The RegistryPractice Area · Statewide
Find Immigration Attorneys in California
Counsel for status, relief, and the road to citizenship. This is the statewide record for immigration in California: every attorney on the State Bar of California's official roll whose published practice reaches this area, shown in neutral directory order.
Californians search this field under many names · immigration lawyer, immigration attorney, green card attorney, green card lawyer, visa lawyer · and the registry answers all of them from the same source. Below: the governing deadline with its citation, what to weigh as you read the record, the questions Californians ask with the code sections that answer them, and immigration coverage county by county, from Del Norte to San Diego.
The clock & the craft
30 days to appeal an immigration judge's decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
8 C.F.R. § 1003.38
Immigration law is federal. Other hard deadlines include the one-year asylum filing rule (8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(2)(B)) and strict motion-to-reopen windows (8 C.F.R. § 1003.23).
Reading the roster
Immigration is federal practice, but local matters: attorneys near you will know the practices of the San Francisco and Los Angeles immigration courts, the local USCIS field offices, and the region's consular processing patterns. Verify any representative is a licensed attorney or DOJ-accredited representative; immigration is a field with documented notario fraud. Ask about flat fees per filing, realistic timelines, and contingency plans if a priority date retrogresses.
Immigration · statewide roster
5,180 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list immigration among their practice areas, with an address of record in 41 of California's 58 counties.
5,027 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.
The largest county rosters are Los Angeles (1,903), Orange (542), San Francisco (521), San Diego (517) and Alameda (329).
232 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation, a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.
709 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.
Immigration matters in California
The matters this field covers, as Californians search for them. Each attorney's own profile states which of these they take.
- family-based green cards
- employment visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1)
- naturalization and citizenship
- asylum
- deportation and removal defense
- DACA
- U and T visas for crime victims
- waivers of inadmissibility
- adjustment of status
- immigration bond hearings
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In the last 30 days attorneys have read 1 filed matter on the registry.
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Immigration questions, cited
How long do I have to apply for asylum in the United States?
Generally one year from your last arrival, under 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(2)(B). Exceptions exist for changed circumstances affecting eligibility or extraordinary circumstances that delayed filing. Asylum applicants may apply for work authorization after the application has been pending the statutory waiting period (8 C.F.R. § 208.7).
What is the difference between a green card and citizenship?
A green card confers lawful permanent residence: the right to live and work in the U.S. indefinitely, but it can be lost through abandonment or certain convictions. Naturalized citizenship under 8 U.S.C. § 1427 (INA § 316) generally requires five years as a permanent resident (three if married to a U.S. citizen, INA § 319), plus physical presence, good moral character, and passing the civics and English tests.
Can I appeal if an immigration judge orders me removed?
Yes. An appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals must be received within 30 calendar days of the immigration judge's decision (8 C.F.R. § 1003.38). An adverse BIA decision can then be challenged by petition for review in the federal court of appeals within 30 days (8 U.S.C. § 1252). Deadlines in this sequence are strictly enforced.
Does a criminal conviction affect my immigration status in California?
It can, severely, certain convictions trigger removability or inadmissibility under 8 U.S.C. § 1227 and § 1182, including "aggravated felonies" and crimes involving moral turpitude. California law requires courts to advise non-citizen defendants of immigration consequences before a plea (Cal. Penal Code § 1016.5), and Penal Code § 1473.7 allows some to vacate pleas taken without understanding those consequences.
How does family-based immigration work?
U.S. citizens may petition for spouses, children, parents, and siblings; permanent residents for spouses and unmarried children (8 U.S.C. § 1153). "Immediate relatives" of citizens have visas always available, while preference categories wait for a priority date to become current on the State Department's monthly Visa Bulletin, waits vary from months to decades depending on category and country.
Legal information, not legal advice.
From the answer files
Immigration in all 58 counties
Immigration by city
Adjacent shelves of the law
Full Immigration rosters, by surname
If cost is the concern
Court self-help, legal-aid organizations and attorney-stated fee options, with source links. No account or case submission is needed to use them.
Read the record. Then decide.
Describe your matter once, review the verified records, and place the call; the choice is always yours.
Find Your Counsel278,688 attorneys · 58 counties · Official State Bar records