Hi, this is Michael Niren, immigration lawyer and founder of VisaPlace.com.
We were asked this question.
"Where do you find the most credible information about immigration?"
That's a big question.
Obviously, these days people turn to online sources to find all about immigration.
Immigration is everywhere, it's in the news, there are websites, there are info sites,
it's endless.
There's so much information on immigration online that I call it a blessing and a curse.
In a way it's great because people can educate themselves and learn so much about their situation.
Sometimes you go on a chat line and you can ask a question about your situation, and people
will respond and you can respond.
Then ask questions and can go back-and-forth and get some insight.
The problem, of course, is the information you're getting accurate and that is a big
problem.
Not only on chat forums, but some blogs out there and even some websites can be very misleading
and, in fact, flat out wrong.
The information can just not right or not up-to-date because immigration laws constantly
changing.
So where do you go?
Well, there's obviously the government websites which usually give you the most accurate information,
but generally they are not very helpful.
Sometimes they'll just give you very general outlines about what the law is or what the
rules are.
But does it really apply to you and what about your unique circumstance?
Well, the government sites do give you a first place to go to, in some cases, just to get
a general idea.
Often they're not helpful in terms of your specific circumstances.
This leads me to the Internet generally.
The Internet is not a substitute for getting advice, specific advice on your situation,
especially if you're serious about immigrating or getting a visa, and you want to take actual
steps towards doing so.
It's a good starting point and you should definitely gather as much information as you
can online and over time you're going to learn which sources are more credible than others.
But when you're ready to take that step, when you're ready to say, "Okay, I want to apply,"
it's probably a good idea to consult with an immigration professional.
I had a previous video about whether or not, do you have to contact an immigration professional
in order to apply.
The answer is, "No," and you can refer to my video about that.
But in order to get information that is applicable to your circumstances, your situation, it's
really important to consult with a professional before you take any action, real action towards
applying for a visa.
An immigration professional can listen to your specific story, specific case and give
you obviously professional advice.
You may or may not wish to hire that person for your case, but at least you got hopefully
some real specific detailed information and guidance as to what to do with your case.
So I think the first step should be, yes, go online, even speak to some friends who
have gone through the process if you have any and get as much information as you can.
But then once the time comes to, "Okay, I'm serious and I really want to apply," then
you should pick up the phone or actually go online as well and seek out an immigration
professional.
There's a lot of ways to evaluate which professional you want to consult.
Online reviews are great, so you can go to a website or you can go to a listing on Google
and see a bunch of different immigration lawyers and review other people's experiences.
Just like you go to a restaurant, when you want to go to a restaurant, you look at the
online reviews.
And, of course, you can ask some friends or family members who might have used that lawyer
to see what their experience was.
So you always have to do your homework.
But the message today is yes, educate yourself, use your online resources by all means.
But before you actually take an action towards making an application, best bet is to consult
with a professional to give you some guidance.
Hopefully, this has helped.
Have a great day.
If you like the video, click "like" and always join us at www.visaplace.com.