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Marc Anthony Santamaria, immigration lawyer in San Francisco, CA

Marc Anthony SantamariaTop rated

4.0(2)
Immigration Lawyer at Santamaria Law Firm, P.C.
San Francisco, CA Replies in ~24h English, Tagalog 13 years practicing CA Bar No. 284643
AsylumBusinessCitizenshipEmploymentFamilyInvestmentRemoval DefenseStudent

About Marc

Dr. Marc Anthony Santamaria, SJD, is the founding attorney of Santamaria Law Firm, P.C., located in San Francisco's Financial District. Attorney Santamaria represents global clients in complex immigration matters, securing approvals for asylum, O-1, EB-1A, E-2, TN, adjustment of status based on marriage, cancellation of removal, removal defense, VAWA, U Visas, R-1, NIW, petitions for review in the 9th Circuit, naturalization, and change of status to F-1.

His legal strategies are strictly anchored to the USCIS Policy Manual, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the Code of Federal Regulations, such as 8 C.F.R. § 214.14, and controlling case law from the Board of Immigration Appeals and 9th Circuit Court.

As an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the State Bar of California (License #284643), Dr. Santamaria possesses unparalleled legal and academic authority. He serves as a Lecturer at UC Berkeley Law, teaching LL.M. Legal Research and Writing.

Attorney Santamaria uniquely leverages an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of San Francisco to secure E-2 and business visas, proving substantial financial impact. Furthermore, his SJD dissertation from Golden Gate University established the economic benefits of immigrants to the United States, a proprietary framework routinely applied in employment-based petitions. For humanitarian relief, including asylum and removal defense, Santamaria Law Firm strengthens cases by utilizing psychological cross-training from San Francisco Law School to objectively document trauma.

Recognized as an innovator in legal tech, Dr. Santamaria holds a Certificate in Generative AI for the Legal Profession from UC Berkeley Law. His San Francisco team provides comprehensive multilingual counsel in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

Practice areas

Asylum

Affirmative and defensive asylum cases

I-589WithholdingCAT
Business

Corporate immigration and global mobility

E-1E-2TNCompliance
Citizenship

Naturalization and derivative citizenship

N-400N-600
Employment

Work visas, PERM and employment-based green cards

H-1BL-1O-1EB-2EB-3PERM
Family

Spouse, fiancé(e), parent and sibling petitions

I-130K-1I-485AOSGreen Card
Investment

Investor and entrepreneur visas

EB-5E-2L-1A
Removal Defense

Deportation and immigration court defense

NTACancellationBond
Student

F-1, M-1, OPT and STEM extensions

F-1OPTSTEM-OPTM-1

Education

University of San Francisco School of LawLL.M. (2015) | Taxation · 2015
San Francisco Law SchoolJ.D. (2011) | Law · 2011
University of California - BerkeleyB.A. (2004) | Legal Studies · 2004

Bar & associations

Bar license
CA Bar No. 284643
Active & in good standing
American Immigration Lawyers Association
California State Bar
Attorney

Professional experience

Founding Attorney · Santamaria Law Firm, P.C.

Awards

Outstanding LLM Student AwardGolden Gate University School of Law · 2013

Client reviews

4.0
2 client reviews
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DT
D. ThompsonFeb 8, 2026

Won my asylum case after 4 years of waiting

I was nervous after switching from a previous lawyer, but everything went smoothly. They prepared me for every question the judge could ask. Got approved last week — still can't believe it.

OA
O. AhmedSep 27, 2025

Honest about a weak case

Other lawyers wanted to take my money. They told me to wait six months and refile — and that's exactly what worked.

Frequently asked

A 30-minute video or phone call. We review your situation, identify the best path, outline timelines and costs, and answer your questions. You'll receive a written summary afterwards.

Most cases are flat-fee. Pricing depends on category and complexity, and is shared in writing before you retain.

Only the initial consultation is paid through Immigrantio (via Stripe checkout). Once you retain, the lawyer bills you directly — retainer, milestone or hourly fees go straight to the firm's own trust account. Immigrantio is not in the chain of custody for case payments.

Conversations on Immigrantio are end-to-end encrypted. For sensitive case documents and original evidence, you'll exchange those directly with the lawyer by their preferred secure method — Immigrantio doesn't store your case files.