Immigration Resources

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and provide free and low-cost legal representation to the LGBTQ+ immigrant community, including:

  • Screening for Immigration Relief

  • Affirmative Asylum

  • VAWA

  • Residency / Green Card Applications

  • Citizenship / Naturalization

  • Family Petitions

  • Wraparound Case Management for Clients (including resources for housing, employment, education, HIV testing and treatment, and more)

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We provide the following services for LGBTQIA+ clients:

    * Affirmative Asylum

    * Consultations to screen for immigration relief

    * Residency

    * Citizenship

    * Family Petitions

    We do not serve immigrants in deportation proceedings or people living outside the U.S. If you are in deportation proceedings or outside the U.S. and need assistance, please see our legal resources below for more information.

  • We have sliding scale fees for our services, meaning the fee is based on the client’s income in most situations. Please call (510) 666-6687 or email info@oasislegalservices.org for additional information.

  • We are open Monday - Friday from 9am–5pm by appointment only. Please contact us to make an appointment. Do not come to the office without an appointment.

  • For now, our initial consultations are done over the phone or by video call. In person consultations are available on a case by case basis. Initial consultations can take up to an hour. We ask that you reserve enough time to complete the consultation and that you are in a private setting during your initial consultation.

  • If you currently have or in the past had an open immigration case, please have those documents available as you will be asked to provide them to us. If you have ever been arrested, please also have court records available as you will also be asked to provide them to us. We will instruct you on how to provide us with the requested documents.

  • For asylum cases, we serve clients who are able to come to our office and live in the geographical area that is served by the San Francisco Asylum Office. To determine what asylum office would review your case, please click here and enter your zip code.

    California

    Nevada

    Counties of Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey, Wash, White Pine

    Alaska

    Oregon

    Washington

  • We do not represent clients in immigration court. Give us a call at (510) 666-6687 or email us and we can refer you to a lawyer who can help you. You can also check out our legal resources.

  • Possibly. In order for Oasis to assess your case, you can call our office at (510) 666-6687 to schedule a consultation.

  • Possibly. In order for Oasis to assess your case, you can call our office at (510) 666-6687 to schedule a consultation.

  • Please contact us as soon as possible if you change your address or phone number. It is very important that we are able to contact you in case there are any developments in your case. We will also notify United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the change if you have a pending petition.

 

Resources & Information

We know that the immigration process can be complex and feel overwhelming. Below we have provided information about asylum as well as links to our partner organizations and trusted resources that can provide more information or legal assistance.

Other Information

& Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

for Asylum Seekers

  • Asylum status is a permanent immigration status. Asylum status leads to legal permanent residency and citizenship. After holding asylum status for one year, an asylee can apply to become a legal permanent resident (“green card” holder). After maintaining legal permanent resident status for four years, an asylee can apply to naturalize and become a U.S. citizen.

  • Asylees can petition for spouses and unmarried children who were under 21 at the time the asylum application was filed. Beneficiary family members can either be already in the United States or outside the United States. In addition, spouses and unmarried children under 21 already in the U.S. who are included on an asylum application automatically obtain derivative asylum status at the same time the principal applicant is granted.

  • Unfortunately, we are not able to provide an estimate about how long it is taking the asylum office to process asylum applications. There is a large backlog of pending asylum cases, and this backlog continues to grow. If Oasis can go forward with your affirmative asylum case, we will review the timeline with you. Please note that processing times can change at any time.

  • All asylum applicants need to establish identity; usually this is done with a passport or birth certificate. Applicants with derivatives (spouses or children) included in the application must establish their legal relationship to that derivative beneficiary; usually this is done with marriage and birth certificates. Depending on the case, some applicants may need to provide mental health reports, medical reports, police and court documents, or witness statements to support their case. Applicants may also need to provide information about the conditions in their home country. For our cases, Oasis provides extensive reports on the country an asylum seeker is fleeing as part of the supporting documentation for the case.

  • Possibly. If you voluntarily left the United States after being detained, you may be eligible to file for asylum affirmatively, and Oasis can help you do this. If you signed paperwork accepting an expedited removal when you were picked up, you may still be eligible for asylum, but may need representation before an immigration judge. Oasis does not represent clients in immigration court, but we can help you assess your case and, if needed, we can refer you to a lawyer who can help you. In order for Oasis to assess your case, you can call our office at (510) 666-6687 to schedule a consultation.

  • Possibly. Many types of arrests will not prevent you from being eligible for asylum. Oasis can help you determine how an arrest affects your case. In order for Oasis to assess your case, you can call our office at (510) 666-6687 to schedule a consultation.

  • No. Asylum is protection from harm in your country and is a permanent immigration status. A work permit is only proof that you are legally allowed to work in the United States and does not necessarily mean you have permanent immigration status. When you apply for asylum, however, you may also get a work permit to allow you to work if your asylum application is pending for 180 days or if you are granted asylum.

  • Possibly. As part of your asylum case you will have an interview with an immigration officer at the San Francisco Asylum Office. If you win your case at the asylum office, you will not have to go to court. If you lose your case at the asylum office, you will have to appear in immigration court to apply for asylum again in front of a judge.

  • Oasis Legal Services provides low-cost legal representation to LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers and people granted asylum. For asylum cases, we can only assist people who live within the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Asylum Office. Find your asylum office by entering your zip code here. Oasis cannot provide representation for people who are currently in removal proceedings.