200+ Free CA Immigration Specialist Practice Questions

You must be an active California Bar member in good standing for at least 5 years, demonstrate substantial involvement (25% of practice) in immigration and nationality law for the 5 years preceding application, complete a task list showing breadth across nonimmigrant, family-based, employment-based, removal, and naturalization matters, complete 45 hours of immigration-law CLE within the 3 years before applying, pass the CBLS uniform examination, and pass peer review by judges and attorneys familiar with your work.

The exam is a one-day, open-reference test of approximately 8.5 hours combining 75 multiple-choice questions and 8 essay questions. Candidates may bring statutes, regulations, and reference materials. The passing standard is a 453 scaled score. The total cost is $513 ($359 exam fee + $154 application fee). Topics span INA §101(a)(15) nonimmigrant visas, family and employment immigration, removal proceedings, asylum, naturalization, and inadmissibility with waivers.

INA §101(a)(15) is the master list of nonimmigrant visa classifications — B (visitor), F (student), H (temporary worker), L (intracompany transferee), O (extraordinary ability), P (athletes/entertainers), E (treaty trader/investor), J (exchange), R (religious worker), TN (USMCA professional), and others. The exam tests eligibility requirements, dual-intent rules (only certain categories allow it — H-1B, L, O), status maintenance, change of status, and consequences of overstaying — these questions are roughly 20% of the exam.

Relief includes: (1) cancellation of removal for LPRs under §240A(a) (5 years LPR, 7 years continuous residence, no aggravated felony); (2) cancellation for non-LPRs under §240A(b) (10 years physical presence, GMC, exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to qualifying USC/LPR relative); (3) asylum, withholding, and CAT; (4) adjustment of status if immediately eligible; (5) voluntary departure (pre- or post-conclusion); (6) waivers under §212(h), §212(i), §237(a)(1)(H); (7) prosecutorial discretion and administrative closure where available.

Under INA §208(a)(2)(B), an asylum application must be filed within one year of the applicant's last arrival in the United States. Exceptions exist for changed circumstances materially affecting eligibility (changes in country conditions, applicant's circumstances) and extraordinary circumstances (serious illness, legal disability, ineffective assistance of counsel). Even if asylum is barred by the deadline, an applicant may still seek withholding of removal under §241(b)(3) and CAT protection, which have no filing deadline but require a higher 'more likely than not' standard.

Under INA §212(a)(9)(B), a noncitizen who accrues more than 180 days but less than 1 year of unlawful presence and then departs is inadmissible for 3 years; more than 1 year of unlawful presence triggers a 10-year bar. Unlawful presence begins at age 18 or after authorized stay expires. The I-601A provisional unlawful presence waiver allows certain applicants to apply for a waiver in the US before consular processing, requiring 'extreme hardship' to a USC or LPR spouse or parent. Inside the US, departures by minors and asylum applicants do not count.