Immigration Lawyer Jim Hacking on the Challenges and Opportunities for Immigrants in the US | Episode 73

On the Ask Canada Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah podcast, Calgary immigration lawyer Evelyn Ackah talks to Jim Hacking, the founder and leader of Hacking Immigration Law Firm in the United States and co-founder of Maximum Lawyer. Jim became an immigration lawyer after converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim woman. Hacking Immigration Law Firm's main client base is people who are married to someone from overseas and want to get them a green card or an immigrant visa to come to the United States. The firm also handles citizenship, asylum and employment-based immigration cases.

On the podcast, Evelyn asks Jim:

• What drew Jim to immigration law?
• Jim has built a big firm. What is the most rewarding part of his job?
• What is the most challenging part of his job?
• What is the most common misconception about US immigration law?
• What advice would he give to someone who is considering a career in immigration law?
• What are some of the biggest changes Jim has seen in US immigration law over the years?
• What are some of the most important trends in immigration law that he is watching?
• What are some of the biggest challenges facing immigrants today?
• What are some of the things that Jim is most passionate about in your work?
• What does he see for the future of immigration law?
• What are some of the biggest challenges facing immigrants in the United States today?
• In Canada, we advocate for immigrants to come to Canada - we want immigrants, we’re more welcoming than the United States and we have less barriers. How does Jim respond to that?
• Is running an immigration law firm what he expected? Does he feel he practices immigration law - runs a business - or does marketing?

"I sort of feel like a gunslinger from the old West. I am making the government do what I want them to do."  - Jim Hacking

Here are some key points from Evelyn and Jim's conversation:

• Jim Hacking became an immigration lawyer after converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim woman.
• Hacking Immigration Law Firm's main client base is people who are married to someone from overseas and want to get them a green card or an immigrant visa to come to the United States.
• The firm also handles citizenship, asylum, and employment-based immigration cases.
• The Trump administration was very hostile to legal immigration, which has made it more difficult for people to immigrate to the United States.
• The State Department and USCIS have been gutted under the Trump administration, which has led to delays in processing immigration applications.
• Hacking is optimistic that the Biden administration will be more favourable to legal immigration, but he says that it will take time to undo the damage that was done under the Trump administration.

About Evelyn Ackah

Evelyn Ackah is the Founder and Managing Lawyer at Ackah Business Immigration Law. With offices in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver, we work with individuals and business owners from all over the world who want to cross borders seamlessly. For more information on immigration to Canada or the United States, Ask Evelyn Ackah at Ackah Business Immigration Law today at (403) 452‑9515 or email Evelyn directly at contact@ackahlaw.com.

The Ask Canada Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah podcast by Calgary Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah was named #1 Best Canada Immigration Podcast in 2022 by