My experience of being scammed by lawyer Elaine Chang

Those who know me well may know that I graduated early and obtained my H1B visa in 2014. I started the green card application process in 2015. But why did it take me so long to confirm my Priority Date (I-140 approval)? Today I want to share the twists and turns of the process, mainly my experience of being scammed by a lawyer. I want to expose this and warn others.

Many people around me have had experiences of being scammed to varying degrees. They thought that everything in the United States was trustworthy, but that's not the case. The foundation of trustworthiness is a legitimate business that puts clients first. Those industries that monopolize and control advantageous resources will not make things so worry-free for you, and the legal profession is one of them.

This was my second application handled by a lawyer. The first one started in early 2015 and dragged on until the beginning of this year. The second one, however, started at the beginning of the year and has already yielded results. One dragged on for two years with nothing, while the other was done in 10 months. The contrast is truly striking. Even when I left my first lawyer, that incompetent lawyer was still trying to conceal and evade responsibility.

Just a quick aside: our H temporary work visa is only valid for 6 years. It can only be extended indefinitely once you start applying for a visa in the backlog; otherwise, you'll have to go home. However, in my experience, even if you start applying in your final year, theoretically it's still possible. For details, please see the previous post...How many steps does it take to get a green card from an F1 visa? – A guide to the green card application process》

Why do I say that the legal profession is a very troublesome one? You can think about it: we know almost nothing about legal provisions, let alone Chinese law which is our native language. American law is practically a foreign language to us, while lawyers know it like the back of their hand. If they are unscrupulous, they can use various provisions to make your life unbearable. There is nothing wrong with the law itself, but the drain on our energy and money is enormous.

The legal profession, possessing absolute resources and advantages, inevitably prioritizes profit. When I was wronged, I considered hiring a lawyer to file a lawsuit, but most declined, citing the small amount involved. Indeed, the cost of filing a lawsuit can easily reach tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Who would be willing to handle a case with a total value of only ten thousand dollars, even if you are the victim representing complete justice? During this period, the United Airlines assault incident came into play, which indirectly confirmed what I just said. Why did the most renowned lawyer in the US proactively contact the victim afterward, willing to help him sue United Airlines? I don't want to speculate, but everyone should be able to form their own opinions.

In an industry where the cost of protecting one's rights is so high, if we don't keep our eyes open before participating, we'll find ourselves in a difficult situation. Having said all that, let's get to the main point: how exactly did I get scammed?

My first lawyer was Elaine Chang, recommended by a friend. She initially helped with my H1 visa application. Although there were some minor issues, everything went smoothly, and I naturally entrusted her with my green card application. Little did I know this was the beginning of a nightmare. The main problems can be summarized as follows:

1. When the application was returned and I was asked to submit more materials, I wasn't given a reason. Later, I discovered there was a fatal error in the form, requiring me to start over, and it couldn't be fixed. This happened in March 2016. Although when I submitted supplementary materials in June 2016, I was subtly told that it might not pass and that it was best to start over.
2. I started over, and they kept making excuses like "everyone does it this way," without explaining the specific reasons (my logic is that if they don't know the specific reasons, they can't prevent it from happening again, and some friends applied at the same time and got approved). When asked about many detailed terms, they couldn't answer them.
3. He is extremely careless in his work. The company changed its address, which was disclosed when applying for the H1B visa in 2014, but he still got it wrong when advertising in 2017, wasting two months and 00. I recommended a friend to him (at the time I thought he was alright), but I got my friend's name wrong.
4. This "money jar" charges all fees upfront (lawyers usually charge in installments), and the prices are higher than usual. They also don't offer refunds (after all, even the first step wasn't completed, and many fees are used for later stages; even if the first step was rejected, it's still the first step, and the subsequent payments should be refunded).
5. They were very vague in explaining things, and when I called to ask about the key points, they would often hang up with "I have something else to do." Later on, they would stop answering the phone and not reply to text messages (even when I sent them to schedule a time).
6. When I transferred lawyers, the second lawyer asked for my materials, but gave me various excuses for not providing them all, only giving me some scattered pieces, and even asked me to take them myself (this violates the professional ethics of a lawyer, because I should be the owner of these materials).

I could appeal any of the above, but unfortunately no one is willing to do so so far, and I have no other choice but to swallow my anger. However, I will not remain silent. Although I cannot disclose the details (to avoid any oversights and being countersued), I am sharing these points with everyone in the hope that you will be more vigilant.

Studying abroad is not easy, I hope everyone has a smooth journey at every step!