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Client Warning
Beware of "Notarios"
This guide explains a specific, common source of immigration fraud: the confusion between a Latin American 'notario público,' a trained legal professional, and a U.S. notary public, who is not authorized to give legal advice or represent anyone before USCIS. It applies to protecting yourself when choosing who to trust with your case, not to any particular visa or petition. If you are trying to prepare for your own first meeting with our office instead, see the Consultation Prep guide.
What Is a "Notario"?
In some Latin American countries, a "notario público" is a trained legal expert. In the U.S., the term is ambiguous — a notary is only authorized to witness signatures, but the word has also been used to mislead Spanish-speaking individuals seeking immigration help.
How the Scam Works
Someone may falsely present themselves as qualified to give legal advice, charging heavy fees while relying on the ambiguity of the word "notario." Many people have lost thousands of dollars this way.
How to Protect Yourself
Research anyone before hiring them — legitimate attorneys have verifiable information and reviews online. In immigration law, there are no guarantees: every case is different and takes time. Be wary of anyone who promises otherwise.
Red Flags to Watch For
"I can get you a green card quickly."
"I work for ICE, I can get you a visa."
"I can guarantee you the result you want."
Bottom Line
Our firm takes the time to work with you at every step. Some things take time — but we know what it takes to do it right.
What a U.S. Notary Public Can Actually Do
A notary public in the United States is a witnessing official. The role is to verify identity and watch a document being signed, and in some states to administer an oath. That is the whole of it.
A notary public is not permitted to advise you on which immigration form to file, whether you qualify for a benefit, how to answer a question on an application, or what to say at an interview. None of that is witnessing a signature; all of it is legal advice. Tennessee, like every state, restricts the practice of law to people licensed to practice it.
The gap between that narrow role and the meaning of "notario público" in much of Latin America — where the title belongs to a highly trained legal professional — is precisely the gap that this kind of fraud lives in.
Who Is Allowed to Represent You Before USCIS
There are only two categories of people who may represent you in a case before USCIS. The first is an attorney licensed and in good standing in a U.S. state or territory. The second is a representative accredited by the Department of Justice through an organization that has been formally recognized to provide immigration services, often a nonprofit or faith-based agency.
Anyone else — a notary, a translation service, a tax preparer, an immigration consultant, a travel agency, a friend of a friend who "does the paperwork" — is not authorized to represent you, no matter how many cases they claim to have handled or how confident they sound.
Preparing forms for someone else for a fee without representing them is a limited, regulated activity with its own disclosure requirements. It does not include advising you on what to file or how to answer.
How to Verify Someone Before You Pay Them
- Ask directly: are you an attorney, and in which state are you licensed? Then check that state bar's public licensing lookup yourself.
- For an accredited representative, ask which recognized organization they work for and confirm the organization appears on the Department of Justice list.
- Ask for a written fee agreement that states exactly what work is included and what it costs.
- Ask whether they will file Form G-28 with your case, so USCIS sends copies of every notice to them and to you.
- Ask for copies of everything filed on your behalf, and confirm you will receive them.
- Search the name. Legitimate practices have verifiable information — a physical office, a bar listing, a real online footprint.
What a Legitimate Representation Looks Like
When an attorney takes your case, several things happen that are worth recognizing by contrast. You sign a written agreement. A Form G-28 goes into your file with USCIS, which is how the agency knows to send notices to your attorney as well as to you. You get copies of what is filed in your name. You are told what the fee covers before work begins — at this firm, fees are flat and quoted before you commit.
And you are never asked to sign a blank form or a form you have not read. Your signature on an immigration application is a statement, under penalty of perjury, that its contents are true and correct. That statement is yours, not your representative's, which is why a form you did not review is a risk you personally carry.
The Damage a Bad Filing Actually Does
The money is usually not the worst part. A filing prepared by someone who does not understand the law can do harm that outlasts the fee several times over.
A person can be filed into a category they never qualified for, which produces a denial and, sometimes, a record that follows the case. A misrepresentation on an application — even one someone else typed — can create serious and lasting problems, because certain findings of fraud or misrepresentation carry consequences that are difficult to overcome. A deadline can be missed while the client believes the case is pending. In the worst version, an application is filed for someone with no path to relief, which brings that person to the government's attention without any benefit to show for it.
Fixing these situations is possible more often than people assume, but it is slower and more expensive than doing it correctly the first time.
If You Think This Has Already Happened to You
Do not throw anything away. Gather every receipt, contract, business card, text message, and form copy you have, and write down the dates of each payment and conversation while you remember them.
Find out what was actually filed in your name before deciding what to do next. That is often the first step an attorney takes, and what it reveals determines everything after it.
Federal and state agencies accept complaints about immigration services fraud, and USCIS maintains public guidance on avoiding scams and reporting them at uscis.gov/avoid-scams. Reporting does not resolve your immigration case, but it can help protect the next person.
Who This Guide Is Not For
This guide is about choosing who to trust with your case. It does not explain any particular visa, petition, or application — if you are trying to understand a process rather than evaluate a provider, start with the guide covering that process.
If you are preparing for your first meeting with our office, our guide on preparing for a consultation is the more useful one. If your concern is an encounter with law enforcement, see Know Your Rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a notary public help me with immigration forms?
A U.S. notary public may witness a signature and, in some states, administer an oath. A notary may not advise you on which form to file, whether you qualify for an immigration benefit, or how to answer a question on an application. That is legal advice, and providing it without a law license is not permitted.
Why is the word "notario" a problem in the United States?
In several Latin American countries a "notario público" is a highly trained legal professional. In the United States, a notary public has no legal training requirement and no authority to give legal advice. The overlap in the words has been used to mislead people into paying for immigration help from someone with no authority to provide it.
Who is legally allowed to represent me before USCIS?
Only two categories of people: an attorney licensed and in good standing in a U.S. state or territory, and a representative accredited by the Department of Justice through a formally recognized organization. Immigration consultants, notaries, translation services, and tax preparers are not authorized to represent you.
How can I check whether an immigration attorney is real?
Ask which state licenses them, then verify the license yourself through that state bar's public lookup. Ask for a written fee agreement, ask whether they will file Form G-28 so USCIS sends notices to them and to you, and ask for copies of everything filed in your name.
What are the warning signs of an immigration scam?
Guarantees of a particular result, promises of unusually fast processing, claims of connections inside a government agency, pressure to pay in cash without a written agreement, refusal to give you copies of your own filings, and any request that you sign a blank or unread form.
What should I do if I already paid a notario?
Keep every receipt, contract, message, and form copy, and write down the dates of payments and conversations. Then find out what was actually filed in your name, since that determines what can be done next. USCIS publishes guidance on avoiding and reporting immigration scams at uscis.gov/avoid-scams.
General information only — not legal advice.