Immigrants & Immigration
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
You should be careful about immigration fraud. People who are not allowed to give legal advice may try to. This could harm your immigration case.
Public Notaries
In many other countries, a notary (notario in Spanish) has legal training. But in the U.S., notaries do not have legal training and cannot give legal advice. In the U.S., a public notary can only act as a witness to someone signing their signature.
It is called "notario fraud" when a U.S. notary lies and says they can help with an immigration case.
Who can answer my immigration questions?
You should only trust the advice of these 2 groups of people:
- Immigration attorneys
- Department of Justice (DOJ) Accredited Representative
A lawyer must have a valid license for the state they are working in. For Illinois lawyers, you can look up their license information. A DOJ representative must work for a non-profit organization that is approved by the DOJ. Find a list of approved organizations and representatives.
When you meet them:
- Ask to see their current licenses, and
- Ask them about their experience with immigration issues.
Reporting the fraud
You can report fraud to:
- The Office of the Attorney General of Illinois
(800)-386-5438 - City of Chicago's Department of Consumer Services
311 (Number for Chicago Police)
For more information, you can visit:
