Your First U.S. Immigration Consultation: The Key Questions to Ask (and How to Prepare)
An engineer from Belo Horizonte booked her first meeting with an immigration attorney and spent the week reading online forums. Every WhatsApp group gave a different answer: one friend swore his path would work for her, another said "you just apply for the talent visa." The night before, she realized she had dozens of questions in her head and none of them organized.
A couple from Recife is in the same position, with an extra complication: they don't even know what the right first question is. A business owner from Curitiba arrives at the meeting with a list of documents, but without having talked with his family about timelines, costs, and what he is willing to change in his own life.
That is the starting point for many people. The first consultation doesn't have to be a moment of anxiety. When you arrive with the right questions, your documents in order, and realistic expectations, it becomes the most useful conversation of the whole process.
If your meeting with Murtaz Law is already confirmed, this guide was made for you. It covers what to prepare beforehand, the questions worth asking during the conversation, an example of a path we can evaluate together (the EB-2 NIW), and how case support works once the process begins.
Table of Contents
Why the First Consultation Matters So Much
Almost every immigration process begins with a decision about which path to follow. The United States has categories for work, family, study, investment, and extraordinary talent, and each one has its own requirements, timelines, and risks. Choosing the wrong path can cost months, money, and in some cases close doors that would have been open with a different strategy.
The first consultation is where that choice starts to be made based on your real case, not on generalizations. It is also where you find out whether the person across from you understands your profile, explains things clearly, and treats your case with the seriousness it deserves. That is why the quality of the meeting depends so much on two things: what you bring to the table and what you ask.
If you are still unsure which category fits your moment, it is worth reading our guide on which U.S. visa fits your goalfirst, which helps you arrive at the consultation with a general map in mind.
Before the Meeting: What to Organize
You don't need to have your case ready, but the clearer your starting point, the more precise the guidance will be. Good preparation includes three blocks.
Your personal and family history. Full names, dates and places of birth, marital status, children, and which family members have any tie to the United States (citizenship, residence, current status). It is also worth listing previous trips to the country, visas already requested or denied, and any encounter with immigration authorities, even if it seems like a small detail. That kind of information often weighs more than people expect.
Your professional and academic history. An updated résumé, diplomas, job titles, results, publications, awards, recommendation letters, and standout projects. If your profile is professional, our article on how to document your professional achievements for future immigration opportunities shows how to organize that material starting now.
Your basic documents. A valid passport (and one for each family member involved), identity documents, relevant certificates (birth, marriage), and any paper already issued by a U.S. agency, such as receipts, notices, or previous forms.
Also write down your questions before the meeting. It is common to forget half of them in the middle of the conversation.
Meeting Confirmed: How to Make the Most of Your Time
If your appointment is already confirmed, a few simple steps make a difference in the quality of the conversation. The meeting takes place by video call, so technical preparation is part of the job.
Choose your device carefully. A phone, tablet, or computer will all work to join the meeting, but prefer a computer, which makes it easier to view documents, take notes, and follow the conversation comfortably.
Make sure your connection is good. Use stable Wi-Fi and, if possible, a calm, quiet space. An unstable connection or a lot of background noise gets in the way of the conversation and makes you miss important details.
Install Zoom beforehand. Download the app and test your camera and microphone in advance, preferably the day before. Solving technical problems minutes before a meeting tends to create unnecessary stress.
Bring your family. Spouses and relatives are welcome to ask questions. When the decision involves the whole family, hearing the answers together avoids misunderstandings and aligns expectations from day one.
Be on time and give notice. If you cannot attend, let the firm know as early as possible. Murtaz Law's policy is that meetings cannot be rescheduled afterward, so it is worth protecting that time slot on your calendar.
Questions About Your Profile and Your Options
This is the first group of questions, and the one that steers the conversation the most. The goal is to understand where you are today and which paths make sense.
Based on my profile, which visa or green card categories can I consider? Ask to see more than one option, not just the most obvious one. A good specialist presents alternatives, explains why some make more sense, and explains why others probably don't apply.
What makes my case strong and what makes it fragile? Ask frankly. Knowing from the start where the gaps are lets you fix them in advance, instead of discovering them in a request for evidence or a denial.
Does this path lead to permanent residence, or is it temporary? Many work visas allow you to live and work in the U.S. for a period but do not, by themselves, lead to a green card. Understanding this early avoids surprises and helps you plan for the long term.
Can my family be included? Will my spouse and children be able to work and study? The rules vary by category. For family-based cases, our article on family-based green cards explains the main structures.
What is the role of the employer, a family member, or myself in this process? In some categories, you need a sponsor. In others, you can file the petition on your own. That changes the planning completely. One example is the EB-2 NIW, which we explain in the next section.
