Federal immigration agencies sometimes sit on pending applications for years without explanation, leaving applicants in legal limbo with no clear path forward. A writ of mandamus is a federal court order that compels agencies like USCIS to fulfill their duty to decide a case within a reasonable time. This is not a guarantee of approval – it forces action. To qualify, applicants generally need to show a delay well beyond published processing times, documented harm, and evidence they exhausted administrative remedies first. New Jersey applicants file in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Many mandamus cases settle within months, with the agency agreeing to adjudicate the case before the matter reaches argument. If your case has been pending more than two years with no movement, this legal tool is worth understanding.