6 Challenges Immigration Law Firms need to address
The last two years have brought in some unprecedented challenges for immigration law firms across the US. As per the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman’s Annual Report, 2021, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services have faced numerous challenges this year on virtually every front. Shifting the workforce from an office-centric culture to a more flexible way of working has not been easy as it required tech adaptation and policy reforms. Plus, the ongoing economic slowdown has been bad for revenue generation. Moreover, there was an urgent need to devise new ways to keep the workforce connected, engaged, and productive.

In this write-up, we have discussed a few challenges faced by immigration law firms that have to be addressed to drive growth and lead ahead in this competitive era.

Time management

Managing time has always been challenging for immigration attorneys as apart from handling legal obligations, they need to perform numerous paperwork and administrative tasks. While the transition to remote working platforms is beneficial in many ways, it has also opened access to numerous modes of distractions that might waste a lawyer’s time and energy. Moreover, some intricate immigration cases may require extensive research that might waste enough time.

Due to all these reasons, it can be tough to deliver timely service to clients. But using these modern tools can help in automatically handling workflow management in immigration process including data management, research, customer service, and numerous administrative tasks. Therefore, the staff members will get enough time to focus on legal intricacies.

Maintaining transparency with clients

Unlike yesteryears, today clients demand a higher level of transparency and timely updates from the immigration law firm handling their case. As the internet has already provided abundant information on legal matters, customers want to ensure whether their case is going in the right direction. Moreover, before paying their bills, they cross-check whether their money will be spent judiciously. Therefore, immigration law firms have to present transparent bills to their clients and they are required to explain all aspects of legal procedures in simple language.

While maintaining transparency with clients, they also need to ensure that important files are not sent through insecure networks and complete confidentiality is maintained.

Data loss and theft

Data is one of the most valuable assets for immigration law firms or practitioners where clients place their trust to protect their personal information. But enabling work from home has opened more channels for data theft and cyber-attacks. A seamlessly harmless download, email, or click can often give entry to viruses, and malware that can leave vital data and files inaccessible. Plus, if not stored and organized well, they can easily be lost in the myriad of files.

As immigration firms continue to evolve, staff members are accessing their office data through various mobile devices. This provides a good opportunity for hackers who might steal important data and misuse it. A secured, trusted, robust and technically advanced Case Management Software for Immigration Law Firms / Practitioners will eliminate cyber-attacks and minimize the risk of losing immigrants’ confidential information.

Attracting new clients and talent

Like any other business, the primary concern of an immigration law firm is to maintain an ever-increasing stream of clients and revenue in order to meet their operating costs and liabilities. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, bringing new clients has become a challenging task for immigration law firms. Now, many prospective clients and employees are worried about their health, safety, and economic prospects related to migration. Therefore, they may be avoiding any legal proceeding that might pose a risk of infection.

While informing the prospects about the safety measures that have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease, it is important engaging the clients and employees online by solving their problems and helping them with proper legal assistance can go a long way in building a strong online reputation.

Embracing digital technology

An immigration law firm cannot maximize the benefits of digital technology unless its staff does not reinvent its skills accordingly. As companies are compelled to adopt cloud-based, digitally-empowered applications, the workforce needs to learn about accessing it for improving the client service experience, USA immigration process management, document automation, and streamlining business processes.

With so many software, tools, and applications available to immigration law firms, it can be easy to get drifted. But instead of investing in any random technology, it’s important to evaluate its benefits. Well, embracing new technology can consume a lot of energy and money; but will cut significant costs in the future.

Apart from requiring a close collaboration between technology and legal staff, legal firms’ technological deployment process should also emphasize risk mitigation associated with cybercrime and threats to data transparency.

Managing caseloads

It can be challenging for immigration law firms to manage their caseload, especially when they are operating remotely. Whether they are working to extend the tenure of a student’s visa or seeking a visa for a professional worker, each case may involve a wide range of procedures that comprises counseling the clients about their rights, data collection, documentation, and representing the case in administrative courts. Regardless of the number of cases that an immigration firm is handling, it’s mandatory to delight every client with excellent service.

For lawyers, managing multiple cases at a time can be stressful. To manage each case efficiently, it is important to split the caseload into groups.

Deploying a workflow based and well-defined visa processing software can be instrumental in managing each case efficiently by automating numerous arduous, repetitive, and time-intensive tasks.

Overall, these are some of the most compelling challenges that the immigration law firms are facing and need to be addressed comprehensively for productivity boost and consistent business growth. Besides that, understanding the evolving needs of clients, diagnosing their issues, and developing a pathway to achieve the best solution is key for delivering high-end immigration service.

Today, as immigration law professionals have enough growth opportunities, technological and logistic adoption can be vital in turning their challenges into opportunities. If however, you still find it difficult to move forward by preventing the various hurdles, contact us to find effective software solutions.