- The G-28 is what puts the attorney on the case in the agency's eyes.
- A mismatched or missing G-28 means notices may bypass you entirely.
- Every new filing and every transfer needs the G-28 checked, not assumed.
The G-28 is easy to treat as paperwork — a routine form that goes in with the petition. But it is the document that tells USCIS an attorney represents the client. When it is right, copies of every notice come to the firm. When it is wrong, the agency may correspond only with the client, and the firm finds out about an RFE or a decision after the fact, if at all.
What the G-28 Actually Does
Filing a G-28 enters the attorney as the representative of record for a specific case and client. It is what entitles the firm to receive copies of notices and to communicate with the agency on the client's behalf. It is tied to the matter, not the client globally — which is exactly where trouble starts.
The Failure Modes High Risk
A few quiet failures recur:
- A new petition is filed for an existing client without a fresh G-28, so the firm is not on that case.
- The G-28 names the wrong attorney or entity, so notices route somewhere unexpected.
- An attorney leaves the firm and the representation is never updated.
In each, the firm believes it is receiving everything. It is not. The first sign of the gap is usually a deadline already missed.
"If the G-28 is wrong, you can do everything else right and still never see the notice that decides the case."
Keep It Correct, Every Time
The safeguard is a standing rule: no case is filed without confirming the right G-28 is attached, and any change in attorney or representation triggers an update. When the case record shows who represents the client on each matter, the question "are we actually on this case?" has an answer you can see rather than assume.
Stay on every case.
GentleCase keeps representation tied to each matter, so the right G-28 is confirmed on every filing and you never quietly drop off a case. Book a walkthrough.
