In 2017 Alfredo Urrego came to the United States to study engineering. Later, he applied for the so-called EB2 visa which opens the way to residency, but things didn’t go as planned.
“Now that all of this has happened, I’m starting to connect the dots and I suspect a lot of things were done wrong. And definitely, I’m sure it was in the worst hands,” Urrego warns of foul play judicial professional.
This is a national interest visa for people who have a professional career and who meet certain requirements. But although Urrego complied with them, the first time he filed the documents they denied it.
“At that point, I sit down with the lawyers and ask them what my outlook is. And they advise me to start a second business,” remarks Urrego.
And this time, he received his visa but without the possibility of applying for a residence.
“We had a legal presence but we had no status. Which I didn’t know existed. I continued here on the recommendation of the lawyers”, he recalls that his lawyers did not alert him and ignored the case.
“I was assigned a lawyer who is the one who gave me this news and looking on the internet I realized that this person was not even a lawyer.”
It’s really something very common we see, especially here in Miami.
Immigration lawyer Rosaly Chaviano, who is not connected to the case, says many migrants – especially Cubans – are victims of bad legal advice. Almost always because they don’t have the money to pay a certified professional.
And the reality is that when you compare it to paralegal fees, for example, you’re going to see a big difference, but it could come at a higher cost.
“They have to open a case against those who did what they shouldn’t and present all that evidence to a judge,” the experts say.
Through a webpage, you can check whether or not a person is licensed to practice law in Florida.
“What we know is that this is bad practice. If someone does something wrong, we need to alert the community and prevent the same from happening to other people,” he stresses.
Alfredo Urrego could now see his days numbered in the United States, which worries him above all for his daughter.