Who can help you fill out a USCIS form in Arizona?

For advice on which form to use, whether you qualify or what to answer, you need an attorney or a representative accredited by the Department of Justice. Someone who is not allowed to represent you can only give you limited help, such as typing the answers you give into the blank spaces, for a small fee.

That is how USCIS, the federal agency that receives your immigration applications, explains it. Arizona law sets its own limits on who can fill out USCIS forms for someone else.

Who can give you advice on your immigration case?

Only an attorney or an accredited representative. In USCIS’s words: “Only an attorney or an accredited representative working for a Department of Justice recognized organization can give you legal advice and represent you in your immigration case” (USCIS, Common Scams).

An accredited representative is not an attorney. They are authorized by EOIR, the Justice Department office that includes the immigration courts, and they work for a nonprofit organization the department has recognized (EOIR).

According to USCIS, an attorney or accredited representative can advise you on which forms to file and when, which documents and evidence to submit and what options you may have. They can also help you fill out your forms and go with you to your interviews.

Arizona law says that, apart from attorneys, accredited representatives and a few narrow cases it lists, “no other person or persons may represent others in any case, prepare applications or forms or give any legal advice relating to any immigration or naturalization matter” (A.R.S. § 12-2702(B)).

Breaking that law is a class 6 felony (A.R.S. § 12-2703(E)). The Arizona Attorney General can also investigate it as consumer fraud (A.R.S. § 12-2704), and you can file a complaint with that office.

Who	What they can do	What they can’t do	How to check
Immigration attorney	Advise you on which form to file and when, what evidence to submit and what options you have; help you fill out your forms; represent you before USCIS	Advise you on Arizona law, if not licensed by the State Bar of Arizona	A current license, confirmed with the state agency that issued it (for a lawyer licensed in Arizona, the State Bar of Arizona’s member directory); EOIR’s list of disciplined practitioners
Accredited representative	The same before USCIS, while working for an organization recognized by the Department of Justice	Represent you if they don’t work for a recognized organization	EOIR’s lists of recognized organizations and accredited representatives
Someone who only types your answers	Type the answers you give into the blank spaces of a printed USCIS form, for a nominal fee	Choose your form, tell you whether you qualify or what to answer, represent you, or claim to be qualified in legal matters or immigration procedure	If they offer to pick your form or tell you what to answer, that is advice
Notary public	Notarize: witness the signing of documents and administer oaths	Give you legal advice, help draft legal records or represent you in an immigration proceeding	Their ad must say, in each language it uses, that they are not an attorney licensed in Arizona and may not give advice on legal matters, including immigration

Table sources, checked October 8 and 9, 2026: USCIS, Legal Services · USCIS, Common Scams · EOIR, Recognition & Accreditation Program · EOIR, roster reports · EOIR, disciplined practitioners · State Bar of Arizona, member directory · A.R.S. § 12-2701 · A.R.S. § 12-2702 · 8 CFR 1.2 · A.R.S. § 41-273 · Arizona Secretary of State, Notary Public.

As an Arizona notary public who is not an attorney, Didilia De La O publishes this notice in every language we use:

Notice required by Arizona law (A.R.S. § 41-273)

I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in this state. I am not allowed to draft legal records, give advice on legal matters, including immigration, or charge a fee for those activities.

No soy abogada con licencia para ejercer la abogacía en este estado. No estoy autorizada para redactar documentos legales, dar asesoría sobre asuntos legales, incluyendo inmigración, ni cobrar por esas actividades.

Didilia De La O, Notary Public, Arizona

What can someone who only types your answers do?

Type the answers you give them into your form, and nothing more. USCIS lists who may represent you, mainly attorneys and accredited representatives, and says that anyone else “may be able to give you limited help filling out USCIS forms, but they cannot represent you or give you legal advice” (USCIS, Legal Services).

Arizona law describes that help narrowly. Its definition of the unauthorized practice of immigration law leaves out help that meets three conditions: it is limited to helping complete the blank spaces on printed immigration forms, the helper is paid nothing or only a nominal amount, and the helper does not claim to be qualified in legal matters or immigration procedure (A.R.S. § 12-2701(3)(b)). The same limits apply to any USCIS form, for example an I-130 (the family petition) or an N-400 (the naturalization application).

