What is Immigration Fraud and "Notario Publico"?
There are many types of scams, fraud, and misconduct related to immigration. Below are some tips to be aware of:
Beware of emails pretending to be from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS will never send an email saying you’ve been approved for any type of visa or immigration benefit.
Beware of scam websites who claim to be affiliated with USCIS. Websites from the US government always end in the domain “.gov”.
Never transfer money to an individual. USCIS will never ask you to pay fees to a person on the phone or by email.
Do not pay businesses or websites who claim to be experts and have special connections to the government. There are no exceptions to the normal processing times and no one can speed up their case processing time.
Another common type of immigration fraud is Notario Fraud. In many Spanish-speaking countries, “notario publics” are powerful attorneys with special legal credentials. These individuals may have had legal training in their home countries, but they come from a legal system very different from that in the United States. Notary publics in the U.S. have very different roles and are not authorized to provide any legal services related to immigration.
This misrepresentation of “notario publico” may trick individuals by falsely claiming to be attorneys, have authorization to represent immigrants before the U.S. government, or be able to assist in legal paperwork. The result can result in missing deadlines or filing incorrect claims, which often leads to an immigrant’s missed opportunity for citizenship, in addition to losing hundreds or thousands of dollars in payment to an unqualified individual.
The immigration process is often a long and complicated journey. DO seek help for this process, but don’t fall victim to immigration fraud. Only licensed attorneys and accredited legal representatives should be helping you. If you need an attorney, you can always contact ARK Immigration, the Law Office of Alicia R. Kinsman.