Immigration Legal Services

What types of services do UC Immigrant Legal Services (UCIMM) providers offer?   

UCIMM typically does not provide legal services or representation for employment-based visas (e.g., H-1B, L-1, P visas) or student visas (e.g., F-1, J-1), as these fall outside our area of expertise. However, if you are a DACA recipient with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area, you may be eligible for immigration legal services through our partner organization, Path2Papers. Those outside the Bay Area seeking information about employment-based pathways may wish to seek a free consultation with Pathway for Immigrant Workers. Please read the 2025 UCIMM FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about our services.  

Quarterly Legal Drop-in Hours

Due to the high demand for immigration appointments, our legal team is offering 1-hour virtual drop-in hours twice a week via Zoom to provide quick legal support. This is open to UCSD students, their immediate family, and staff. 

• Tuesdays: 2 – 3PM
• Fridays: 11AM – 12PM 
• Zoom Link: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/99306876983

Please note, these sessions are intended to be for brief questions and general information, not full legal consultations. For general screenings, please make an appointment with our paralegal Angelica Escobar. 

Immigration Emergency Help

If you are a UC San Diego student or employee and need urgent legal assistance, contact our in-house immigration attorney at (530) 219-8856. Please reserve this number for emergencies only, such as if you are being detained by ICE or are at risk of deportation. For non-urgent immigration matters, kindly schedule an appointment with our immigration team. 

In the event that a UC student or their immediate family member is detained by Immigration Law Enforcement, please contact both the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center Staff Attorney at UC San Diego and the Managing Attorney: 

• Staff Attorney: Andres Lemons at andres.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu 
• Managing Attorney: Vivek Mittal at vivek.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu

Legal services include but are not limited to:

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
  • It is important that you renew your DACA every two years as USCIS no longer notifies you when you need to renew. Although USCIS is not currently adjudicating initial DACA requests, DACA renewals will continue to be processed based on the existing policy. DACA Renewals can even be filed online through the USCIS website.
  • Students with DACA are highly encouraged by our immigration attorney to meet with him six months prior to expiration.
• Advance Parole
  • Advance Parole is available to DACA recipients. Advance Parole (AP) is permission granted by the Department of Homeland Security allowing certain noncitizens to temporarily travel outside of the U.S. and return lawfully. Qualifying reasons for traveling abroad with AP include educational, humanitarian, and employment.
  • Guidance for DACA Recipients About Traveling on Advance Parole by UC Immigrant Legal Services Center
• Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) 
  • If you are in the United States, are under 21 years of age, and have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent, you may be eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification. If SIJ classification is granted, you may qualify for lawful permanent residency.
• Adjustment of Status
  • Adjustment of status is the process that you can use to apply for lawful permanent resident status (also known as applying for a Green Card) when you are present in the United States. This means that you may get a Green Card without having to return to your home country to complete visa processing.

Once per quarter we hold presentations that cover immigration topics of relevance to students, such as updates on legislation changes.

Resources:

Advance Parole brochure

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) brochure

Frequently Asked Questions