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Visitor Frequently Asked Questions |
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Can Ortega, Canosssa and Associates, PLC help me resolve my immigration case?
Can Ortega, Canosssa and Associates, PLC help me resolve my immigration case? The answer to this question varies on a case by case basis. The attorneys of Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC will evaluate your case and then determine whether you can improve your immigration status usually during your first consultation. If some additional information is needed you will be asked to return and obtain a definite answer. In every case we do our best trying to apply immigration laws for a person's benefit. At the same time we will provide an honest and ethical answer. What guarantees do I obtain from your attorneys? In general, no attorney can or should make any guarantees regarding a client's case outcome. However, it is at all times our duty to provide you with effective assistance of counsel. Are your attorneys authorized to practice immigration law in my state? Yes. The attorneys at Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC are authorized to practice immigration law in all states of the United States. Our attorneys can represent clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service and the Executive Office of Immigration Review including all Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. For more information about our attorneys please visit our members page. Can your attorneys represent me in Immigration Court? Yes. The attorneys at Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC are authorized to practice immigration law in all states of the United States. Our attorneys can represent clients before the Executive Office of Immigration Review including all Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. Can your attorneys help as translators in Immigration Court? No. Attorneys in general are not allowed to interpret for their clients. However, the Immigration Court provides interpreters for Respondents. Therefore you do not need to take an interpreter to Immigration Court. However, our attorneys are still authorized to appear with you in your Court hearings. Can your attorneys represent me in my immigration interview? Yes. The attorneys at Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC are authorized to practice immigration law in all states of the United States. Our attorneys can represent clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service and corresponding appointments. Can your attorneys help as translators in my immigration interviews? No. Attorneys in general are not allowed to interpret for their clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. Clients are required to take an interpreter to Immigration interviews before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (outside of Immigration Court.) However, our attorneys are still authorized to appear with you in your interviews. How much are your consultation fees? The office of Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC provides a free of charge all encompassing first legal consultation. An attorney will meet with you, review your case and give you a complete assessment of your rights under current immigration laws. Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC must charge fees that can guaranty access to the resources necessary to provide efficient legal representation. However we are still aware of the need for affordable legal counsel for the immigrant community in the United States and strive to maintain conscientious fees. Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC also has a pro bono program that provides free legal counsel to deserving individuals who are indigent or without any source of financial support while living in the United States. Yes. We offer monthly payment plans. When can I have my first consultation? Visitors at Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC can schedule their consultation at 10:30 A.M., 3:30 P.M. or 5:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. Can I speak with your attorneys over the phone? Yes. Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC prefers and encourages visitors to appear personally. However, If you live over 60 miles away from our office location, upon request we will provide you with a telephonic consultation. You must send in advance via email or fax a copy of all the documents associated with your case. To expedite our assessment of your rights we recommend our visitors to send copies of all of their immigration documents in chronological order. For visitors that have been fingerprinted by a police officer, arrested, or convicted of any crime, we recommend sending a criminal background report and updated certified court dispositions. Do your attorneys speak Spanish? Yes. At Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC all attorneys and agents are fluent in English and Spanish. What are your hours and days of operation? The office of Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC is open from Monday through Thursday from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. andFriday from 8 A.M to 5:30 P.M. Visitors can schedule their consultation at 10:30 A.M., 3:30 P.M. or 5:00 P.M. daily. The office of Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC observes the following holidays: New Years Eve, Good Friday, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanks Giving Day and Christmas Day. During these days, the office will be closed. Please visit our Office Information webpage. The office of Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC is located at 700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90017. The office is located in the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and Hope St. The office building is in the southwest corner of the intersection. The office is in close proximity to the 110 highway, and Figueroa St., in the financial district of downtown Los Angeles. If driving on Highway 110 South, take the Wilshire Blvd. Exit; turn left on Wilshire Blvd. until reaching Hope St. If driving on Highway 110 North, take the Exit to 6th St., until reaching Hope St. Turn right on Hope St. until reaching Wilshire Blvd. Please visit our Office Information webpage. Is there parking facilities in your office? Visitors are welcome to park in the office building. This is the most convenient available parking. There is additional parking in Grand St., off of the corner of 7th St. and