I hope you will find my answers to these questions to be both interesting and informative. It is very important to understand that, unfortunately, there are many separate U.S. government agencies and federal courts involved with Immigration or Nationality Law matters. Unfortunately, during my many years of experience as an immigration lawyer, I have seen first-hand that some of the government employees who work at these agencies are often uncaring, inefficient and extremely bureaucratic. They sometimes lose people's files and documents, and applications can sit on shelves or in drawers for months and, in some cases, even years. Government employees in these agencies sometimes make decisions that are unfair, unintelligent or even, in some cases, contrary to law.
Some government employees are rude or incompetent or both.
In addition, each separate agency has its own forms, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures, many of which are extremely difficult to obtain. Predictions as to what will happen regarding any matter can often be incorrect. The sad truth is that very, very few matters involving U.S. Immigration or Nationality Law are ever resolved quickly. This is the truth regardless of whether or not a person is represented by an immigration lawyer. Except under the most extreme and very rarest of circumstances, to help get a matter resolved quickly is not a good reason to hire an immigration lawyer.