Immigration Scams
 Being in a foreign country and not knowing the language can make
immigrants more vulnerable to immigration scams. Immigrants may sometimes have
difficulty distinguishing between individuals who provide legitimate immigration
services and those that do not. It is easy for non-legit individuals to lease
office space and to set up what appears to be a legitimate
business. Others set
up more informal offices in their homes. Illegal immigrants may turn to someone
they believe is an immigration consultant and seek legal advice from someone who
is not qualified. These immigration consultants may on the surface appear to be
giving legitimate advice and may even offer to fill out immigration forms.
Illegal immigrants may be tricked into thinking that they qualify for certain
immigration programs when in reality they do not. Only certain individuals are
qualified to give legal advice when it comes to immigration matters and to fill
out particular immigration forms. In Texas, for example, those who are
authorized to give legal advice must obtain accreditation from the U.S.
Department of Justice’s Board of Immigration Appeals. Only certain groups like
nonprofit immigrant organizations and attorneys who are licensed can gain
accreditation. This has cut down on fraud relating to immigration matters.
Fraudulent immigration businesses have been fined and even forced to close their
doors. Even with the Texan government being on the lookout for fraudulent
behavior, there are still those who continue to deceive illegal immigrants.
There are times when illegal immigrants may become confused by a term such as a
“notary public” because this translates in Spanish to a notario publico. In
countries like Mexico, the notario publico plays a more extensive role and has
greater authorization in legal matters. Some even consider them to have similar
status as that of lawyers. Notary publics in the United States have the
authorization to be witnesses in the signing of legal documents, but they are
usually not authorized to deal with immigration matters. Most of the notary
publics will not take advantage of illegal immigrants but they are those that
do. Countries with large illegal immigration populations are common targets. In
exchange for a fee, some individuals may promise to obtain
Green Cards and even
legal status for illegal immigrants. They submit applications for work permits
and Green Cards, but the fraudulent individuals know beforehand that the
application will be denied. They prey on the hope of
illegal immigrants and
their lack of knowledge. Even if the illegal immigrants do have some knowledge
about the immigration system, changes are constantly being made. After post
9/11, the United States government has made it more difficult to obtain
everything from visas to U.S. citizenship. This makes it easier for notario
publicos and immigration consultants to offer their services. While
illegal
immigrants could turn to lawyers specializing in immigration, many choose not to
do so because they charge substantially more than immigration consultants.
One of the problems is that while the law prohibits this type of fraudulent
behavior, there are many that still get away with committing fraud. Some
illegal
immigrants are willing to speak out when they are victims of scams, but others
are not. The illegal immigrants may discover afterwards that they were part of a
scam, but the immigration consultants may threaten them with
deportation or
turning them into the police. This causes many cases to go unreported. As a
result, those who are committing fraud usually continue deceiving others. They
may charge anywhere from the hundreds to the thousands of dollars to file an
application. Not only are they taking the hard earned cash of
illegal
immigrants, but they are also hurting them in the long run. In the cases where
illegal immigrants apply for a Green Card, a visa, or temporary work permit, the
previous application may be detrimental. This may even jeopardize their chances
of being able to remain legally in the United States. They have to be careful
not only of fraudulent immigration consultants but of fraudulent immigration
lawyers as well. Unfortunately, the number of immigration scams continues to
grow. Some advocates of illegal immigrants argue that the government is not
doing enough to deter those who continue to scam individuals. Some lawyers also
argue that there are states where tougher legislation needs to be introduced.
This could include larger penalties and impose stricter regulations for
immigration consultants. States that currently have these stricter measures in
place include New Jersey, California and New York.
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