Federal Delay Packet Builder

Build a complete writ-of-mandamus complaint, service plan, exhibit set and agency RFE response — for any U.S. district court and any delayed application.

Not legal advice. This is a self-help document generator, not a law firm; using it creates no attorney–client relationship. Every case differs and litigation carries risk. Verify every official's name, address, filing fee and local rule before filing, and consult a licensed attorney where you can.
How this works — the whole process, start to finish

A writ-of-mandamus delay suit asks a federal court to order a government agency to decide your long-pending application. You are not asking the court to approve anything — only to make the agency act. It works best once your case is past the agency's own posted processing time and you have already tried the administrative channels.

The journey

1Fill in the form below, top to bottom. The Readiness review on the right updates as you type and shows exactly what's missing.
2Generate the documents and read each tab — complaint, where to file, service plan, checklist, timeline, and the after-you-file playbook.
3Get Readiness to green, then file in your district and pay the fee (or ask the Clerk about a fee waiver).
4Serve the U.S. Attorney first — that starts the government's 60-day clock (FRCP 12(a)(2)). Serve everyone within 90 days (FRCP 4(m)).
5The government usually acts. Once you get the decision, file a Rule 41 notice of voluntary dismissal — see the "After You File" and "Dismissal" tabs.

Five rules that decide these cases

  1. Everyone who wants relief must be a named plaintiff — a spouse or child only mentioned in the background gets nothing.
  2. Serve the U.S. Attorney first and keep the date-stamped receipt.
  3. A request for evidence is not a decision — answer it fully; never withdraw because "the agency is now acting."
  4. Verify every official's name the week you file — officials change; a stale caption is an avoidable error.
  5. Ask for a decision, not an approval — courts compel agencies to act, they do not order outcomes.

Need help?

Find free or low-cost immigration legal aid — searchable by ZIP code — through the National Immigration Legal Services Directory (immigrationlawhelp.org), a directory of 1,000+ nonprofit providers in all 50 states. Even a one-hour consultation can catch a problem before you file.

A self-help tool, not legal advice; using it creates no attorney–client relationship. Verify names, addresses, fees and local rules before filing.

1 · Matter type

Different remedies apply to different delays. This drives which counts appear in the complaint.

2 · Plaintiff(s)

Anyone who wants relief must be named here — a spouse or child mentioned only in the background of a complaint cannot be granted anything.

3 · Delayed application(s)

Add one row per pending application, including tandem/derivative filings.

⏱ Check current USCIS processing time ↗

USCIS guards this page against automated access, so it can't be pulled in automatically. Open it, read your form's current time, and record it on the application above — then screenshot it the day you file: a dated capture of the agency exceeding its own posted time is powerful TRAC evidence and makes a strong exhibit.

Which hardship is strongest? (with an example)

Courts weigh hardship under TRAC factors 3 (human health and welfare) and 5 (the interests prejudiced). The most persuasive reasons are:

  • Concrete and specific, not general — “a $12,000 promotion withdrawn on June 1” beats “career harm.”
  • Time-sensitive and irreversible — the strongest kind. A child about to turn 21 and age out (Child Status Protection Act) is especially compelling, because the delay itself causes a permanent, unrecoverable loss.
  • Tied to health, safety, or family unity — blocked medical care, a family kept separated across borders, an inability to travel to a seriously ill relative.

Weaker on their own: generic frustration or purely economic harm with no specifics. Use dates, names, dollar amounts, and documents wherever you can.

Example: “The delay has kept me from accepting a promotion at [employer] that required international travel (offered [date], since withdrawn); prevented me from visiting my mother in [country] during her cancer treatment; and my daughter [name] turns 21 on [date], risking loss of her derivative eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act.”

4 · Steps already taken

Exhaustion of administrative remedies. Courts weigh this heavily — list every attempt and its outcome.

5 · Court & venue

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1391(e) you usually have more than one lawful choice. See the "Where to File" tab after generating.

I live in a different city than my field office — where do I file?

You file where you live — not necessarily where your file physically sits. Under § 1391(e)(1) venue is proper in any of:

  • Your home district (where you reside) — usually the best choice and the hardest for the government to transfer. Use “Find your court by city” above and keep the basis on “Plaintiff resides here.”
  • The district where the office handling your file sits — a valid alternative if that office’s delay is central to your case (set the basis to “events occurred here”).
  • Washington, D.C. — always available, but the government often moves to transfer it back to your home district.

You can file at home even though the office and officials are elsewhere — § 1391(e) allows nationwide service of process. Still name the director of the office handling your file as a defendant (section 6) with that office’s address, and serve the U.S. Attorney for the district where you file.

6 · Defendants

Verify each name the week you file. Sue officials in their official capacity. Use "Add defendant" for any agency — this is not USCIS-specific.

7 · Exhibits & attachments

Add a row per exhibit. Attach a PDF or image and the builder will assemble one merged packet with divider pages.

8 · Cover-letter barcode ?

Optional. A scannable Code 128 barcode for your own file organization, printed on the RFE-response and packet cover letters.

This is a reference barcode generated from your own data — not an official USCIS routing barcode. Always include the original agency notice (with its own barcode) exactly as the notice instructs.

Your progress autosaves in this browser as you type — nothing is uploaded. "Save answers" also exports your text (not attachments) as a JSON file you can move between devices.

Complete the form, then choose Generate documents.
Nothing leaves your device.

Merging attachments needs an internet connection the first time (it loads a PDF library). Every other feature works offline.