Grand St. This is the most affordable parking structure in the area located two blocks away from our building. Additional parking can be found in the corner of 7th and Hope at Macy’s Plaza. Macy's Plaza is one block away from our building and your parking slip can be validated by its retail stores even upon small purchases. Please visit our Office Information webpage. While providing free of charge legal consultations, Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC cannot provide parking validation. Please visit our Office Information webpage. What documents should I bring or send for my first consultation? To expedite our assessment of your rights we recommend you to bring all of their immigration documents in chronological order. For visitors that have been arrested, fingerprinted by a police officer, or convicted of any crime, we recommend bringing a criminal background report and updated certified court dispositions. The California Department of Justice provides an automatic system for criminal history background checks. Live Scan technology allows digitally scanned fingerprints and related information to be submitted electronically to the Department of Justice. The CA DOJ report document is usually one page long when there is no record and two or more pages long when the person has been arrested before. For more information you can visit the background check section of the California Department of Justice website or call (916) 227-3835. Why do I need a CA DOJ report? A CA DOJ report will assist immigration attorneys, USCIS and EOIR Judges to establish whether past arrests or convictions of a person who resides or has resided in the state of California will affect that person's eligibility to become or remain a legal permanent resident of the United States. It can also be used as evidence of a clean criminal record and a good moral character. Immigrants are often asked to obtain this report by their attorneys, trial attorneys, immigration officers or judges as a requirement to complete their immigration process. How do I obtain my CA DOJ report? All California Applicants must submit Live Scan fingerprints, and complete Form BCII 8016RR, pdf. Applicants Living Outside California or the United States must submit manual fingerprint card, and complete Form BCII 8705, pdf. The Live Scan system allows digitally scanned fingerprints and other personal information to be submitted electronically to the Department of Justice instantly and allows criminal background checks to be processed within 72 hours. In California, fingerprinting must be done by a certified fingerprint roller or qualified law enforcement personnel. Rolling fees vary from location to location and cover only the operator's cost for rolling the fingerprint images. Additional processing fees are required for the State (DOJ). To find a provider near you please visit the California Department of Justice official fingerprint services providers listing. Most of our clients request their CA DOJ report through A1 LiveScan, Notary & Passport Photo Services conveniently located two blocks from our office at 527 West 7th Street, Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90014, on the 4th Floor of the Collection Building in the corner of 7th Street & Grand Ave. To make an appointment you can call them at (213) 489-4559. What is a criminal court disposition? While a criminal history background check provides essential but limited information, a court disposition provides in depth information regarding a person's criminal history. A court disposition provides valuable detail regarding a person's criminal court proceedings such as sentence, probation time, fines, a person's compliance with the Court's orders, existing warrants and the case termination date. Instead of a court disposition, a person can also request a certification of no record for a previous arrest as evidence of a clean criminal record and a good moral character. A court disposition is usually two or more pages long. Why do I need a criminal court disposition? A court disposition will assist immigration attorneys, USCIS and EOIR Judges to establish with more detail whether the past arrests or convictions of a person will affect that person's eligibility to become or remain a legal permanent resident of the United States. Immigrants with an arrest history are often asked to obtain this document by their attorneys, trial attorneys, immigration officers or judges as a requirement to complete their immigration process. How do I obtain a criminal court disposition? Certified photocopies of a criminal court disposition can be requested in the Clerk's Office at the appropriate Court location. You can usually find out where the appropriate Clerk's Office is located by inquiring in the same building where your criminal case was tried. Courts usually offer contact information on their official website. The Clerk’s Office will conduct a name search. You must provide the name used by the Defendant in the case, even if the Defendant used another name besides his own. Since this document is a public record, usually any one (not only the Defendant) can request a court disposition. Service fees vary by county and state. Court disposition information is usually not provided over the telephone. You can contact your local Clerk’s Office for more information. For court proceedings that took place in the Los Angeles county you can request your court disposition at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. There, name searches are limited to cases filed within Los Angeles County. Requests for court disposition may be made in person in the Clerk’s Office or through the mail. Results may be picked up or returned by mail in a self-addressed, stamped envelope. The Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center is located at 210 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The criminal records office's phone number is (213) 974-6141 and it is located on the 5th Floor. For this particular office be prepared to pay a fee of 25 cents for each page of the document requested plus 15 dollars to have the document certified. How do I get involved to support immigration reform? Ortega, Canossa and Associates, PLC offers an immigration advocacy center. We hereby encourage our clients and visitors to stay informed, get involved, contact congress, contact the media and vote.
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700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90017 - Tel. (213) 347-0051 - Fax. (213) 347-0052 - canossa@ocalegal.com - www.ocalegal.com |