I Hired An Immigration Lawyer, Paid $5,000, And After 6 Months Uscis Has No Record Of My Case. What Legal Actions Can I Take?

Location: California

Hi everyone, I really need legal advice because I’m beyond frustrated and angry right now.

I’m a U.S. citizen and my fiancée is from another country. We decided to apply for a K-1 visa and I hired an immigration attorney because I wanted the process done right — yeah, big mistake in hindsight.

The lawyer had decent reviews and seemed legit. I spoke with him, sent all the evidence and documents he requested to complete the I-129F. After that, He forwarded me to someone named Scott, who he claimed was an immigration specialist handling my case. It was clear Scott worked with him at the same law firm. I went along with it and sent Scott everything again — documents, photos, info — the whole package.

I paid nearly $5,000 total. On January 31, they told me the file was submitted to USCIS.

Since then, I’ve been constantly checking in. I kept asking if anything came back — NOA1, receipt number, tracking — anything. All I got was “nothing has arrived yet,” over and over. But everyone who’s gone through this knows: within 2–4 weeks MAX, you’re supposed to get NOA1 with a receipt number and proof that USCIS received your file.

Now it’s almost six months. I couldn’t take it anymore, so two days ago I met with scott in person and demanded a tracking number or any proof that my petition was even submitted. He kept dodging and saying “nothing has come back yet,” then started getting defensive and aggressive. He threatened to withdraw from my case if I kept “accusing” him, and repeated: “This is how we process things.”

He said the only thing he can send me is a few emails he sent to USCIS. But that means nothing — USCIS doesn’t accept I-129F filings by email. It has to be mailed with a check or payment form. So that just raised more red flags.

Yesterday I called USCIS directly and gave them both mine and my fiancée’s info — full names, SSN, address, phone number. They told me We have no record of any case under those names or details. Nothing. Zero. Six months gone waiting for an approval that was never coming — because our petition was never even submitted.

I’m furious, and I feel scammed. I want to take legal action and get my money back — maybe even compensation for lost time. But I’m also confused who’s legally responsible. Was it the lawyer I hired, or this “immigration specialist” he passed me off to?

If anyone has legal experience, has gone through something similar, or knows how to report this properly, please help me out. I’m seriously lost right now and just want justice.

Thanks in advance.