Child Protective Services Agency Toolkit: U Visa Certification, T Visa Declaration, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and Violence Against Women Act Immigration Relief for Abused Immigrant Children (December 31, 2023) [pdf]

This toolkit provides an overview of humanitarian immigration relief that Congress has provided for the protection of abused noncitizen children, and/or their noncitizen parent. The toolkit focuses on four visa types: (1) the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition, (2) the U visa for crime victims, (3) the T visa for human trafficking victims, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). It provides CPS professionals with a working understanding of the tools available to abused noncitizen children and their parents, as well as best practices for working with children in immigrant and mixed status families. These practices include early intervention, supportive services for abused children and protective parents, applications for eligible public benefits, trauma informed and culturally sensitive approaches, and access to resources in a language the child and/or parent understands.