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An important message from the Federal Trade Commission

I Need Immigration Help.

Who Can Help Me?

I need to know 

which immigration 

forms to use.

Go to www.uscis.gov - that’s the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

website. Look for “Find it Fast” on the left side of the screen. Click the dropdown menus to find out which forms you need.

If you’re still not sure which forms you need, you might need help from an 

immigration lawyer or another person who’s authorized to help you. See page 

3 to find out where to get the right kind of help.

I need to get 

immigration forms.

You can do this yourself. All the forms you need are free. You can print them 

from www.uscis.gov/forms, order them by phone: 1-800-870-3676, or visit 

your local USCIS office. Never pay for copies of blank government forms. 

They are always free, though you probably will have to pay when you submit 

them to USCIS.

I need help 

filling out my 

immigration forms.

Anyone can help you put your information into your immigration forms. 

What’s important is that this person – a friend, your pastor, a teacher, a relative – should write or translate only what you tell him to. Your helper should 

not tell you what to say. That can cause problems for you later. If you need 

advice, be sure you get it from the people authorized by the U.S. government 

to help you. 

A translator may charge a small fee for translating your information. Remember never to pay for the forms.

Who can help me 

fill out my forms?

A lawyer or an accredited representative from the list kept by the Board of 

Immigration Appeals (BIA) can help you. See page 3 to find out how to get 

the right help.

I need to find out 

if USCIS has my 

forms.

You will get a receipt from USCIS when you turn in your paperwork. Keep 

it! It proves that USCIS received your application or petition. You will need 

the receipt to check on the status of your application. 

You can check on your application status at www.uscis.gov, or call the 

USCIS National Customer Service Center: 1-800-375-5283.
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I need someone to 

talk to USCIS for 

me. USCIS calls 

this “representing” 

me.

You can talk on your own behalf. You may not need someone to represent 

you. It’s not required. If you want someone to represent you, you need someone who’s authorized by USCIS to represent you. The only people who can 

represent you to USCIS are lawyers who are members of the state bar association, accredited representatives on the list kept by the Board of Immigration 

Appeals, and a few other people. Only lawyers and accredited representatives 

may charge a fee to help you. See page 3 to find out where to get the right 

kind of help.

I got a “Notice 

to Appear” as 

part of removal 

proceedings.

A lawyer or an accredited representative can help you. See page 3 to find out 

how to get the help you need. Your lawyer must be a member of the state bar 

association. 

For an accredited representative, look at this “Organizations and Representatives, Listed by State” list; choose someone who does not have the words 

“DHS Only” beside their name: www.justice.gov/eoir/ra.html

“DHS Only” means that person can help you with a USCIS application, but 

cannot help you if your case goes to an immigration judge or to the Board of 

Immigration Appeals.

I might have 

been scammed. 

How can I find 

out about my 

immigration 

status?

Check with USCIS. 

You can check your status online at www.uscis.gov. Put your receipt number 

into the “Case Status” box on the left-hand side of the webpage. 

If you don’t have your receipt number, make an appointment with your local 

USCIS office. You can do that two ways:

•	Go to www.infopass.uscis.gov.

•	Call the USCIS National Customer Service Center: 1-800-375-5283.

I want to report an 

immigration scam.

Immigration scams are illegal. If you or someone you know has seen an 

immigration scam or been the victim of one, it’s important to report it to the 

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the attorney general of your state. Go to 

ftc.gov/complaint (or call 1-877-382-4357) or click on the map at naag.org

to find out how to contact the attorney general in your state. The FTC does 

not resolve individual complaints. Instead, the FTC enters complaints in a 

secure online database used by law enforcement worldwide, including many 

federal, state and local officials, who spot trends and build cases.

The more information you can give, the more helpful your report is to the 

person who will investigate. Investigators are grateful for as much information as you feel comfortable giving.
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Getting help from someone who’s not qualified to give you legal advice – like a notario – can be worse than not 

getting any help. Sometimes, even advice from a friend who means well can hurt your immigration status. If you 

need advice or help, get it from someone who is authorized by the U.S. government to help you:

Accredited Representatives

Accredited representatives are not lawyers, but are 

authorized by the government to give legal immigration advice. They also may represent you. These 

representatives must work for an organization that’s 

officially recognized by the US government. The 

names of both the accredited representatives and 

these recognized organizations are on a list kept 

by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) at the 

Department of Justice. 

To find an accredited representative:

•	Visit this state-by-state list of accredited representatives and the recognized organizations where 

they work. Only a person, not an organization, 

is authorized to represent you. Look at this list 

for the name of someone near you. The people 

on this list are accredited representatives as long 

as they work at the organization on the list. They 

may charge a fee to help you. 

www.justice.gov/eoir/ra.html

Other Help

Some other people are authorized by the government to help you, but they can’t charge you a fee. 

Law students can give you legal advice, if they are 

supervised by a lawyer or accredited representative. 

Someone you may know in your community, known 

to USCIS as a “reputable individual,” can represent 

you, but they cannot charge you – and they have to 

sign a legal document saying they won’t take money 

from you.

Lawyers

Lawyers can give you advice and represent you. Lawyers, 

also called attorneys, must be a member of the “bar” 

– the professional association in their state. The state 

bar association can discipline, suspend, or even expel 

a lawyer for breaking the rules. Be sure the lawyer you 

choose is in good standing with the bar association. That 

means they’re not in trouble for breaking the rules for 

lawyers. You can find a lawyer through government and 

non-government websites. 

To find an immigration lawyer who doesn’t charge or 

who charges low fees:

•	Visit this state-by-state list from the U.S. Department of Justice: www.justice.gov/eoir/probono/

states.htm

•	Call USCIS at 1-800-375-5283 to ask about lawyers 

in your area. 

•	Visit this state-by-state list from the American Bar 

Association: www.americanbar.org/groups/

public_services/immigration/resources/immigration_legal_service_providers_directory.html

To find a lawyer in your area who works in 

immigration: 

•	Visit this list from the American Immigration Lawyers Association. These lawyers may charge a fee to 

help you. www.ailalawyer.com

To find out if someone is a lawyer, or to find out if a 

lawyer is in trouble for breaking the rules:

•	Visit this site from the State Bar Associations. Click 

on your state to find the phone number you can call 

to ask about a specific lawyer. 

www.statebarassociations.org

•	Visit the U.S. Department of Justice for this list of 

lawyers who are not allowed to practice law:

www.justice.gov/eoir/discipline.htm

How Do I Find Legal Help?
Aprenda cómo evitar las estafas contra inmigrantes en:

ftc.gov/inmigracion

Learn how to avoid scams against immigrants at: 

ftc.gov/immigration

Federal Trade Commission

ftc.gov