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Immigration specialist vs lawyer

The differences between immigration specialists and lawyers 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 specialist and a lawyer. Additionally, a lawyer has an average salary of $115,808, which is higher than the $58,674 average annual salary of an immigration specialist.

The top three skills for an immigration specialist include HR, immigration counsel and immigration law. The most important skills for a lawyer are litigation, law firm, and legal issues.

Immigration specialist vs lawyer overview

Immigration SpecialistLawyer
Yearly salary$58,674$115,808
Hourly rate$28.21$55.68
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs4,1652,897
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does an immigration specialist do?

To be an immigration specialist is to be at the center of all things foreign. Immigration specialists are tasked with assisting foreign nationals with the nitty-gritty of immigration and immigration procedures. They lead immigration programs, ensure all paperwork required both from immigration and Visa applications is completed, and process tax treaty evaluations. They are ultimately in charge of enforcing compliance with all immigration rules and regulations.

What does a lawyer do?

A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.

Immigration specialist vs lawyer salary

Immigration specialists and lawyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Immigration SpecialistLawyer
Average salary$58,674$115,808
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $102,000Between $64,000 And $208,000
Highest paying CityCambridge, MAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateMassachusettsNew York
Best paying companyAtlassianNelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between immigration specialist and lawyer education

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

Immigration SpecialistLawyer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorBusinessLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Immigration specialist vs lawyer demographics

Here are the differences between immigration specialists' and lawyers' demographics:

Immigration SpecialistLawyer
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 24.8% Female, 75.2%Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between immigration specialist and lawyer duties and responsibilities

Immigration specialist example responsibilities.

  • Case manage school-aged students as well as developed IEP's /conduct IEP conferences.
  • Manage permanent resident, citizenship, and other immigration applications for clients.
  • Achieve award for increasing efficiency by extensively communicating with debtors' attorneys and monitoring trustee activities on a daily basis.
  • Respond to the queries issue by DOL, USCIS, and NVC on various non-immigrant and immigrant visa issues.
  • Process new hires and re-hires in HRIS.
  • Enter new hire information in the ADP database.
  • Show more

Lawyer example responsibilities.

  • Participate in drafting legal documents and prepare business contracts, perform taxation duties for the enterprise and settle disputes with employees.
  • Handle all types of civil claims and provide notary services
  • Review of complaints relate to judicial ethics and employee misconduct.
  • Draft, proofread and ensure filing and service of criminal motions.
  • Draft a variety of pleadings and motions on behalf of the plaintiff.
  • Assist clients at the notary public office and negotiate licensing agreements for virtual data rooms.
  • Show more

Immigration specialist vs lawyer skills

Common immigration specialist skills
  • HR, 14%
  • Immigration Counsel, 6%
  • Immigration Law, 5%
  • Visa Applications, 5%
  • H-1B, 4%
  • Immigration Program, 4%
Common lawyer skills
  • Litigation, 14%
  • Law Firm, 8%
  • Legal Issues, 7%
  • Real Estate, 6%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Civil Law, 5%