Is there anything in my history (travel, prior status, denials) that deserves special attention? If there is, it is better to address it on day one.
EB-2 NIW: One Path We Can Evaluate With You
Among the categories that often come up in the first conversation with qualified professionals is the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver). It is a good example of how analyzing your profile changes the planning, which is why it is worth knowing the basics before the meeting.
What it is. The EB-2 is an employment-based green card category for professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability. The NIW version lets you request that the job offer and labor certification requirements be waived when the professional's work benefits the United States. According to USCIS, those seeking an NIW can file the petition on their own behalf, without a sponsoring employer, using Form I-140.
Who can qualify. The first requirement is to be a professional holding an advanced degree (or its equivalent) or to demonstrate exceptional ability. Then USCIS looks at three points, described in its Policy Manual: whether the proposed endeavor has substantial merit and national importance, whether the person is well positioned to advance that endeavor, and whether, on balance, waiving the job offer and labor certification would benefit the United States. The burden of proof is on the person filing, and each case is judged on its own merits. In practice, that means having an advanced degree helps, but what supports the case is proven experience in the field and the demonstrable impact of your work.
Destination: the green card. Unlike temporary visas, the EB-2 NIW is a direct path to permanent residence, which extends to the spouse and unmarried children under 21. Permanent residence has no expiration date, although the physical card has to be renewed periodically.
The table below summarizes what a green card usually means in practice.
Benefit | What It Means |
Permanent residence for you and your family | Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can be included in the process |
Work for any company in the U.S. | Without being tied to a single employer or sponsor |
Public education and social benefits | Access according to the rules of each program and each state |
Path to U.S. citizenship | The possibility of applying for naturalization once the requirements are met |
Travel without depending on a visa | Entry to the U.S. as a resident, with attention to long absences, which can affect residence |
Legal security and stability | Greater predictability for planning your career, housing, and family life |
This summary does not replace an individual analysis. Not every professional with an advanced degree fits the EB-2 NIW, and other categories, such as the EB-1A or temporary visas, may make more sense depending on the profile. That is exactly what the first consultation is for.
Questions About Timelines, Risks, and Alternatives
No one fully controls the timelines of an immigration process, but you can understand how they work and prepare for them.
How long does this process usually take, and what does it depend on? USCIS publishes processing times by form type and by office, and explains that these times vary with application volume, staffing, case complexity, incomplete filings, and missed appointments. You can check the official processing times tool and bring it to the conversation. Ask the specialist to explain how to read those numbers for your case, because the time shown is a reference, not a promise.
Does this path depend on a queue or priority dates? In several green card categories, visa availability is controlled by annual limits and published by the Department of State in the Visa Bulletin. Ask whether your case falls into this scenario and what that means in practical terms.
What are the main risks, and what happens if something goes wrong? Understand what a request for evidence is, what can lead to a denial, and what paths are possible in that case. A good specialist talks about risks without dramatizing and without downplaying.
Is there a plan B? Many well-planned cases have a main strategy and an alternative. Ask what the second option would be and at what point it would come into play.
What can and can't I do while the process is underway? Traveling, changing jobs, changing your address, and moving to another state can have consequences depending on your status. This is a question worth asking before acting, not after.
Questions About Costs, Contract, and Communication
Financial clarity is part of planning, not an awkward subject. A serious firm talks about it transparently.
How much does the full process cost, and what is included in the fees? Ask for a clear explanation of what the contract covers and what it leaves out. Ask whether later stages (such as requests for evidence or appeals) involve additional costs.
What are the government fees, separate from the attorney fees? The fees charged by USCIS are independent of what you pay your attorney and appear in the official fee schedule, Form G-1055. It is worth asking for a separate estimate of each, and remembering that fees can change over time.
How and when are payments made? Understand the schedule, the payment methods, and what happens if the path has to change midway through the process.
Who will handle my case day to day, and how will we communicate? Ask who prepares the documents, who reviews them, how often you will receive updates, and through which channel. Aligned expectations about communication prevent a lot of frustration.
What is expected of me during the process? Deadlines for sending documents, responses, attending interviews, and biometrics. Knowing this from the start helps you get organized.
Questions About Who Is Advising You
This group of questions is as important as the others, and U.S. authorities give clear guidance on the subject.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), only an immigration attorney in good standing with their state bar, or a person accredited by the Department of Justice and working for a recognized organization, can give legal advice about immigration. The FTC also warns about a known problem: in many Latin American countries, "notario" means a lawyer, but in the United States scammers use titles like notary, accountant, or consultant to appear qualified. To understand that difference better in practice, read our article on immigration consultant vs. immigration attorney, the difference that can change your life.
