The RegistryCounty Record · California

Immigration Lawyers in San Benito County, California

Every immigration lawyer and immigration attorney listing on this page traces back to the State Bar of California's official roll, filtered to immigration matters arising in San Benito County. Verification describes profile identity, not quality or outcomes.

Venue matters. Immigration cases from San Benito County are ordinarily heard at the Superior Court of California, County of San Benito. An inland Central Coast county south of Santa Clara Valley, mixing agriculture with Bay Area commuter growth around Hollister; the San Andreas Fault runs directly through the county, including Mission San Juan Bautista.

The law also keeps time: 30 days to appeal an immigration judge's decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals under 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). The plaque below carries the citation; the roster that follows carries the rest.

This page is the San Benito County chapter of the registry's statewide record · Immigration Lawyers in California collects all 58 counties.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

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).

Court of record

Superior Court of California, County of San Benito.

County seat: Hollister

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: www.sanbenito.courts.ca.gov

Immigration · San Benito County roster

3 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list immigration among their practice areas with an address of record in San Benito County.

The roster concentrates in Hollister (2) and Salinas (1).

Admission years on this roster run from 2009 to 2019.

Lizett Pena

Employment · Hollister

Bar #327264 · Admitted 2019

Official record

Immigration counsel in the counties bordering San Benito County

3 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list immigration among their practice areas with an active licence and an address of record in San Benito County.

The counties that share a border with San Benito County hold 411 attorneys with immigration among their practice areas, counted by the county of their address of record:

Immigration matters in San Benito County

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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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

Related counsel in San Benito County

Immigration in nearby counties

Source: 8 C.F.R. § 1003.38 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.

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