What is SIJS?
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (January 12, 2022)
This flyer provides a brief overview of what SIJS is, eligibility requirements, and benefits that are provided to those who qualify.
KIND and the End SIJS Backlog Coalition Endorse the Immigrant Victim and Witness Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 6078)
Kids in Need of Defense [KIND] (December 16, 2021)
This policy brief provides background and an overview of the recently introduced Immigrant Victim and Witness Protection Act, which would remove the annual limit on visas for SIJS recipients and provide important protections to immigrant survivors of trafficking, domestic violence, and other harms.
“Any Day They Could Deport Me”: Over 44,000 Immigrant Children Trapped in the SIJS Backlog
Rachel Leya Davidson and Laila L. Hlass, End SIJS Backlog Coalition and The Door (November 2021)
This report documents the extent and ramifications of the SIJS backlog and offers recommendations for addressing the backlog and providing protection to this vulnerable population of children.
How the Child Welfare System Can better Respond to Needs of Children from Immigrant Families
Mark Greenberg, Ann Flagg, Elian Maritz, Megan Finno-Velasquez, Andres Santiago, Lisa Armstrong & Dennis Gmerek, Migration Policy Institute (November 9, 2021)
This webinar discusses the intersections between the child welfare and immigration systems, possible state and local practices, considerations for the child welfare field, and recommendations for child placement, procedures, and staff training.
Guidance for SIJS State Court Predicate Orders in California: What You Need to Know in 2021
Katie Annand (KIND), Ashley Melwani (Legal Services for Children), & Rachel Prandini (ILRC) (June 8, 2021)
This practice guidance provides recommendations on what information to include in state court predicate orders for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) in CA as well as sample predicate orders from family, probate, dependency, and delinquency courts.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status & Visa Availability
Rachel Prandini, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (January 21, 2021)
This practice advisory reviews the backlog of visas for youth from specific countries that are applying for a green card through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and offers practice advice for representing these youth that might experience a long wait for their green card.
Practice Alert: SIJS Policy Updates and Proposed Regulations
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (November 5, 2019)
This practice alert highlights the key take-aways from three recently adopted AAO decisions and some of the most important elements of the proposed regulations for advocates to challenge through comments, and contains an Appendix with case summaries of the AAO decisions.
USCIS Clarifies Special Immigrant Juvenile Classification to Better Ensure Victims of Abuse, Neglect and Abandonment Receive Protection
Department of Homeland Security (October 15, 2019)
This page provides clarification on requirements regarding the Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification.
Legal Resource List
Center on Immigration & Child Welfare, Corinne Wolfe Center for Child & Family Justice (April 2019)
This document highlights legal resources related to child welfare, public benefits, separated children, special immigrant juvenile status, and trauma responsive practice.
Child Welfare Law, Immigration Policy, and Their Intersection
Howard Davidson, American Bar Association (n.d.)
This resource reviews intersecting laws and policies that impact child protective services and immigration. Included are federal laws and policies and suggested law and policy principles concerning child welfare services to undocumented child immigrants.
