What is SIJS?
September 18th, 2023 admin Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILE STATUS
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) is an immigration classification that may allow vulnerable children to apply immediately for lawful permanent resident status or to obtain a “Green Card”.
Do I qualify for SIJS?
If you are a child or youth residing in the United States without legal immigration status and have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, you may be in need of humanitarian protection and could qualify.
Who is eligible?
§ Unmarried children, under 21 years of age and physically present in the United States at the time of filing the application.
§ Have a qualifying juvenile court order. The order must include the following:
– The child is dependent on the court, or legally committed to or placed under the custody of either a state agency or department, or an individual or entity appointed by a juvenile court.
– Reunification with one or both of the child’s parents is not viable due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, or a similar basis under state law.
– It would not be in the child’s best interest to be returned to his or her country of origin.
It is important to mention that SIJS is still possible in certain circumstances even if the child is no longer under court jurisdiction and even if the youth turns 21 after applying. Although it will be necessary to prove that the application for SIJS was filed before the child turned 21 years, with the intent of informing the immigration court that the proceeding did not arise to secure SIJS because the child was abused, neglected, or abandoned or due to any other basis in state law.
How do I file for SIJS?
You have to apply to USCIS by filing USCIS forms (I-360 and I-485) .
Can I get a Legal Permanent Residence (LPR) or a “green card” through SIJS?
If SIJS classification is granted, you may qualify for lawful permanent residency (or Green Card).
Should you consult with an immigration attorney?
If you filed a SIJS application over the age of 18 and since January 2016, you should consult with an immigration attorney immediately, also if any of the following applied to you:
§ Your application was denied
§ Your SIJS was taken away by USCIS
§ USCIS told you that your application would be denied
§ Your case is still pending before USCIS
Do you match the criteria we mentioned above, tried to file and didn’t get an answer, or do you know anyone that may be eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJS)? Please contact us, we can help you!
The Law Offices of Uzoma Ubanii will be glad to give you further information about SIJS, assist you with the correspondent filling before the immigration authorities or help you find out what happened with your case (if you tried to file before). But most importantly, we´ll walk you through your legal process with a personalized and human care.
Remember that we provide services in Spanish!
We look forward to hearing from you,
The Law Offices of Uzoma Ubanii PLLC