Immigration can be complicated, stressful, exciting and confusing. You’ll likely run through all sorts of emotions and you’ll have to take legal steps you’ve never even considered before. Your life is changing forever, and that’s not something that happens overnight.
To limit your own stress and confusion, here are a few tips that can help you during this process:
- Try to get started as soon as it is legally possible to do so. Never put it off. Take a proactive approach.
- Understand that delays happen. Accept that this is just part of the process and prepare yourself mentally for these delays.
- When using family member petitions, remember that you may not just have one family member who can petition on your behalf. If you have more than one, you can and should file multiple times.
- Never show up late to an appointment or miss the appointment entirely. Rescheduling is often difficult, and this does not help your case. Get there on time, every time.
- Never violate the laws or regulations, even in seemingly minor ways. Any violation can derail the process and make it impossible to immigrate.
- Don’t rely on friends and family members for information. Remember that every case is different. Just because things went a certain way for someone else does not mean they will go that way for you.
- Keep copies of all documentation. Make sure it is in a safe place, and do not lose it or misplace it.
As you navigate what can be a complex situation, be sure you take the time to really look into your rights and your legal options.
