BIA-recognized immigration help in California — free DOJ-accredited organizations

BIA-recognized immigration help in California — free DOJ-accredited organizations

This page lists every non-profit in California currently authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice (Board of Immigration Appeals / BIA) to provide immigration legal representation. Source: the EOIR Recognition & Accreditation Roster, last updated 10/18/2026. EOIR updates it periodically, not on a fixed schedule.

BIA-recognized organizations are non-profits that serve primarily low-income clients — many provide representation free or for sliding-fee based on income. Their accredited representatives (Full Accreditation can appear before the immigration courts, the BIA and DHS; Partial Accreditation may represent clients only before DHS) practice ONLY immigration law.

BIA-recognized organizations in California

303 offices run by 161 distinct organizations listed in the EOIR Recognition & Accreditation Roster for California, as of the roster published October 18, 2026. The table has one row per office, so an organization with several locations appears more than once. The roster also lists 33 extension offices of these organizations that are not rows in the table; they are listed below it. These non-profits are recognized through EOIR’s Recognition & Accreditation Program (U.S. Department of Justice) to provide immigration legal representation at low or no cost.

Extension offices in EOIR’s roster dated 10/18/26 that are not rows in the table (the roster gives no date or status for these offices; their organizations are in the table):

• Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay, Concord Extension Office: Monument Impact, 2699 Monument Blvd, Concord, CA 94520, (925) 682-8248
• Human Options, Inc., Costa Mesa Extension Office: P.O. Box 10939, Costa Mesa, CA 92627, (949) 722-8744
• Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Grossmont College Extension Office: 8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon, CA 92020, (858) 637-3345
• Catholic Charities of Yolo-Solano, Inc., Fairfield Extension Office: 604 Empire Street, Fairfield, CA 94533
• Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, Inc., Highway City Neighborhood Resource Center Extension Office: 4718 N. Polk Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722, (559) 369-6349
• Education and Leadership Foundation, 1308 E. Olive Avenue Extension Office: 1308 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728
• Education and Leadership Foundation, 1310 E. Olive Avenue Extension Office: 1310 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728, (559) 291-5428
• Education and Leadership Foundation, 1312 E. Olive Avenue Extension Office: 1312 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728, (559) 291-5428
• Education and Leadership Foundation, 1314 E. Olive Avenue Extension Office: 1314 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728, (559) 291-5428
• Education and Leadership Foundation, 1316 E. Olive Avenue Extension Office: 1316 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728, (559) 291-5428
• Welcome to America Inc., Hesperia Extension Office: 17130 Sequoia Street, Suite 106, Hesperia, CA 92345, (844) 982-6374
• Korean Resource Center, Kinsley Extension Office: 540 S Kinsley Drive, Suite B, Los Angeles, CA 90020, (323) 205-4187
• The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of L.A.- Interfaith Refugee and, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles-Cathedral Center of St Paul Extension Office: 840 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90026, (323) 667-0489
• Young Mens Christian Association of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Extension Office: Mission Advancement Department & New American Welcome Center, 401 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071, (213) 624-2348
• Young Mens Christian Association of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA Extension Office: 2900 Whittier Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90023, (323) 260-7005
• Young Mens Christian Association of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Weingart YMCA Wellness & Aquatic Center Extension Office: 9900 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90044, (323) 754-3191
• Human Options, Inc., Newport Beach P.O. Box Extension Office: P.O. Box 10577, Newport Beach, CA 92658, (949) 854-0180
• Marin County Free Library, South Novato Library Extension Office: 931 C Street, Novato, CA 94949, (415) 506-3165
• Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Joan & Irwin Jacobs Campus Extension Office: 8804 Balboa Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123, (858) 637-3365
• Jewish Family Service of San Diego, San Diego City College Extension Office: 1313 Park Blvd, Room A-354, San Diego, CA 92101, (858) 637-3345
• Jewish Family Service of San Diego, San Diego Mesa College Extension Office: 7250 Mesa College Drive, Room I4-309, San Diego, CA 92111, (858) 637-3345
• Jewish Family Service of San Diego, San Diego Miramar College Extension Office: 10440 Black Mountain Road, Room K1-304, San Diego, CA 92126, (858) 637-3345
• Jewish Family Service of San Diego, San Diego State University Extension Office: 5500 Campanile Drive, Arts & Letters 202, San Diego, CA 92182, (858) 637-3345
• Immigration Center for Women and Children, Downtown San Francisco Extension office: 381 Bush Street, Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94109, (415) 728-0420
• San Francisco Labor Council AFL-CIO/WE RISE SF, San Francisco Labor Council AFL-CIO/WE RISE SF - Suite 202 Extension Office: 1188 Franklin Street, Suite 202, San Francisco, CA 94109, (415) 440-8381
• San Francisco Labor Council AFL-CIO/WE RISE SF, San Francisco Labor Council AFL-CIO/WE RISE SF - Golden Gate Extension office: 240 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 424-7881
• San Francisco Labor Council AFL-CIO/WE RISE SF, Extension Office: c/o Office of Community & Economic Development International Terminal, San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, CA 94128, (415) 424-7881
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Monterey, San Luis Obispo-South Higuera Street Extension Office: 3250 South Higuera Street, Suite D, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, (805) 541-9110
• Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Palomar College Extension Office: 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos, CA 92069, (858) 637-3345
• Human Options, Inc., West McFadden Ave-Santa Ana Extension Office: 2215 West McFadden Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92704, (714) 480-3737
• Santa Barbara County Immigrant Legal Defense Center, East Jones Street - Santa Barbara Extension Office: 120 E. Jones Street, Suite 117, Santa Barbara, CA 93454, (805) 886-9136
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Family Justice Center - One Stop Extension Office: 2755 Mendocino Avenue, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, (707) 565-6172
• Vital Immigrant Defense Advocacy and Services, Santa Rosa Junior College Extension Office: 1501 Mendocino Avenue, Dream Center, Plover Hall, Room 540, Santa Rosa, CA 95401, (707) 838-8383

