Youth Defender Immigration Tip Sheet: Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

“SIJS is a unique form of immigration relief, offering young people who have been “abandoned, abused, or neglected” by a parent an opportunity to become lawful permanent residents. This means that a young person can apply for a green card, employment authorization, and some public benefits, with an eventual pathway to U.S. citizenship. Youth defenders representing noncitizen youth in juvenile court have a critical opportunity to screen for eligibility and obtain a SIJS predicate order to support a young person’s application for immigration relief. In many cases, youth defenders may be the only person who can flag this humanitarian pathway for legal status for youth before the age cut off for SIJS, so it is imperative for youth defenders to closely screen for eligibility on all cases.