Immigration Client Document Checklist Generator
Right after engagement for any immigration benefit, to give the client a clear, tailored list of documents to gather and an email explaining what to send and by when.
Missing or incomplete documents are a common cause of immigration delays, from RFEs to rescheduled interviews. Clients are often unsure what counts as proof of what, and generic checklists overwhelm them with items that do not apply. A tailored list, organized by what is required, what depends on their history and what needs translation, gets better documents back sooner.
This prompt builds that list from the benefit type and the client's facts, using the form instructions or your firm's standard list as the source of truth. Each item comes with a one-line plain-language note on what it proves and whether you need a copy or the original. It flags facts that need attorney review, such as an arrest or a prior removal, and drafts a short cover email, optionally in the client's language with an English back-translation for you to check.
Document requirements are set by current form instructions and agency policy, which change. If you do not paste a current source, the prompt marks every item for confirmation rather than guessing. The attorney must confirm the list, decide how to handle flagged issues, and review any translation with a qualified translator before the checklist reaches the client.
The Prompt
I represent a client in a [BENEFIT TYPE AND FORM, e.g., marriage-based adjustment of status (I-130/I-485), naturalization (N-400), H-1B extension]. I need a client-facing document checklist. <client_facts> [RELEVANT FACTS: COUNTRY OF BIRTH, MARITAL HISTORY, CHILDREN, PRIOR IMMIGRATION HISTORY, ARRESTS OR CHARGES, EMPLOYMENT, PRIOR NAMES] </client_facts> <firm_requirements> [OPTIONAL: PASTE YOUR FIRM'S STANDARD LIST OR THE CURRENT FORM INSTRUCTIONS' EVIDENCE SECTION] </firm_requirements> Write a checklist with three sections: 1. Must-have documents 2. If-applicable documents (state the condition, e.g., "If you were married before") 3. Translation-required documents (any document not in English needs a full English translation with a translator's certification; list which documents this likely affects based on the client facts) For each item: document name, a plain-language note on what it proves (one line), and whether we need a copy or the original. Then write a short cover email to the client (under 200 words) that explains how to send documents, asks them to tell us if any item is impossible to obtain, and gives the date we need them by: [DATE]. Optional: also provide the cover email in [CLIENT LANGUAGE] followed by an English back-translation for my review. Rules: Base the must-have list on the form instructions or standard list I pasted. If I did not paste one, mark every item "Confirm against current form instructions." Flag any client fact that may need attorney review before filing (for example, an arrest, prior removal, or status violation). Do not give legal advice in the client-facing text. This is a draft for my review; I will confirm every item against current form instructions before it goes to the client.
Example Output
A three-part client checklist (must-have, if-applicable, translation-required) with plain-language notes, an attorney-review flag list, and a short cover email, optionally translated.
Illustrative example — names, figures, and facts are fictional.
DOCUMENT CHECKLIST: Marriage-Based Green Card (fictional client: Lucia Ferreira) Please gather these by [DATE]. (Source: firm standard list, pasted. Items not on it are marked to confirm.) 1. MUST-HAVE - Birth certificate | Proves your identity and where you were born | Copy (bring original to interview) - Passport (all pages) | Proves identity and nationality | Copy - Marriage certificate | Proves you are legally married | Copy - Spouse's proof of U.S. citizenship | Shows your spouse can file for you | Copy - Your I-94 arrival record, if you have one | Shows how you last entered the U.S. | Copy - Your spouse's financial documents for the affidavit of support (we will tell you exactly which) | Shows financial support | Copies - Proof your marriage is real: joint lease, joint bank statements, photos together over time | Shows the marriage is genuine | Copies - [OTHER ITEMS: CONFIRM AGAINST CURRENT FORM INSTRUCTIONS] 2. IF APPLICABLE - If you were married before: divorce decree or death certificate for each prior marriage | Shows you were free to marry | Copy - If you changed your name: court order or other name-change record | Connects your documents | Copy 3. TRANSLATION REQUIRED Any document not in English needs a full English translation with a translator's certification. Based on what you told us, this likely includes: - Birth certificate (Portuguese) - Prior divorce decree (Portuguese) FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW (not in client email) - Client mentioned a 2016 traffic arrest; obtain disposition before filing. - Entry history unclear; confirm manner of last entry. COVER EMAIL Hi Lucia, Attached is your document checklist. Please send clear scans of each item by email or our secure upload link by [DATE]. Do not mail originals unless we ask. If any document is impossible to get, tell us right away; there are often other options. We will review everything and follow up with any questions. Best, [ATTORNEY NAME] Draft for attorney review before sending.
Tips
- •Paste the evidence section of the current form instructions or your firm's list; filing requirements change, and the prompt will otherwise mark items to confirm.
- •Keep the attorney-review flags out of the client email; they are for you to raise in a conversation.
- •Have a qualified translator check the non-English email before it goes out, using the English back-translation to compare.
- •Save the finished checklist as a template in a Claude Project for each benefit type you handle often.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the prompt want the form instructions pasted in?
Evidence requirements come from the current form instructions and agency guidance, and they change. Pasting the evidence section, or your firm's maintained list, makes the checklist track the current requirements instead of a model's memory. Without it, the prompt marks items as needing confirmation, which is safer but more work for you.
Can I send the checklist in the client's language?
Yes. The prompt can produce the cover email in the client's language with an English back-translation so you can check it. Have a qualified translator review it before sending. For the checklist itself, consider keeping document names in English alongside the translation, since that is how the documents will be labeled in the filing.
What happens with sensitive facts like arrests?
They go in a separate attorney-review list, not in the client email. Criminal history, prior removals and status violations can affect eligibility and strategy, so raise them with the client in a conversation. Obtain certified dispositions or records as appropriate and evaluate them before filing.
Does this work if we handle many different case types?
Yes. Save a finished checklist for each benefit type you handle often as a reference document in a Claude Project, then rerun the prompt with new client facts. That keeps your lists consistent across clients while still flagging the facts that make each case different.
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