Everything You Need to Know About Form G-28

Form G-28 is a USCIS form that lets an immigrant authorize their chosen attorney to represent their interests before USCIS. If you are a foreign national submitting an immigration-related application, petition, or appeal in the United States, you’ll likely need Form G-28.

Read this article to know what Form G-28 is, when it is required, how much it costs, and how to file your G-28 form.

What is Form G-28?

Form G-28 is a U.S. immigration form that serves as the notice of entry or appearance of an attorney or an accredited legal representative to process the case of an applicant for immigration benefits or relief. The form has to be duly signed by the applicant and filed by the accredited representative through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

An accredited representative can be a lawyer, a law student working under an attorney’s supervision, member of a charitable organization, a social service representative, or a member of any other organization which is dedicated to helping people. Moreover, he/she must have accreditation from the Board of Immigration Appeals to represent an applicant before the USCIS.

Who Needs to File a G-28?

A non-citizen who is submitting an immigration-related application or is going through removal proceedings and is interested in hiring a legal representative to represent his/her case before the USCIS is required to submit Form G-28 along with the immigration application. Those who don’t wish to obtain the services of an attorney are not required to sign or file Form G-28.

What Form G-28 Allows Your Attorney to Do

By signing Form G-28, the applicant authorizes the attorney to access his/her immigration-related files. It enables the attorney to send/receive correspondence from the USCIS on behalf of the applicant. A legal mind can understand the significance of any correspondence better than the applicant. By accessing the immigration-related documents, the attorney will be in a better position to understand the case and provide effective legal guidance.

Where to File Form G-28

The completed Form G-28 must be filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) along with your immigration-related application, petition, or appeal. The applicant should provide his signature in part 4 and the legal representative must sign in Part 5. The original Form G-28 must be submitted with the ‘wet’ signature—scan or photocopy is not accepted by the USCIS.

How Much Does G-28 Cost?

Filing Form G-28 won’t cost you a penny. There is no charge associated with submitting Form G-28. However, your attorney may charge consultation, appearance, and other legal fees to represent your case before the USCIS.

Additional Things to Keep in Mind With Form G-28

Here are a few important things to keep in mind when filing your Form G-28:

• The USCIS has revised the old format with a new one since May 18, 2015. So make sure you are submitting the revised version of the form.
• Don’t confuse Form E-28 for Form G-28. Form E-28 is intended to be used for appearing before the immigration court.
• If your G-28 submission is related to employment, you must submit an employment authorization application alongside it.
• There is an online downloadable version of Form G-28 available on the official USCIS website.
• For every immigration-related application, a separate Form G-28 has to be filed.
• Form G-28 must be filed by the attorney/legal representative and the applicant should only sign on the designated space.
• Form G-28 must be submitted in original, scan or photocopies are not accepted.
• If an attorney seeks to withdraw his services from a particular case, he must submit a written request before the Department of Homeland Security.

The Revised G-28

Since May 2015, the USCIS has come up with a revised version of Form G-28 which allows the applicant to request for the correspondence(s) to be sent directly to the attorney or legal representative instead of his/her own mailing address. If the applicant wishes to use this option, then the appropriate checkbox must be ticked while filling out the form.

In addition, the form has another checkbox for allowing the attorney to access additional documents like travel documents and green cards. Ensure that the checkbox is ticked properly to indicate your consent. The rest of the form remains unchanged.

Conclusion

Form G-28 is a U.S. immigration form issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A non-citizen seeking legal assistance to represent his/her immigration-related application or appeal must submit this form through an attorney or a representative accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals. It authorizes the accredited legal representative to appear before the USCIS on behalf of the applicant.

There is no cost associated with filing Form G-28, but your legal counsel may charge his/her consultation and appearance fee. Before submitting the form, ensure that it is completely filled up and bears the signature of both the applicant as well as the attorney.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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