Immigration Services and Notario Fraud
Immigration Services Fraud (Notario Fraud) is when non-lawyers provide immigration legal services that they are not authorized to provide. Notario Fraud can also be when lawyers charge clients for immigration applications that the clients do not actually qualify for. Fraudsters sometimes charge immigrants thousands of dollars for services that leave victims worse off than before. We inform immigrant community members and service providers about common immigration scams to help stop immigrants from becoming victims of a scam. We also work with individuals who have been scammed and try to help them fix the problems these fraudsters caused.
If you have questions about immigration services fraud or are concerned that you have been defrauded, please contact us.
More Information
Each year, immigrants in Pennsylvania pay thousands of dollars in fees for fraudulent services that do not result in legal status. Often, these fraudulent services further jeopardize immigrants’ ability to receive legal status in the future and can even result in deportation. These fraudulent services may be provided by licensed attorneys or by “notarios” unlawfully practicing immigration law.
There are a number of schemes these bad actors employ to defraud people. They may file an immigration application with the promise of a work permit but not explain the immigration risks involved in submitting the application. They may also include false information in the application and not tell the client they are doing so. A common false claim by notarios is that, simply because someone has lived in the U.S. a long time, they can obtain legal status.
One of Justice at Work’s focus areas is combating immigration services fraud. We connect clients to competent, trusted immigration services, inform clients of common immigration schemes, and help rectify the consequences of poor or fraudulent immigration representation.