How to verify and contact a BIA-recognized organization

1. Confirm current status at the EOIR roster — recognition can be withdrawn, and EOIR updates the roster periodically — check the “Report Last Updated” date at the top of the roster PDF.
2. Call ahead to check service availability — many orgs have waitlists, especially for asylum and removal-defense cases.
3. Ask about fees before signing a representation agreement. Free or sliding-fee is standard.
4. Bring all USCIS notices + photo ID to your intake appointment.
5. Beware of “notarios” — USCIS’s list of who may help you with immigration matters includes licensed attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives working for an organization on DOJ’s recognized list, and law students or graduates supervised by one of them. A “notario público” in the U.S. is NOT a notario in the Latin American sense and cannot legally represent you.

Related procedural information

• Immigration court in California — the EOIR court that hears removal cases for residents of California
• Legal aid in California — broader civil legal aid (housing, family, public benefits)
• Find an immigration attorney — AILA directory + private bar
• Avoid notario fraud — what to watch for
• Know Your Rights — ICE encounters — constitutional protections

Last verified: 2026-09-24. Source: U.S. Department of Justice EOIR Recognition & Accreditation Roster. General procedural information — not legal advice. Always verify organization status and ask about fees before signing a representation agreement.

BIA recognition program context (2025-2026)

The Recognition & Accreditation (R&A) Program, administered by EOIR, is governed by 8 CFR 1292.11-1292.20. Recognition is valid for six years, unless the organization has conditional recognition, valid for two years — granted to an organization not recognized before, one with federal tax-exempt status pending, or one approved again after its recognition was terminated (8 CFR 1292.11(f)); the three-year term is the validity period of an individual representative’s accreditation, not the organization’s recognition (8 CFR 1292.12(d)). Renewals require re-application and updated documentation. As of the 2026-10-18 EOIR roster: 1,450 recognized organizations operate 1,566 offices nationwide — read that 1,450 as roster listings, one per organization per city, so an organization with offices in three cities is counted three times; the roster’s own header counts 950 distinct recognized organizations. Those offices are staffed by representatives holding Full Accreditation (immigration courts, the BIA and DHS) or Partial Accreditation (DHS only, including USCIS).

To be recognized, an organization must be a non-profit that provides immigration legal services primarily to low-income and indigent clients, and if it charges fees it must have a written policy for accommodating clients unable to pay; EOIR reviews its fee schedule, fee-waiver policy and annual budget as part of recognition (8 CFR 1292.11(a)(1) and (b)). Each organization sets its own fees, and neither EOIR nor any other national source publishes what recognized non-profits — or private immigration attorneys — actually charge. Ask for the fee schedule in writing and compare quotes before you commit.

EOIR publishes the Recognition & Accreditation Roster at justice.gov/eoir/recognition-accreditation-roster-reports and updates it periodically — the file carries its own “Report Last Updated” date at the top. Verify an organization’s CURRENT status (Active vs Pending Renewal vs Provisional vs Withdrawn) before signing a representation agreement. Organizations whose recognition EOIR terminates (8 CFR 1292.17) are removed from the recognition and accreditation roster.

For attorney directories: AILA Find-A-Lawyer at ailalawyer.com (paid membership, vetted), Legal Services Corporation grantees at lsc.gov (income-limited legal aid), American Bar Association lawyer referral at americanbar.org/groups/legal_services. Avoid “notario” fraud: in the US, a “notary public” is NOT a notario in the Latin American sense and cannot give legal advice. Report notario fraud to your state attorney general AND USCIS at uscis.gov/avoid-scams.

EOIR Hotline for case status: 1-800-898-7180 (24/7 automated; English/Spanish menu).