| At the time of this writing the United States | | | | representing a client who has had been |
| Citizenship and Immigration Service is in the | | | | apprehended by the agency known as |
| process of promulgating a new G-28 form. This | | | | Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), |
| form is used to indicate the presence of a | | | | then he or she will be required to indicate that the |
| licensed attorney or representative in a case | | | | G28 is submitted in connection with a pending |
| pending before USCIS or another branch of the | | | | matter before ICE. |
| Department of Homeland Security. | | | | When a G28 is submitted in conjunction with a US |
| American Citizens date, court, and often marry | | | | visa application it is general practice for USCIS to |
| people from countries other than the USA. As a | | | | send a copy of all pertinent correspondence to |
| result, there are a large number of United States | | | | both the petitioner and the petitioner's attorney. |
| Immigration petitions submitted to the United | | | | Further, when the United States Embassy sends |
| States Citizenship and Immigration Service | | | | a letter to the foreign beneficiary informing him or |
| (USCIS). In some cases, the petitioner and | | | | her that they are prepared to set an interview |
| beneficiary opt to deal with the Immigration | | | | (commonly referred to as the Packet 3 letter), |
| matter on their own and in those situations a | | | | the US attorney will usually be copied in on this |
| form G-28 will not be filed. A G-28 is a method of | | | | correspondence. |
| informing the United States government that an | | | | As stated previously, the G28 is an effective |
| accredited representative is entering an | | | | method of determining whether or not one is |
| appearance in the case, it is generally presented | | | | dealing with a real attorney as, in general, only a |
| by a United States attorney. | | | | licensed attorney will be authorized to represent |
| A significant difference between the old and new | | | | clients before USCIS, CBP, and ICE. One should |
| version of the G28 form is that the new form | | | | not feel embarrassed to ask for a copy of an |
| requires one to indicate in which agency the case | | | | attorney's credentials. Any United States |
| is pending. For example, if the matter involves the | | | | Immigration practitioner who is unable to produce |
| Customs and Border Protection Service (CBP), | | | | some sort of license (state bar license, state |
| then the attorney will check the box which states | | | | Supreme Court license, Federal Court license, etc.) |
| that the attorney is representing the client in a | | | | should be viewed with caution. |
| matter before CBP. If the attorney is | | | | |