I have often had to apply for visas to work or study in other countries, as I’ve not lived in my home country for many years now. The application process generally involves extensive paperwork and long waiting times. I have learned through my study of Christian Science that the best place to begin with anything, including these application processes, is prayer. So that’s what I did when I recently applied for an extension of my work visa in the United States.

This process had become much more difficult since I had last applied, and I knew I needed to give it some deep prayerful thought. I hired an immigration lawyer who seemed to be the most suited to helping me. But some doubt remained in my mind as to whether she was the right choice. 

Less than two months before the expiration of my existing visa, the lawyer emailed me to say that she felt she could no longer help me. It had become obvious that our approaches were quite different, and our working relationship had become strained. Preparing an application usually takes two to three months, and most lawyers only take on cases well in advance. Finding another lawyer so close to the deadline seemed like an impossible task.