Get your papers ready for an appointment
One folder, copies not originals, and your questions written down.
Lessons are in English only for now. Español is not ready yet, so we do not offer it here.
What you will be able to do
By the end, you have one folder of copies, your questions written down, and a plan for keeping originals safe.
About 5 minutes.
Learn
Put every paper for the appointment in one folder or envelope the night before.
Bring copies, and keep your originals safe at home. Bring an original only if the office asks for it.
Write your questions down, and write the main dates of your story in order. Before you leave, write down what they told you and the next step.
A folder for a first meeting
- Copies of the letters you received, in date order.
- A page with your questions and the main dates.
- A pen, so you can write down what they say.
Practice
Skip and show the answer
Bring copies in one folder, and keep originals safe unless the office asks for them.
Now do it for real
Get my papers ready
- Put every paper for this appointment in one folder
- Make copies; bring originals only if the office asks
- Write my questions and the main dates down
Takeaway
- One folder for every paper.
- Bring copies. Keep originals safe.
- Bring an original only if the office asks.
- Write your questions and main dates down.
- Write down what they told you and the next step.
From Do Not Lose Hope, donotlosehope.com. Lesson, version 1. Not a certificate.
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Where this comes from
- What to bring to your first meeting with an immigration lawyer (checked October 21, 2026)
- Make a family preparedness plan (checked October 21, 2026)
What changed in this lesson
- Version 1, October 26, 2026: First draft.