It’s no secret that hiring an attorney can be expensive. Worrying about your immigration status can easily become compounded when you begin looking at the cost of immigration lawyers. Of course, every attorney will charge based on their location and hourly rate, but understanding the cost of the most common immigration cases is a good place to start.
How much do they cost?
The first thing you must pay is the initial filing fee to apply for immigration. The initial filing fee is no joke. The cost of filing for immigration in the United States is anywhere from $420 to $1070, depending on the form.
Once you find an attorney, you’ll have to pay an initial consultation fee for the lawyer to review your case. The price of these consultations fluctuates based on the immigration attorney and firm, but it’s usually around $100.
Immigration attorneys charge two ways: hourly or case rate. Lawyers that quote an hourly rate will charge anywhere from $100 to $350 per hour. Be sure to ask your attorney how much they charge if they have an hourly rate. Case-by-case rates are a bit different.
The most common types of cases involving immigration law are asylum, citizenship, deferred action for childhood arrivals, deportation defenses, family petition, refugee green card, and U Visa. Here are the general costs by each type of case:
- Asylum: $1,000 – $10,000+ per person.
- Citizenship: $500 – $3,000 per person.
- Deferred action for childhood arrivals: $1,200 – $4,500 per person.
- Deportation defenses: $2,000 – $5,000+ per person.
- Family petition: $500 – $2,500 per person.
- Refugee green card: $1,000 – $10,000+ per person.
- U Visa: $2,500 – $5,000 per person.
How do they bill you?
Immigration attorneys will bill you on either a flat fee basis or hourly. Many experienced attorneys will charge on a flat fee because they know what to expect from the case, but the most common way immigration attorneys charge their clients is by an hourly rate. The hourly rate changes based on each attorney, so ask each immigration firm you call if they charge hourly and the rate.
Are there more affordable options?
Considering many immigration cases are on behalf of those who are below the poverty line, many immigration firms have adjusted to accommodate. Some immigration attorneys will offer a discounted rate or will allow their client to make payments.
Immigration lawyers may also provide their services “pro bono.” This means that they take on your case for little to no cost. Pro bono is provided by attorneys at their discretion and is on a case-by-case basis.
Are all cases as expensive?
In immigration law, there is no set fee for attorney’s costs. The only set fee is the price of filing the application or petition with United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. From there, the attorney can charge whatever they wish. Beware of immigration lawyers who charge outrageous prices. High price may not necessarily equal better. Some cases are naturally more expensive than others, like refugee green cards or asylum cases. The price of these cases fluctuates based on where the person is coming from, what is happening in their home country, and many other factors.
