Can anyone recommend immigration lawyer?

[loo1201]

Hello,

I am a Swiss citizen and i with to obtain a Study permit for Canada. I made the terrible mistake of overstaying on my ESTA in the US for a little bit more than a year.

Now i would like to hire an immigration lawyer to help me "build my case" and help with all the paperwork in order to present a very strong application and show that i would never overstay in Canada.

I want to study in BC.

Could anyone recommend an attorney that they have deal with or have experience in the matter. Feel free to send me a private message.

Thank you!

 

[OhWow]

Hello,

I am a Swiss citizen and i with to obtain a Study permit for Canada. I made the terrible mistake of overstaying on my ESTA in the US for a little bit more than a year.

Now i would like to hire an immigration lawyer to help me "build my case" and help with all the paperwork in order to present a very strong application and show that i would never overstay in Canada.

I want to study in BC.

Could anyone recommend an attorney that they have deal with or have experience in the matter. Feel free to send me a private message.

Thank you!

I always thought the ESTA was only a border crossing document. On the ESTA website, it also says:

ESTA is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
http://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/esta

If you had a valid visa stamped in your passport and did not exceed the date written on it, you should be fine, I guess.

 

[OhWow]

And by the way, immigration lawyers usually only want your money. If you stayed longer than allowed and exceeded the validility of your visa (not ESTA!), then a lawyer can't even do a thing, because the case is too obvious and cannot be explained -- unless you had been hospitalized and in a coma, unable to leave the country. You need a firm reason and evidence why you stayed longer than allowed and should have communicated this before to the government and applied for a new visa back then.

 

[loo1201]

I always thought the ESTA was only a border crossing document. On the ESTA website, it also says:

ESTA is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
http://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/esta

If you had a valid visa stamped in your passport and did not exceed the date written on it, you should be fine, I guess.

I have a stamp from wheb they let me in. With the date of when im supposed to leave, in that case 90 days from the day of arrival.

There are not much to say abour my overstay, it was voluntary and i was madly and blindly in love with someone. I want the help of a lawyer to put all the chances with me and really try and get the study permit. I know i have to prove that i have strong ties to my home country.

I know that you can hire an immigration consultant to help you put together your application. Thats my point.

Anyway thanks for your answer

 

[OhWow]

You can madly fall in love with a Canadian and immigrate. That's what I don't understand about the system... love > hard work. I don't get it.

But I don't think you can justify your overstay with "love". It will break your heart only further... immigration-wise. Like I said, you'd require a severe case, like an illness of yourself or perhaps your partner at the time that you needed to take care of. But also there, you needed to inform the US immigration about the extension of your stay.

Did you get in trouble with the US officials because of the overstay?

 

[loo1201]

You can madly fall in love with a Canadian and immigrate. That's what I don't understand about the system... love > hard work. I don't get it.

But I don't think you can justify your overstay with "love". It will break your heart only further... immigration-wise. Like I said, you'd require a severe case, like an illness of yourself or perhaps your partner at the time that you needed to take care of. But also there, you needed to inform the US immigration about the extension of your stay.

Did you get in trouble with the US officials because of the overstay?

So you say that it'll be near to impossible to get a study permit because of that overstay? I went to the US on F-1 Visa in 2011 and studied and then left on time then i went back 3 times legally and also left on time before going one last time and overstay. I cant lie about it. i did overstay cause i wanted to.

And no ive never gotten into trouble in the US and i left voluntarily.

 

[OhWow]

Ah ok, I thought you stayed for a whole year at once. Ask a consultant, not an expensive lawyer first if there is anything to worry about.

 

[loo1201]

Ah ok, I thought you stayed for a whole year at once. Ask a consultant, not an expensive lawyer first if there is anything to worry about.

Well my overstay was from September 2014 (my last approved esta) to Januray 2016. So thats a year and a half overstay. I emailed a few consultants already. I hope i still have chances.

The thing im worried about is proving strong ties to my home country. Also about my overstay..how to justify? I have to tell the truth, and i overstayed cause i fell in love with someone. I was also stupid and lazy and was travelling at the time of my overstay. It was a stupid mistake and i would never want to be in that situation ever again.

I meant to say that i went to the US legally, many times and once with a studen visa and always respected departure times and never overstayed, until that recent overstay with the ESTA.

 

[OhWow]

I understand. Somtimes, young people do stupid things. I hope for you, somebody has a heart to understand this. At least, you did not commit any criminal activities.

 

[loo1201]

I understand. Somtimes, young people do stupid things. I hope for you, somebody has a heart to understand this. At least, you did not commit any criminal activities.

I hope so too! I have been to Canada twice, and i left on time of course. I hope they will see that i am serious