A few questions that help:
Are you a licensed attorney? In which state, and can I verify it? The answer should be direct. You can check the registry of the state bar named.
If someone is not an attorney, are they an accredited representative? The Department of Justice maintains a list of recognized organizations and accredited representatives that you can check.
Will you sign the representation form? Form G-28, the "Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative," is the document attorneys and accredited representatives use to show USCIS that they are authorized to act on the applicant's behalf. It must be signed by both.
Who will sign and review the final forms? You should understand and sign only what you have read and what is correct. Never sign blank forms or forms with information that is not true.
Warning signs cited by the FTC and USCIS include websites that look like government sites but do not end in .gov, charges for forms that USCIS offers for free at uscis.gov/forms, requests for payment by gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency, and anyone who holds on to your original documents. USCIS covers this topic on its Avoid Scams and Common Scams pages. If you spot a scam, you can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
How Case Support Works
One of the most important questions in the first consultation is "who will handle my case, and how will I get information?" At Murtaz Law, case support rests on three points.
A dedicated attorney. Dr. Murtaz Navsariwala is an economist and an attorney specialized in immigration to the United States. He and the legal team follow your case from the start of the process until you have the green card in hand.
A WhatsApp group for your case. Once the process begins, you have access to Dr. Murtaz and the whole team responsible for your case, with ongoing support, updates, and direct access to your case status.
Without leaving your country. The entire immigration process can be handled from your country of origin or wherever you are, with no need to relocate and no geographic limitations while the case is underway. In many cases, the family enters the United States with the green card already approved. Because each case is evaluated individually, the team explains in the consultation what applies to your situation.
When evaluating any firm, it is also worth checking verifiable memberships and registrations. Murtaz Law displays in its materials ties to entities such as the Illinois State Bar Association, the ARDC (the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois), the American Bar Association, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). This is the kind of information you should be able to confirm for any professional you hire.
Time, Finances, and Mindset: How to Get Organized to Start
The consultation is the first step, but the process itself requires organization on three fronts.
Time. Immigration processes have stages and deadlines that don't depend only on you, and depend on you at many points: gathering documents, responding to requests, attending appointments. Set aside a fixed time each week to work on the process, even if it is small. Create a folder (physical and digital) with everything organized by document type, and a simple spreadsheet with important dates, such as passport expiration, delivery dates, and response deadlines. Don't set moving dates, resignation dates, or big commitments before you have clarity on your case's timelines. When planning, build in a margin, because delays happen.
Finances. Add up three types of expense: attorney fees, government fees, and indirect costs, such as certified translation of documents, medical exams when required, travel to interviews, copies, and shipping of documents. Then consider the cost of living during the wait: if your plan is to move, add housing, health insurance, and a reserve for the first months. Our guide on how to rent your first apartment in the U.S. helps size that part. Avoid taking on debt or selling assets based on an expectation of approval, because no serious professional can guarantee results.
Mindset. Immigration processes are a marathon, not a hundred-meter dash. It is normal to feel anxiety during waiting periods, frustration with timelines, and doubts about the decision. Talk with your family about what each person hopes for and fears, and agree on how you will handle uncertainty. Keep your current life running while you wait, without pausing projects, career, or relationships. And be suspicious of any promise of shortcuts, guaranteed timelines, or certain approval: it is one of the warning signs authorities repeat most.
The table below summarizes what to think about at each stage.
Stage | What to Do | Practical Tip |
Before the consultation | Gather documents, write down questions, talk with your family | Bring your passport, résumé, and a printed list of questions |
During the consultation | Ask about options, risks, timelines, costs, and credentials | Take notes and ask for what was agreed in writing |
Right after | Review your notes and decide calmly | Avoid deciding under pressure; a good professional respects your time |
Start of the process | Build the document folder and the calendar of dates | Set aside a fixed weekly time for the process |
While waiting | Track official timelines and keep life moving | Check USCIS processing times without feeding daily anxiety |
Official U.S. Government Guidance Worth Knowing
Before or after the consultation, these official resources help you understand the process and avoid problems:
Resource | What It Is For |
Official tool that helps identify benefits and forms related to your situation | |
Lookup of processing times by form and office | |
Guidance on scams and how to find legitimate help | |
Explains who can give legal advice, the "notario" problem, and how to report | |
Official lists of recognized organizations and accredited representatives | |
List of free legal service providers, aimed at people in immigration court proceedings | |
Monthly Department of State bulletin on immigrant visa availability | |
Official free forms | |
Explains the EB-2 category, including the national interest waiver (NIW) |
It is worth remembering that the FTC itself notes that people can represent themselves, and that official tools such as Explore My Options can help with that first mapping. At the same time, cases with more complexity, risk, or long-term impact tend to benefit from an individual analysis by a qualified professional.
