Immigration

Immigration Case Assessment

The realistic paths to status, the bars in the way, and what to gather.

What you get

  • An internal memo for the file, written for the attorney, not the client.
  • A proof of sources: every citation in the draft with the words it quotes, the official source, the date the text was saved and its fingerprint.
  • Notes for counsel listing each point marked [VERIFY], each blank and each choice left for the client.

What the intake asks

Plain questions, in the order an attorney would take the facts. Anything left blank stays a marked blank in the draft; nothing is invented to fill it.

Entry and status

  • Country of citizenship
  • Client's date of birth
  • First entry date and supporting record
  • Current proceedings and forum
  • Detention, court, hearing and agency deadlines
  • How did the client last enter the U.S.
  • Date of last entry
  • and 6 more

Family

  • Marital status
  • Children
  • Children
  • Parents or siblings who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
  • Was any petition or labor certification ever filed for the client, or for a parent or spouse, on or before April 30, 2001
  • Was the client physically present in the U.S. on December 21, 2000
  • Has the client ever claimed to be a U.S. citizen, voted, or used another person's documents
  • and 2 more

History

  • Any arrests, charges, or convictions (anywhere)
  • Prior removal, deportation, voluntary departure, or immigration court
  • Would the client be in danger if returned home
  • Why, and by whom
  • Has the client been a victim of a crime or abuse in the U.S.
  • What happened, and was it reported to police
  • Prior immigration applications or petitions

Goal

  • Client's main goal
  • Anything else

Where it is offered

Every state Lawsmith has official sources for:

Official sources on file

The drafter works from the texts Lawsmith has saved for this document in the state you choose, plus federal law where it applies. Each is read from the official publisher and dated.

StateSources for this document
California93
Connecticut93
Delaware93
District of Columbia93
Florida93
Maryland93
Massachusetts93
New Jersey93
New York93
Ohio93
Pennsylvania93
Texas93
Virginia93

Among them, for New Jersey:

  • 8 U.S.C. § 1182 (INA § 212): Inadmissible aliens
  • 8 U.S.C. § 1229a (INA § 240): Removal proceedings, including the credibility determination standard for applications for relief
  • EOIR Immigration Court Practice Manual, Chapter 3: filing with the immigration court
  • 8 U.S.C. § 1101 (INA § 101): Definitions
  • 8 U.S.C. § 1153 (INA § 203): Allocation of immigrant visas

How the draft is checked

Before it writes, the drafter must quote the official text behind each citation. Lawsmith compares every quotation with the text on file, character for character; a citation with no checked quotation reaches you marked [VERIFY]. The draft still needs your review before it is signed, filed or sent. How citations are checked

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