How Get Help works, and why it's free

Short answer: Licensed attorneys are one of at least six kinds of help available for an immigration case. Several of the others are free, and some — DOJ-accredited representatives, for instance — can do most of what an attorney can in front of USCIS. Get Help is a directory of all of them, free to use, with no ads.

The six kinds of help

Legal aid organizations. Nonprofits that provide free or low-cost immigration legal services, usually with income limits. USCIS itself points applicants to these first (USCIS, Find Legal Services).

Accredited representatives. Non-attorneys who work for a DOJ-recognized nonprofit and are individually accredited by the Department of Justice to represent people before USCIS (partial accreditation) or also before immigration courts (full accreditation). The DOJ publishes the complete roster (EOIR Recognition & Accreditation roster); anyone claiming to be accredited should be on it.

Licensed attorneys. Any attorney in good standing with a U.S. state bar can practice immigration law. Get Help's attorney listings currently focus on board-certified immigration specialists, verified against the certifying bars.

Pro bono representation before the immigration courts. The DOJ maintains a list, by state, of providers who take removal-proceeding cases at no charge (EOIR pro bono list). This is a different thing from legal aid for USCIS filings, and it's the one people in proceedings most often don't know exists.

Designated School Officials (DSOs). For F-1 and M-1 students, the DSO at their school is the first point of contact for status questions, and the only person who can make certain SEVIS updates.

Community and cultural organizations. Not legal providers, but often the fastest route to a trusted referral in your own language.

The one warning USCIS repeats most

Only attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives may give legal advice or represent you before USCIS. "Notarios," immigration consultants, and document preparers may not — and USCIS's Avoid Scams page is explicit that in many countries a notario is a lawyer, while in the U.S. a notary public is not. Get Help does not list anyone outside the two authorized categories as a representative.

How the listings are built and kept honest

Every listing is sourced from a public register (a state bar, the DOJ rosters, a school's SEVP certification, a nonprofit's own published information), tagged with where it came from and when it was last checked, and refreshed on a schedule. Each listing has a "report incorrect information" link. Practitioners disciplined by the DOJ are screened out against the EOIR disciplinary list.

Two things Get Help is not: it is not an endorsement of anyone listed, and it is not a referral service that takes a fee from anyone. Listings are free to the organizations listed and free to you.

Why free, with no ads

Because the people who most need this information are usually the ones under the most financial pressure, and because a directory funded by the people it lists stops being a directory. Get Help will stay free and ad-free — that isn't a launch promotion, it's how it's built.

Get Help is an informational listing, not legal advice and not a recommendation of any provider. Verify credentials directly with the DOJ roster or the relevant state bar before engaging anyone.