# Telling your story in your immigration application or petition

- Link: https://www.lumlawgroup.com/telling-your-story-in-your-immigration-application-or-petition/
- Published: 2020-01-31T15:33:51-08:00
- Author: Albert J Lum

Storytelling might not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning your 
immigrant or non immigrant benefit application or petition, but it is worth considering.
The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) forms request a great
number of facts while leaving little room for explanation. As such, many self-applicants
may believe they should summarize their story into a short “blurb”.  We’re here 
to tell you this is not the case.

Regardless whether you’re trying to immigrate through family or asylum, petitioning
for benefits based on hardship, or if you’re seeking nonimmigrant status via employment
or investment, you should share your story.  Many of our clients submitted short
summaries at the beginning, expecting the chance to expand and share their narrative
later at the interview—only to find the interview is based on what was submitted.
The interviewer will question new information that was not initially submitted as
it suggests that you fabricated additional details to your story. This may not be
true, but it’s cause for suspicion.

On the opposite spectrum, you have applicants and petitions who provide too much
information, drowning the reviewing officer in data and evidence. How much time 
do you think a USCIS employee has to review and adjudicate on your application? 
It’s probably less than you’d think. Hence our suggestion to submit organized and
clear submission packages. Not only is there limited time to review your submission,
but it might be reviewed by several people, to varying extents.  Without a clear
link, or narrative, to string your evidence together, your submission can be confusing
at best; overwhelming at worst.

What immigration attorneys and paralegals do for you is they listen to understand
your story, apply it to USCIS standards, request relevant evidence, draft your narrative
for you, and organize the evidence to match your story.  The result is a clear and
persuasive essay.  You can request to review this essay prior to submission, but
it will become the “cover sheet” the attorney puts on his letterhead for your submission
package. The coversheet is like the table of contents and introduction to your request,
and is especially influential in long, complex cases, where the officer will exercise
discretion.

If you’re not sure how your narrative can be supported, organized, and argued, don’t
try to submit on your own. Don’t let your application become a question mark or 
headache for the reviewing officer. Hire an experienced immigration attorney to 
review, prepare, and organize your USCIS submission for increased clarity!