List of Immigration Lawyers in Oakland - 2025

Oakland serves as home to a diverse immigrant community, with 34% of Alameda County residents born outside the United States, yet finding the right immigration attorney shouldn't mean choosing between impersonal online forms and outdated traditional practices. Whether you're a tech professional seeking an H-1B visa, a researcher pursuing an O-1 extraordinary ability visa, or a startup founder navigating employment-based petitions, Oakland residents deserve immigration services that combine legal expertise with modern efficiency and genuine care for their American dream.

1. Alma - Technology-Enabled Immigration Platform (Nationwide Service)

While Oakland's traditional law firms require in-person consultations, Alma revolutionizes immigration legal services through a comprehensive platform combining top-tier attorneys with cutting-edge technology. Serving Oakland residents without geographic constraints, Alma specializes exclusively in employment-based immigration through personalized case management.

What Sets Alma Apart:

Alma's technology-first approach transforms the typically opaque immigration process into a transparent, trackable journey. The platform provides attorney consultations while maintaining industry-leading service standards. The proprietary workflow system guides clients through complex applications, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks—a common issue when juggling multiple traditional law firm communications across email and phone.

Oakland's tech professionals and researchers particularly benefit from Alma's specialization in O-1 extraordinary ability visas and EB-1A petitions. The platform's automated document collection and real-time case tracking eliminate the back-and-forth delays that can occur with traditional filings, while dedicated paralegals ensure every petition meets USCIS standards before submission.

Treatment Philosophy:

• Flat-rate transparent pricing with no hidden fees
• Aims to complete internal petition preparation within two weeks
• Built-in compliance tracking and proactive alerts prevent costly mistakes
• Dedicated account management throughout the entire immigration journey
• Attorney consultations available per pricing structure

Specialties:

• H-1B specialty occupation visas for tech and healthcare professionals
• L-1 intracompany transfers for multinational managers
• EB-2 NIW self-petitions for researchers and entrepreneurs
• O-1A/O-1B visas for extraordinary ability in science, arts, and business
• TN visas under the USMCA for Canadian and Mexican professionals

Business Solutions:

For Oakland's innovative startups and scaling companies, Alma's business immigration platform offers enterprise workflows and HRIS integrations. The system provides real-time dashboards and spend projections. Startups benefit from special pricing through partnerships with select startup accelerators.

Cost: Flat fees starting at $500 (H-1B lottery registration) to $10,000 (EB-1, EB-2 NIW); includes platform access, consultations, and administrative support—USCIS filing fees and third-party costs not included. Verify current pricing on Alma's website.

Availability: Serves all Oakland residents through secure online platform; legal services provided by attorneys licensed in one or more U.S. jurisdictions and focused on immigration law through Alma Legal Services, P.C.

Contact: Start with a free consultation to explore visa options or review comprehensive guides for your specific immigration path.

2. Beles & Beles - Oakland, CA

Operating from Oakland for over 50 years, Beles & Beles provides traditional full-service immigration representation with a focus on deportation defense and naturalization. Their decades of local presence offer familiarity with Oakland's immigrant communities.

What Makes Them Stand Out:

The firm's longevity in Oakland suggests established relationships with local courts and USCIS field offices. They emphasize aggressive defense in deportation and removal proceedings, which may benefit clients facing immigration court hearings at the San Francisco Immigration Court. Their practice covers standard petitions alongside defensive matters.

Practical Considerations:

• Oakland office location for consultations and document review
• Traditional billing structures without published flat-fee pricing
• Limited online case tracking or digital client portal mentioned
• Consultation policy not publicly specified

Beles & Beles suits Oakland residents preferring face-to-face relationships with local counsel, though their traditional service model may feel dated compared to modern platforms offering instant document uploads and real-time case tracking.

3. Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. - Oakland, CA

Landerholm Immigration includes attorneys who are Certified Specialists in Immigration & Nationality Law with reported success in over 900 cases, focusing on DACA, asylum, and deportation defense. Their AILA membership and specialist certification indicate formal credentials.

What Makes Them Stand Out:

The firm's published case count provides some transparency into their volume and experience. They advertise expertise with detained immigrants and removal defense, which may appeal to those facing urgent court proceedings. Spanish language services accommodate Oakland's Latino community.

Service Limitations:

• Primary focus on defensive and humanitarian cases rather than employment-based visas
• Oakland location for consultations
• No published pricing structure requires individual consultations for fee quotes
• Traditional office model with standard business hours
• Unclear whether technology platform or client portal available

While their defensive expertise helps those facing removal, Oakland's tech professionals seeking O-1, H-1B, or EB-2 NIW petitions may find limited specialization in the employment-based categories that demand cutting-edge preparation.

4. Centro Legal de la Raza - Oakland, CA

Founded in 1969, Centro Legal de la Raza serves as a nonprofit legal services organization providing humanitarian immigration assistance to low-income individuals and youth. The organization reports serving 3,000+ clients yearly across legal clinics and intake services.

What Makes Them Stand Out:

Centro Legal's nonprofit status enables sliding-scale or free services for qualifying low-income Oakland residents. Their advocacy extends beyond individual cases to impact litigation and policy work affecting DACA recipients, detained youth, and crime victims. Multilingual staff serve Spanish-speaking communities.

Practical Considerations:

• Income eligibility requirements limit access to higher-earning professionals
• Focus on humanitarian relief (asylum, U/T visas, VAWA) rather than employment-based petitions
• Walk-in legal clinics operate on limited schedules
• Appointment availability may face high demand and waiting lists
• Employment-based visa expertise appears secondary to core humanitarian mission

Centro Legal provides vital services for vulnerable populations, but Oakland's employed professionals and entrepreneurs seeking business immigration pathways will need specialized employment-focused counsel.

