Verify trusted immigration help before paying or sharing

1. Identify the person’s role

Ask for the full legal name, organization, office address, professional role, and the name of the person who will actually handle the matter. A notario, consultant, form preparer, translator, or community helper is not automatically authorized to provide immigration legal representation.

• Attorney: check a current state court or bar record.
• Accredited representative: check the current DOJ Recognition and Accreditation roster and the recognized organization.
• A partially accredited representative may represent people before DHS agencies such as USCIS, while a fully accredited representative may also represent people before EOIR immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. Accreditation is connected to the recognized organization; verify both on the current DOJ roster.
• Nonprofit or city program: confirm eligibility, intake, service area, and whether representation is available.

2. Use official verification sources

New York attorney search

DOJ recognized organizations and accredited representatives

Who may represent someone before EOIR

USCIS avoid immigration scams

Sources reviewed July 24, 2026. Recheck the current official record before relying on it. A public directory profile is only a starting point. A website, advertisement, social-media account, review, payment receipt, or business registration is not a substitute for checking current authorization and standing.

3. Get the service terms in writing

• Exact work included and excluded.
• Total fee, payment schedule, government fees, third-party costs, refund and cancellation terms.
• Who will handle the matter, supervise work, communicate, and appear if representation is included.
• Conflicts check and when any attorney-client or authorized-representation relationship begins.
• How original documents, copies, passwords, translations, and confidential information will be protected and returned.

4. Pause when warning signs appear

• Guarantees of approval, a specific outcome, or special government influence.
• Pressure to sign blank forms, lie, hide facts, use a false address, or submit before reviewing every page.
• Refusal to provide copies, receipts, written scope, identity, credentials, or a way to verify authorization.
• Requests for unusual payment methods, access to your online account without safeguards, or control of original identity documents.
• Instructions to ignore a notice, hearing, stated date, or official communication.