Sorry I meant by (in person) going to an immigration office (or whatever it is called) and just talking to them face to face providing my information and documents there, not by mail. do you think that would be a good idea? someone told me applying online is risky as any mistake in filing the application may cause a refusal or at least a delay.
If you go to the inland office, they will ask you to fill BOC and schedule for eligibility interview. Online would be best option since before submitting you can review all information you provided...
That was my opinion and I was already starting the process using the portal until a friend told me not to do that (especially filling out the BOC file by myself) because it needs to be filed by a lawyer so there wouldn't be any mistakes. Is that true?
It is not required to have a lawyer, you can file it yourself but having a lawyer can help you avoid mistakes, that is if the lawyer was smart not those who just want some cash into their pockets.