5. Wilner & O'Reilly - Oakland, CA

With offices in Oakland and additional California locations, Wilner & O'Reilly offers multi-state immigration services. Their AILA membership and published attorneys suggest established practice infrastructure.

What Makes Them Stand Out:

The firm's multi-office structure provides backup resources and multilingual staff across Spanish and Mandarin. They advertise coverage of employment, asylum, and naturalization matters, positioning as generalist practitioners.

Service Reality:

• Oakland office available; confirm consultation format preferences
• Multi-state presence may mean cases handled remotely from other offices
• Generalist practice across multiple immigration categories may dilute employment-visa specialization
• No transparent fee schedule published online
• Traditional communication methods rather than tech-enabled platforms

While their established presence appeals to those seeking conventional representation, the generalist approach may not serve Oakland's tech professionals who need specialized employment-based expertise delivered efficiently.

6. Fuerza Immigration Lawyers - Oakland, CA

An Oakland practice, Fuerza Immigration Lawyers emphasizes deportation and removal defense. Their Bay Area focus and bilingual Spanish services target Oakland's immigrant communities.

What Makes Them Stand Out:

Fuerza's community orientation suggests responsiveness to current Oakland demographics. They focus on reuniting those separated by removal proceedings, indicating defensive practice experience.

Practice Limitations:

• Primary emphasis on defensive cases rather than employment petitions
• No published success rates, approval statistics, or case volume data
• Oakland office model for consultations
• Limited information about attorney credentials or specialized certifications

The firm's defensive focus serves Oakland residents facing immigration court, but lacks the specialized employment-based expertise that researchers, professionals, and entrepreneurs require for O-1, EB-1, or NIW petitions.

7. Immigration Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA) - Oakland, CA

Operating since 1918 with an established Oakland office, IIBA functions as a DOJ-recognized nonprofit providing DACA, citizenship, and humanitarian services. Their multilingual capacity spans Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

What Makes Them Stand Out:

IIBA's nonprofit status and DOJ recognition enable service to low-income and vulnerable populations. They report assisting thousands with naturalization and DACA renewals, demonstrating volume capacity in those categories. Multilingual staff serve Oakland's diverse Asian and Latino communities.

Service Considerations:

• Nonprofit model prioritizes qualifying low-income applicants
• Focus on citizenship, DACA, and petitions rather than employment-based visas
• Appointment-based intake with potential waiting periods during high-demand seasons
• Limited walk-in availability requires advance scheduling
• Employment-based petition expertise secondary to humanitarian mission

IIBA provides essential services for Oakland's naturalization-eligible residents and DACA recipients, but their nonprofit focus and limited employment-visa specialization make them less suited for professionals seeking H-1B, O-1, or EB-2 NIW pathways.

8. Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach - Oakland, CA

Founded in 1975, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach serves as a major regional nonprofit providing human trafficking, VAWA, and naturalization services. Multilingual staff cover Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Japanese, and Korean.

What Makes Them Stand Out:

APILO's specialized expertise in human trafficking and crime victim cases provides unique services for vulnerable API communities. Community leadership awards and policy impact demonstrate advocacy reach beyond individual cases.

Practical Considerations:

• Nonprofit model prioritizes qualifying low-income and victim populations
• Focus on humanitarian relief rather than employment-based visas
• Hotline and walk-in clinic availability subject to organizational capacity
• Income eligibility and case priority screening may limit access
• Employment petition expertise secondary to humanitarian mission

APILO provides critical services for Oakland's API trafficking survivors and crime victims, but their nonprofit mission and humanitarian focus make them less suited for employed professionals seeking business immigration pathways.

Making the Right Choice for Oakland Immigration

When evaluating immigration legal services, Oakland residents face unique considerations shaped by the Bay Area's competitive employment market and diverse immigrant demographics:

Technology Advantage: Oakland's proximity to Silicon Valley makes traditional paper-based law firms feel particularly antiquated. Modern platforms like Alma eliminate geographic barriers while providing superior case tracking and communication tools essential for busy professionals managing immigration alongside demanding careers.

Specialization Matters: Oakland's diverse immigrant population requires different expertise—those facing deportation need humanitarian and defensive counsel, while professionals need employment-based specialization. Generalist practitioners juggling asylum cases and business immigration often lack the depth needed for complex O-1 extraordinary ability or EB-2 national interest waiver petitions that require cutting-edge evidence strategies.

Time Value: The Bay Area's competitive job market means visa delays cost opportunities. USCIS processing times vary by service center and petition category, making attorney preparation speed critical for earlier filing dates.

Cost Transparency: Traditional hourly billing creates uncertainty—initial quotes can balloon with revisions and RFEs. Alma's flat-fee structure eliminates surprises, with all costs clearly outlined upfront.

The Oakland Advantage: Why Now Is the Time

Oakland's position within the Bay Area immigration hub creates both opportunities and challenges. With 34% of Alameda County residents born outside the United States, demand for immigration services remains consistently high.

Modern platforms designed for scale handle surging demand without sacrificing quality. Oakland's unique immigration landscape—spanning tech professionals, researchers, students, and others—demands diverse expertise.

For Oakland's employed immigrant population, maintaining legal status requires proactive planning. Modern platforms' built-in compliance tracking and renewal reminders prevent devastating lapses. Complete, error-free filings are critical for approval—technology platforms reduce submission errors through structured workflows that guide applicants through USCIS requirements.