Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Lawyers in Oakland

Helping Immigrant Youth Seek Permanent Residency

Undocumented youth in the U.S. are protected by various federal laws. This includes a law that allows certain undocumented children to obtain lawful permanent residence through a special immigrant visa category known as Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).

If you are an undocumented youth or a guardian or advocate for an undocumented youth who requires the protection of a juvenile court, our Oakland Special Immigrant Juvenile Status attorneys at Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. can help. Backed by decades of collective experience and a thriving immigration practice, we can explore your options for obtaining SIJS and permanent residency through this special immigration process. 

Our Oakland SIJS lawyers represent youth under the age of 21 in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases across the Bay Area and Northern California. Call (510) 491-0291 or contact us online to discuss your eligibility during an evaluation.

What is a Writ of Mandamus?

Every immigration process has a standard or predictable processing time or how long it will take for your case to conclude once it starts. Each step of a process may also have a standard processing time that is generally expected. If your immigration case has taken longer than expected and you haven’t been given an acceptable explanation of why there have been delays, a writ of mandamus may be an option. A writ of mandamus is an official court order to compel USCIS or another immigration agency to work on your case again without further unnecessary delays.

If a writ of mandamus is ignored or violated, the compelled agency could be penalized by a federal court that holds a member of that agency in contempt of court. Ignoring the writ of mandamus may also open the grounds for a lawsuit filed by the person whose immigration case has been unnecessarily delayed.

The benefits of a writ of mandamus often include:

• Accelerated processing to move your immigration case closer to a conclusion.
• Judicial oversight to ensure the government agency doesn’t neglect its duties again.
• Timely communication between immigration authorities, the courts, and your attorney.
• Clear and defined legal process that allows attorneys to act on behalf of their clients.

Are You Eligible to Use a Writ of Mandamus?

Our attorneys can immigration investigate your case to see why it has been delayed. If the reasons are unsatisfactory, we can discuss using a writ of mandamus on your behalf.

You may be eligible to use a writ of mandamus if:

• Your immigration case has been unreasonably delayed or has taken noticeably longer than the standard processing time for such a case.
• You have no other administrative options to try to resume your case or reach an amicable solution with USCIS.
• You have no alternative legal methods to resolve the delay.

What is the Process of Using Mandamus?

The typical process of using a writ of mandamus with our help is:

1. Evaluating your case: Our Oakland writ of mandamus attorneys will evaluate your situation and assess your eligibility for filing a writ of mandamus. If you cannot, we can discuss other options.
2. Collecting documentation: We can collect all documents that are relevant to your immigration case, like application receipts and communications with USCIS.
3. Filing the mandamus petition: Once your case is prepared, we can file the mandamus petition with the right federal court to request judicial intervention.
4. Serving the petition: If approved by the court, the mandamus petition must be officially served to USCIS and other agencies, which we can handle for you.
5. Preparing for litigation: USCIS may respond to a writ of mandamus in several different ways. We prepare for litigation early, just in case it becomes necessary due to an unsatisfactory response.