Immigration lawyer cost: what immigration lawyer fees buy, and the free route

How this works

1. Separate the government's fee from the adviser's. Filing fees are set by USCIS and by the immigration courts and are the same whoever prepares the form. An adviser's fee is separate and is theirs to set. A quote that does not say which is which is not a quote you can compare with another one, and it is the first thing to ask for in writing.
2. Ask what the fee covers and where it stops. The same form can be a flat fee to file, or a flat fee plus a separate figure if the case goes to an interview or a hearing. The difference between those two quotes is not the price of the form, it is where the adviser stops, and it is the single largest reason two quotes for one case look nothing alike.
3. Check whether a recognized organization can take it. A recognized organization may charge only nominal fees for the work its accredited representatives do, which is the whole point of recognition. Whether one can take your case depends on its capacity and the kind of matter, not on your ability to pay, so the practical step is to call the offices nearest you and ask what they are taking on.
4. Confirm who will actually do the work. In a law firm ask whether an attorney or a paralegal prepares the filing; at a recognized organization ask whether the person is an accredited representative and at what level, because partial accreditation does not extend to appearing before the immigration courts. Either answer is fine; not knowing which you are buying is not.

What the register does and does not tell you

Nothing on this page is a price we collected or a quote we can give. The register carries no fees at all: what it records is recognition, the office and the dates. Ask any organization or attorney for their own fee schedule in writing before anything is filed.

Common questions

What does an immigration lawyer cost?

There is no single figure, and this site publishes none: fees are set per firm and per case, and the government's filing fees sit on top of them. What can be said precisely is the alternative: a Department of Justice recognized organization may charge only nominal fees, and there are 1,449 such offices in the register on this site.

Is a recognised organisation cheaper than a lawyer?

Yes, by design. Recognition under 8 CFR 1292.11 is granted to non-profits that charge nominal fees or nothing at all. What it does not promise is availability: an organization takes the cases it has capacity for, which is why the register lists every office rather than one.

Can a recognised organisation do everything a lawyer does?

Not always. A representative with full accreditation may appear before the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals; one with partial accreditation may not. Ask which one you are speaking to, and ask early, because it decides who can stand up for you at a hearing.

Do filing fees change if I use a non-profit?

No. The government's fee is the government's fee whoever prepares the form. A fee waiver, where one is available at all, is granted by the agency on the applicant's circumstances and never by the adviser.

Recognized organizations by state