Do I need to have all my documents ready before the first consultation?
No. The first consultation exists precisely to understand your case and indicate which documents will be needed. What helps is bringing the basics (passport, résumé, travel and visa history) and a list of questions. The clearer your starting point, the more useful the conversation will be.
Can I do the process on my own, without an attorney?
You can represent yourself, and USCIS forms are free on the official website. That doesn't mean it is the best choice for everyone. Cases involving a delicate immigration history, categories with high evidentiary requirements, or long-term impact tend to benefit from an individual analysis by a qualified professional.
How can I tell whether someone is actually authorized to advise me?
Ask whether they are a licensed attorney, in which state, and check that state's bar registry. If they are an accredited representative, check the Department of Justice's list of recognized organizations. Be wary of titles like "notary" or "consultant" used to suggest legal authority.
Can a serious professional guarantee my visa will be approved?
No. The final decision belongs to the government, and any promise of guaranteed approval or a fixed timeline is a warning sign. A good specialist explains the possibilities, the risks, and the strategy, without promising results.
Does the consultation oblige me to hire the firm?
No. The consultation is for you to understand your case and evaluate who will handle it. Compare, ask, and decide without rushing. A serious professional respects your decision time.
How long will my process take?
It depends on the category, the responsible USCIS office, application volume, and case complexity. USCIS publishes processing times by form and by office, but they are averages based on recent data, not guarantees. In categories subject to annual limits, the Visa Bulletin priority date also affects the wait.
What is the EB-2 NIW, and do I need an employer to apply?
The EB-2 NIW is a green card category for professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability whose work benefits the United States. According to USCIS, those seeking an NIW can file the petition on their own, without a sponsoring employer. That doesn't mean every professional qualifies: the case must show merit, national importance, and that the person is well positioned to advance their endeavor.
Can I do the process without leaving my country?
In many cases, yes. The process can be handled from your country of origin or wherever you are, without requiring an immediate move. Each case is evaluated individually, and in the consultation we explain what applies to your situation.
Can I bring my spouse or relatives to the meeting?
Can I bring my spouse or relatives to the meeting? Yes, and we recommend it. Spouses and relatives are welcome to ask questions, and hearing the answers together helps align the family's expectations.
Can I reschedule the meeting if I can't attend?
Let the firm know as early as possible if you can't attend. Under Murtaz Law's policy, meetings cannot be rescheduled afterward, so it is worth reserving the time carefully.
What do I do if I realize I have been the victim of a scam?
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to local or state authorities, and contact a qualified attorney to assess the impact on your case and the next steps. Keep all documents, receipts, and messages exchanged.
Sources: U.S. Federal Trade Commission (How To Avoid Immigration Scams and Get Real Help), USCIS (Processing Times; Form G-28; Fee Schedule G-1055; Avoid Scams; Explore My Options; Employment-Based Immigration: Second Preference EB-2; Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 5), U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (Recognition and Accreditation Roster; Pro Bono Legal Service Providers), U.S. Department of State (Visa Bulletin).
Murtaz Law: Where each case is treated as unique.
Murtaz Law is an American law firm specialized in immigration to the United States, built with the goal of offering a strategic, human, and highly personalized approach to each case. With nearly two decades of accumulated experience in American immigration law, the firm has helped professionals, families, entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes transform complex processes into concrete approvals, even in seemingly hopeless situations.
Based in Illinois, the firm is led by Murtaz Navsariwala, an attorney and member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Bar Association.
Holding degrees in Economics and History from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctor of Laws from Indiana University Bloomington Maurer School of Law, Murtaz built his reputation primarily through success in EB2-NIW cases, becoming a benchmark for qualified professionals seeking to obtain a Green Card and build a solid career in the United States.
At Murtaz Law, no case is treated as just another number. Each case is carefully analyzed, considering the history, objectives, and particularities of each client. The firm operates in various areas of U.S. immigration, including work visas, family law cases, naturalization, regularization of status, and permanent immigration strategies, always seeking the safest and most strategic path for each situation.
Currently, Murtaz Law maintains an approval rate of approximately 99.5% in its cases, a result of a combination of legal experience, detailed preparation, and a deep understanding of the requirements of the U.S. immigration system.
A consultation can be scheduled because the future you envision may be much closer than your lack of knowledge has led you to believe.
Important: This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For guidance regarding your specific immigration matter, please consult a licensed U.S. immigration attorney.
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