UKgirl

I have just been advised by our accountant that in order to make our business most profitable and successful it would help if I became a citizen. I just went on the INS website and it is far too confusing for me. I wondered if I hired a lawyer would that make the process quicker or would they just be doing the paperwork for me. I can do my own paperwork, but if they can get my application rushed through somehow I would consider hiring one.
All the lawyers say they can process it quicker, but are they just trying to get my money?
Anyone know?
Thanks in advance.

farmerwife

If you can run a business I would say you will have no trouble applying for your citizenship yourself.
I've never heard of any expedited process for citizenship if a lawyer sends in the paperwork
I got my citizenship last year - did it without a lawyer. I'm glad I did - no more renewing green cards

UKgirl

My business is totally different than trying to figure out INS forms.
Do you happen to know which form I will need? I have held a permanant resident green card for about 14 years. I can't figure out which form to use.
Thanks again in advance.

farmerwife

You can do it!
It's N-400 - here-

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/n-400ins.pdf

meauxna

It seems as if hiring a lawyer WILL make your case faster BECAUSE they will be doing your paperwork for you.
If you find the "INS" website too confusing (and it is) and you are busy with your primary occupation, then there is no harm in hiring a pro to do what they already know how to do. Hopefully you are doing whatever it is you know how to do, in your business. You hire an accountant for your books, but you CAN file your taxes yourself.
This is a similar situation.

If you're busy, and this is important to you, what's a few hundred bucks for some help? Tell the accountant to find a way to write it off. Oh, and do it before the fees go up (considerably) later this year!
Good luck!

UKgirl

If it is only a few hundred bucks, then you are right, it is worth it to me.
Thanks for all your help and info and to you too farmerwife.

Cheers
UKgirl

-George

It will take you 10 times more time to find and hire a lawyer and supply
him with the relevant paperwork than to do it by yourself.

I dont want to sound harsh, but if you need a lawyer to file a N-400
form, then you're very likely borderline retarded.

Tai Fu

My dad used lawyers to file N-400... but then his English ability isn't too
good so he had to get one.

--
TAI FU
"george" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] m...
> It will take you 10 times more time to find and hire a lawyer and supply
> him with the relevant paperwork than to do it by yourself.
>
> I dont want to sound harsh, but if you need a lawyer to file a N-400 form,
> then you're very likely borderline retarded.

-George

tai fu wrote:
> My dad used lawyers to file N-400... but then his English ability isn't too
> good so he had to get one.
>

That's different.

I hate it when lawyers take advantage of stupid people. For a N-400
form, all a lawyer will do is read out loud the form to the client, and
fill it out (useful only if the client doesn't speak English). The
client will still have to do all the real work (gather the documents).

UKgirl

I will try not to be insulted by that comment, but actually my accountant suggests we use a lawyer as our company can pay the bill. Considering I am doing this for the company, it will be a write off and a win-win for all.

meauxna

I'd submit that determining eligiblity can be a problem for some people, especially if they have been PRs for some time. A lawyer can run through that determination quickly.

There aren't many papers to collect for the N-400 anyway. And yes, my husband and I completed his entire immigration process through naturalization without representation. And, I spent a lot of time researching it.

People pay me to do all sorts of silly things they could do themselves. I don't think they're stupid. I think they're hiring a pro to do something they don't care to learn to do.

The OP wanted to know if a lawyer could get it done faster. Since she's starting from scratch and found the cis site confusing, they I stick with Yes, a lawyer can do it faster than the OP can.

scrubbedexpat099

Especially if they are tring to find a INS website rather than USCIS.

I did read through the N-400, seemed quite friendly compared to all the others.

UKgirl

Update.

I thought you might like to know that I called around and the best deal I could get was $750
I decided to do it myself, it is done and I am $750 richer. I didn't expect it to be that much. The hardest bit was trying to figure out where to send it to and how much. I have that down now too.
Thanks for all your advice.

NC Penguin

An attorney may be able to help you put the application together but once you've mailed the application, I believe the attorney has no influence or control over the speed of processing.


NC Penguin

UKgirl

That is correct. The lawyer I spoke to yesterday was quite honest about that. He said that he would just ensure that the doc got filled out correctly, because apparantly if there is one tiny flaw it will be rejected, sent back and we would have to start again. I printed off the instructions and painstakingly made sure every little request, black pen, capital letters, and other little discrepencies that seem irrelevant were done. I had to go through two old passports for trip dates, which was a pain, but I would have still had to do that through a lawyer.