Found an issue on this page? Let us know and we will look into it as soon as possible.
Do I need to speak Spanish to be considered a marketable job applicant as an Immigration paralegal?
Anonymous2 views3 answers
I have been working In operations for a nonprofit providing solutions and non legal advocacy for troubled homeowners in the USA. I have a documented history of success. I am interested in getting a paralegal certification in Immigration and Bankruptcy for California. I don't speak any Spanish and I was wondering if I needed to speak Spanish to excel in the immigration practice area in CA. My attorney instructor says that 98% of his students don't speak Spanish at all and make between $45K - $85K per year in immigration. I find it hard to believe I can do immigration paralegal work without speaking Spanish. Can you please let me know if what I have been told is correct. Thank you sincerely in advance for your repose.
I'm sure there are no "rules" that state you have to speak Spanish, but I assume you would be more "marketable" if you did speak Spanish, since you want to be an immigration paralegal in California, where I assume a majority of your clients speak Spanish. You should consider taking Spanish class at your local community college. Thank you and I wish you the best of luck!
$45-85k is unlikely in many small immigration firms. Most immigration practitioners are small firms or solo practitioners. Many immigration attorneys don't make more than $100,000 -150,000 themselves. For small firms bilingual staff is a must. But not just Spanish, I need assistance with Cantonese. I know firms that cater to Arabic, Vietnamese or punjabi speaking clients. For a higher income you would need to work in business immigration. Since most people who qualify for business visas are educated and coming as professionals to the US they are English speaking. So the need to be bilingual is less. However, even the big firms prefer someone bilingual. Why would they not, after all the name of the game is immigration and by its nature is a multi- language business. I would never consider hiring someone who was not bilingual. My business survival depends on it. A good source of info are job ads. There are lots on Craigslist. See what employers want and what they will pay.
Speaking Spanish is a great quality but not mission critical. Depending on your employer's business paradigm and ties in certain cultural communities you may be better served learning Mandarin or Punjabi or Arabic.