A legal document preparer is a different role in Arizona: the Arizona Supreme Court certifies legal document preparers under its Code of Judicial Administration (ACJA § 7-208), and they may provide general legal information but may not give legal advice. Arizona’s immigration-services statute does not include them among those who may represent a person in an immigration matter (A.R.S. § 12-2702(A)).

With us, you choose the form and give us every answer. Didilia “Didi” De La O types each one in English exactly as you give it, then reads the whole form back to you in Spanish before you sign.

Didi also signs the interpreter’s part and the part for the person who filled in the form. When one person did both jobs, the I-485 instructions, for example, ask that person to complete both parts. Both parts are signed under penalty of perjury: on the I-485, the person who filled in the form certifies that the answers reflect only information you provided and that you reviewed them.

That is how our form typing service works.

Form typing: We are not attorneys and do not give legal advice. You choose the form and give us your answers; we type them into the blank spaces. We work only with USCIS forms, for a small flat fee. We don’t choose forms, tell you whether you qualify or file forms for you. We don’t fill in court documents.

How do you check that someone can advise you?

Ask for the license or the accreditation, and check it against an official source before you pay.

For an attorney, USCIS suggests asking to see a current license, then checking with the state agency that issued it to confirm the attorney is eligible to practice (USCIS). If the attorney is licensed in Arizona, that agency is the State Bar of Arizona: its member directory lists every attorney who is a member, and each attorney’s “activity” information shows whether they have ever been disciplined (State Bar of Arizona). EOIR publishes a list of currently disciplined practitioners.

In Arizona, an immigration attorney who is not licensed by the State Bar of Arizona may not advise you on Arizona law. When you hire them, they must tell you in writing that they are not licensed in Arizona and which state they are licensed in (A.R.S. § 12-2702(E)).

For an accredited representative, look them up on EOIR’s lists of recognized organizations and accredited representatives. One of the lists is sorted by state.

An attorney or accredited representative who represents you before USCIS files Form G-28, the notice that they represent you. You sign it too, to show USCIS you agree to the representation (USCIS). Someone who only types your answers does not file one.

If the person helping you is neither an attorney nor an accredited representative, the FTC, the federal consumer protection agency, warns that even people who mean well, like a friend or a relative, might cause problems for you later. For example, “someone who helps you with forms might be able to write or translate what you ask them to, but not be qualified to give you advice on what to say or which forms to use.” The usual warning signs are in our guide on how to spot a trustworthy translator and avoid fraud.

How much can someone charge just to type your answers?

A nominal fee, which means a small one. USCIS says that someone who is not allowed to represent you “can only charge you a nominal fee” (USCIS). Arizona law and the federal immigration regulations use the same word (A.R.S. § 12-2701(3)(b); 8 CFR 1.2), and none of them sets a dollar amount.

That fee is not for the form: USCIS forms are free on its website, and USCIS tells you not to pay for them (USCIS, Common Scams). It doesn’t cover the filing fee either, which is separate and goes to USCIS, not to the person helping you.

For a form filed on paper, USCIS takes that fee by card or from a U.S. bank account, and no longer accepts checks or money orders unless an exemption applies to you (USCIS, Filing Fees). USCIS also says it will never ask you to transfer money to an individual (USCIS, Common Scams).

Already chose your form? Form typing with Puente Grande

If you already know which form you’re filing, on your own or after talking with an attorney, our form typing service is for you: Didi types your answers in English and reads them back to you in Spanish before you sign.

We are not attorneys and do not give legal advice. You choose the form and give us your answers; we type them into the blank spaces. We charge a small flat fee per form and tell you the amount before we start.

If your supporting documents are in Spanish, we also do certified translations. Certificates start at $35.

Message us on WhatsApp at (602) 332-9460 with the name of the form you already chose. If you prefer, call us or use our contact form.

What this guide does not answer

This guide does not tell you which form to file, whether you qualify for a benefit or what strategy to follow. That is legal advice: ask an immigration attorney or an accredited representative of an organization recognized by the Department of Justice.

If your next step is the citizenship interview, read our guide on the citizenship interview with an interpreter. If your documents are in Spanish, our guide on hiring an immigration translator in Phoenix explains what USCIS and the immigration court ask for.