Hiring a competent immigration attorney can help you avoid unnecessary processing delays and many hours of work interpreting Department of Homeland Security procedures and preparing paperwork and petitions. Attorneys are regularly involved in H-1B petitions for "special occupation workers," O applications for "persons of extraordinary ability," and employment-based permanent residency ("green card") applications. You should also consult with a lawyer if you have a complicated situation that is beyond the regular scope of your OIE advisor, such as starting a business in the U.S., or helping you navigate a legal issue that may impact your immigration status.

There are many situations where a person can successfully file a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) without the help of an immigration attorney. A family-based permanent residency application (i.e., based on marriage to a U.S. citizen) is one such example. If you decide to file a petition on your own, you may want to pay for an initial consultation with a qualified lawyer to get you started. You must become completely informed about the procedures and requirements of your particular petition type and be prepared to begin early to allow ample time for each step of the process. Begin by visiting the USCIS website to find forms and general information.

For individuals in F or J status with an I-20 or DS-2019 issued by Carnegie Mellon University, your OIE advisor has access to your U.S. government SEVIS immigration record, whereas an immigration attorney does not have this access.  If you have questions about your F or J status, it is recommended you start with your OIE advisor.

1. American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Immigration Lawyer Search service.
2. Allegheny County Bar Association. The Allegheny County Bar Association offers a lawyer referral service.
3. American Bar Association (ABA). Their website offers general information about the U.S. legal system and hiring an attorney.
4. Friends and Colleagues. As an international student or scholar, you may know someone who previously used the services of an immigration attorney. Seek out the informed opinions of friends and colleagues to obtain the attorney’s name and contact information, the type of petition filed, and your friend’s level of satisfaction.

• Foreign nationals who are employed  and sponsored by CMU sometimes may need to consult an attorney.  As the immigration sponsor, OIE and the hiring department work wiht pre-approved immigration attorneys for these CMU-sponsored applications and petitions.  Before seeking outside guidance about a CMU-sponsored employment situation, we encourage meeting with an OIE advisor to help point people in the right direction.
• If the university will be sponsoring someone for a non-immigrant employment status or for permanent residence, the individual and host department must work with a university-approved attorney. In all CMU-sponsored cases, the individual, sponsoring department and OIE will work  with the attorney for a successful employment-based petition or application.
• Before seeking legal advice from one of the pre-approved attorneys (below) related to a CMU-sponsored application, the employee must discuss the plan with the department and OIE.  Further, OIE must receive confirmation that the department will support the process. The following attorneys are pre-approved to handle employment-based applications on behalf of CMU. Check their websites for information about consultations: