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Immigration attorney vs attorney

The differences between immigration attorneys and attorneys can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an immigration attorney and an attorney. Additionally, an attorney has an average salary of $109,476, which is higher than the $80,187 average annual salary of an immigration attorney.

The top three skills for an immigration attorney include immigration law, business immigration and USCIS. The most important skills for an attorney are litigation, legal research, and law firm.

Immigration attorney vs attorney overview

Immigration AttorneyAttorney
Yearly salary$80,187$109,476
Hourly rate$38.55$52.63
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs7,70310,991
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 47%Doctoral Degree, 48%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does an immigration attorney do?

Dealing with immigration requirements can be a daunting task. An immigration attorney helps those who are struggling with these requirements. Functioning in this role means that they serve in an advisory capacity to foreign citizens and immigrants who are required to work with the country's immigration authorities. They are the go-to guy for immigrants in matters such as Visa applications, naturalization, employment, and deportation.

What does an attorney do?

Generally, an attorney's responsibility is to advise the client with an ongoing lawsuit on the legal procedures and provide strategies to resolve the case as early as possible. An attorney compiles necessary documents or any records for appeal and client's defense. Attorneys must acquire strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to mediate disputes and settle pending litigation for the client's best interest. In some cases, an attorney's procedure depends on any evidence and research presented during the trial period. An attorney is expected to present clients on legal proceedings, seeking justice and justifying the law.

Immigration attorney vs attorney salary

Immigration attorneys and attorneys have different pay scales, as shown below.

Immigration AttorneyAttorney
Average salary$80,187$109,476
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $132,000Between $69,000 And $172,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MAWhite Plains, NY
Highest paying stateMassachusettsNew York
Best paying companySeyfarth ShawThompson Coburn
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between immigration attorney and attorney education

There are a few differences between an immigration attorney and an attorney in terms of educational background:

Immigration AttorneyAttorney
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 47%Doctoral Degree, 48%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Immigration attorney vs attorney demographics

Here are the differences between immigration attorneys' and attorneys' demographics:

Immigration AttorneyAttorney
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 39.5% Female, 60.5%Male, 49.9% Female, 50.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between immigration attorney and attorney duties and responsibilities

Immigration attorney example responsibilities.

  • Achieve a high success rate for full caseload, including after submission of complex RFE responses.
  • Manage highly demanding and detail-orient immigration litigation process as both a leader and member of legal team
  • Track LCA and maintain DOL public access files.
  • Prepare immigrant employment-base petitions under preference categories EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3.
  • Draft motions, waivers, applications, requests for evidence, and appeals to USCIS, EOIR and BIA.
  • Represent clients in employment and family-base petitions, including: H-1B, asylum, adjustment of status, and citizenship applications.
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Attorney example responsibilities.

  • Manage the death administration department with approximately thirty-five plus estates through trust administration, Medicaid estate recovery or probate.
  • Respond to subpoenas and pleadings in litigation and in regulatory inquiries and investigations involving corporate clients.
  • Represent employers before federal administrative agencies, including inspections, administrative litigation, court-enforcement actions and appeals.
  • Litigate personal injury, and general liability matters, worker's compensation, estate planning and litigation, environmental liability litigation.
  • Create and give a presentation regarding non- attorney ethics to division staff.
  • Comply with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity
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Immigration attorney vs attorney skills

Common immigration attorney skills
  • Immigration Law, 14%
  • Business Immigration, 8%
  • USCIS, 8%
  • Waiver, 7%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Litigation, 5%
Common attorney skills
  • Litigation, 19%
  • Legal Research, 9%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Legal Issues, 6%
  • Legal Advice, 5%
  • Juris, 4%