Immigration Legal Services
IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES
B1C is accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as a provider of high quality, low cost immigration legal services. We have a staff immigration attorney and a team of staff and volunteer DOJ representatives who have gone through rigorous training and passed an exam to become accredited and qualified to provide immigration counseling.
Services available at B1C include:
We have an on-site immigration lawyer, as well as a team of certified staff and volunteers to help with family-based and victim-based cases:
- General consultations
- Naturalization
- Family Petitions (with Adjustment of Status Applications or consular processing)
- Green Card and Employment Authorization Card renewals
- Temporary Protected Status visas (new and renewal)
- Victim visas (VAWA, U-visa, T-visa)
- Unaccompanied Minors (SIJS) immigration component processing
- Limited court representation (only as part of an application for some form of relief)
- Provisional waivers
Our Immigration Legal Services team also conducts legal clinics, information sessions and educational presentations throughout the community, sometimes in partnership with other organizations.
B1C also provides other types of services, such as ELL and Citizenship classes, translations, notarizations, and wages representation.
Hours and Fees
- Consultations are Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Call for an appointment at (203) 674-8585. There is a $40 fee payable in cash or Money Order for the initial consultations.
- If you have already had a consultation and want to start your case, or if you need an appointment on a different day call (203) 674-8585 Ext. 109.
- Depending on the case and the services needed, different fees may apply. Any options and additional services will be discussed in advance.
Understanding Immigrant Rights
GET HELP
1. Contact us
Call us at (203) 674-8585 Ext. 109 or email us.
2. FILL OUT THE INTAKE FORM
3. Schedule your consultation
4. Payment
Mail cash, money order or check or drop off or pay with PayPal.
Frequently asked questions about our Hiring Site
Our Hiring Site provides job matching as a community resource. We help employers connect with skilled workers for daily or seasonal jobs in a safe, secure and simple way.
Why would I hire a worker from B1C rather than “off the street”?
There are several advantages to using B1C’s service over bargaining with day laborers on the street. We offer a physical meeting place and a bilingual staff to communicate job details and requirements. We provide guidelines to help both employer and worker decide on a fair rate of pay. Also, as a community center, we are familiar with our workers; in contrast, employers who hire casual workers elsewhere often have no knowledge of their background, skills, or reliability. While our service is limited to bringing employers and employees together, and we cannot guarantee worker skills, we know our workers because they are part of the B1C community. And our workers benefit from B1C’s programs and our welcoming environment.
We can help you or your business find workers in the following areas:
- Home Health Care: Home Health Aides and Homecare Companions, with certificates from Norwalk Community College
- Culinary and Catering: Waitstaff, bartenders, party help and prep cooks (with ServSafe Food Handler Certificates)
- Home Maintenance: Yard work, landscaping, masons, painting, construction and home repairs (OSHA 10-hour Construction Safety and Health card holders)
- Other: Moving and housekeeping
Employers start by filling out our Hire a Worker form on our website. The form asks for the details of the job, preferences regarding English proficiency, hourly rate, and other specifics. Our Hiring Site staff will match your job request to a specific worker (or workers) who meets your needs. You can also make a job request by email or by calling our Hiring Site Manager. Our staff will contact you if further details are needed, to confirm the job and provide the name(s) of the worker(s).
To help us find a worker who matches your needs, it is best to give us a few days’ advance notice.
All the workers we refer are registered at our center with the job skills they each possess. When you fill out a request, we refer to our database for the skills required and select the next worker who matches the requirement. We call or speak to the worker to confirm availability and job details. Employers are welcome to request past workers by name for follow-ups or new jobs. Many of our employers call to say how pleased they were with their worker(s), and are repeat customers.
All workers fill out an application and are entered into our database. We are aware of their qualifications and are pleased to recommend them to you, based on other employers' feedback.
Although we provide skills training and safety courses, we do not test the skills of each individual worker. It is the employers’ responsibility to ascertain the qualifications of the worker and our organization does not guarantee the quality of the workers’ job, nor is responsible for any of the actions of these workers. Since we are not a job agency, we do not request any documentation from workers or employers and consider this information private and confidential. Employers and workers undertake a work relationship at their own risk. However, we take reliability and security seriously. We encourage workers to take our job safety and skills development courses throughout the year, and will contact all employers to collect feedback about the workers and the service provided. Each worker receives a rating which can be used as a measure of reliability and overall quality.
Rates vary by job and timing but typical rates are$15-20 an hour, $20-25 during the peak months of April, May, June, September and October for house improvement, yard and moving jobs. Some of the more skilled jobs have higher rates, while more permanent or temporary jobs may carry lower rates given the number of hours. The actual rate is determined when the job is assigned, so there is clear understanding on the part of all parties prior to starting the job. Workers need to be paid at the end of the day, in cash. 100% of the payment goes to the worker; we do not charge any fees for our services. Please give all payment directly to the worker.
Taxes and insurance-related obligations, if applicable, are the responsibility of the employer. We do not carry insurance for the workers we refer. We do not collect any fees or withhold taxes from the jobs that result from our matching services. It is always the employer’s responsibility to check the qualifications and experience of prospective workers, to provide a safe working environment, and if needed, to consult with their individual insurance and accounting professionals, as circumstances differ among employers.
Typically, you pick up and drop off workers at our location on 75 Selleck Street, Stamford CT. Although some workers have cars or bicycles, most rely on public transportation. As the bus system does not always connect to work sites, we suggest that you plan on picking up the workers from the Center and returning them to the Center when the work is done.
Most workers will not have food or drink with them. Please consider providing something to eat and drink during the workday -- they will appreciate it. Please provide access to drinking water and a restroom they can use.
You can hire a worker, refer the Center to a friend, volunteer your time or donate funds.
