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Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

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Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

SIJS

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) provides a pathway to lawful permanent residency for noncitizen children who have been abused, abandoned and/or neglected by one or both of their parents.

To qualify for SIJS, the child must be: under 21 years of age; unmarried; and under the jurisdiction of a state or juvenile court. Children involved in dependency and neglect proceedings, delinquency proceedings, allocation of parental responsibilities proceedings, guardianship proceedings, or adoption proceedings are all under the requisite jurisdiction and may be eligible to apply for SIJS.

Obtaining SIJS is a complicated, two-step process. The first step requires that the child obtain an order from the state or juvenile court. This order must make specific findings about the child. With this predicate order, the child can then apply for SIJS with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Special immigrant juveniles are forgiven for many of the grounds of inadmissibility that otherwise apply to applicants seeking lawful permanent residence, including:

  • Entry without inspection;
  • Inadmissibility at the time of entry, except when it is based on criminal convictions, drug violations, national security grounds and participation in Nazi activities;
  • Failure to maintain valid nonimmigrant status;
  • Working without authorization; and
  • Prostitution.

Our attorneys represent children throughout each step of the SIJS application process and help them to achieve lawful status in the United States and, most importantly, a life free from abuse and neglect.

NOTABLE CASES

Appeals & Federal Litigation Cases

PURDUE UNIVERSITY v. EUGENE SCALIA

We’ve filed a case challenging the US Department of Labor over a new rule that dramatically hikes wages for H-1B, H-1B1, PERM and E-3 cases.

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AKER v. TRUMP

This case challenged the Presidential Proclamation 10014 and 10052 with respect to DV winners. The judge has certified the case as a class action …

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ANUNCIATO v. TRUMP

This case challenged visa processing delays and the Trump Administration’s immigrant visa ban, Presidential Proclamation 10014.

VIEW CASE

MILLIGAN v. POMPEO

This case features “pair[s] of star-crossed lovers” on whose lives, like Romeo and Juliet’s, a plague has wreaked havoc.

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OUR AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

We Are Committed to Your Dreams.

Countless people dream of becoming a U.S. citizen. If your application was rejected by the USCIS, we are here to fight for your best interests.

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