will give you amnesty or legal immigration status. The DREAMer program means the government may let you remain and work in the United States. If you have questions about the new DREAMer program, please contact our immigration attorneys or call The Law Firm of Shihab & Associates, Co., LPA at the nearest office close to you to consult with an attorney.