What Are Mandamus Actions?
Immigration cases are unfortunately notorious for taking WAY too long! (Believe us, it drives us absolutely crazy too!) However, sometimes those long processing times can cross a line into okay-this-is-truly-ridiculous territory. And since we are dedicated to finding the most effective and creative ways to get results for our clients, we are willing to go where few immigration attorneys dare… including filing a lawsuit against the federal government!
Mandamus: Latin term meaning “we order you”
A mandamus action is a special type of lawsuit brought in a U.S. Federal District Court. When we file a mandamus action, we are essentially asking a federal judge to order the U.S. government to do its job by making a quick decision on your case.
Mandamus CAN:
Get a faster decision on your case if it has been pending excessively long
Mandamus CANNOT:
Help you skip processing times altogether
Fix problems with your eligibility
Mandamus FAQs
Your case must have been pending an “unreasonable” amount of time. The exact time frame depends on the facts of your situation, but a general rule of thumb is to wait at least 12-24 months since the last action was taken on your case.
In our experience, for most cases the government makes a decision on the case within 60 days of us filing the lawsuit. We can usually file fairly quickly, but sometimes we need to take preliminary steps before filing such as making any appropriate inquiries or complaints – to make sure your case has the best chance of success!
This is a common fear, but no! We are fortunate that the United States is a country where even the government must follow the law. The decision on your case will be the same outcome as it would have been, just hopefully much faster!
Then you remain basically in the same position as you were before and must wait for a response. However, we actually have an excellent success rate on mandamus actions so it is likely that you will get a swift decision as hoped. Our attorneys are very transparent regarding the likelihood of success and will not accept cases we do not believe we can win.
Get Started!
If you’ve been waiting way too long for a decision on your immigration case, and you want to work with a legal team that’s won mandamus actions in multiple jurisdictions, let’s talk! We’d love nothing more than finally getting things moving for you ASAP.
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