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ments to guide you in the most appropriate direction, and to assist you in framing your business proposal.
2. Dealing with the United States. A lawyer specialising in immigration to the US once showed me the US immigration law: six loose-leaf volumes each about three inches thick without an index.
On top of that, there's case law, precedent, and all kinds of other nuances. No single person really knows what the US immigration law means or is. So in effect--though not by design --there's and enormous amount of discretion in the hands of the officers in the US embassy or consulate. A lawyer can do some or all of the following on your behalf:
Assist you to correctly present your case to the US authori-
ties;
Represent you in discussions with the consular officials from a position of authority. If you find a good lawyer he will pro- bably know more about the immigration law than the immigration officials he's dealing with. He'll be able to point out that under sub-section 341 of volume 5, also considering a particular case, in fact you should be granted the visa even though the ten- dency of the official was to refuse it in the first instance. In other words, any doubt over the validity of your case will turn in your favor; if you're on your own, any doubt or grey areas would automatically work against you;
Assist you to construct the best method of approaching the question of gaining US residency; advise you which visa classifi- cation gives you the greatest chance of eventually achieving US citizenship; and a long-term plan of action which will enable you to turn a temporary work permit into permanent residency and citizenship.
Buyer beware
As in any other business, there are unscrupulous people offering their "services" as immigration consultants; or people who claim they can "guarantee" you a passport--if you buy the property or other deal they are offering.
No-one can issue a passport except a government; no-one except the appropriate officials of that government can approve any application; and not even a consular or embassy official can guarantee your application will be successful.
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