Understanding (SIJ) Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

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

To be eligible for SIJS, the non-citizen child must be under 21 years of age, unmarried, and under the jurisdiction of a state or juvenile court within the United States.

Federal immigration law requires that the state or juvenile court make certain, specific findings about the child. These findings are often referred to as the "SIJS Order" or "predicate order." With the SIJS or predicate order from the applicable state or juvenile court, a non-citizen child can apply for SIJS with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Obtaining SIJS is a complex, two-part process requiring knowledge of California state law and federal immigration law. Our lawyers at Law Offices of Do and Kang, can help children petition for this status, giving them a pathway to a new life in the United States free of abuse. Few family law firms in the region have the background in immigration, family law and adoption that our lawyers possess. Instead of making a child work with different attorneys, we can be there for every step.

Guiding You Through A Complex Process

Whether you are a custodial guardian, parent or foster parent, we can guide you and the child through the legal process. We can file the necessary paperwork to get the predicate SIJS order from the state or juvenile court. We can then handle the second step of filing the proper petition and application with USCIS.