This memorandum will inform immigration service officers working Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petitions about new legislation affecting adjudication of petitions filed for SIJ status.

This Appendix discusses the legislative history and the evolution of SIJS statutory protections.

This appendix provides courts easy access to the SISJ statute, USCIS implementing policies and those portions of the USCIS regulations that have not been superseded by statute.

This Chapter provides an overview of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status findings in paternity and parentage proceedings. It explains the meaning of SIJS, the requirements, and the eligibility status for SIJS. It discusses SIJS in paternity and parentage proceedings and common case scenarios. It also briefly discusses the procedural consideration and best practices for SIJS findings in paternity cases.

This Chapter provides an overview of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status findings in guardianship proceedings. It explains the meaning of SIJS, the requirements, and the eligibility status for SIJS. It discusses SIJS in guardianship proceedings and common case scenarios. It also briefly discusses the procedural consideration and best practices for SIJS findings in guardianship cases.

This Chapter provides an overview of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status findings in dependency proceedings. It explains the meaning of SIJS, the requirements, and the eligibility status for SIJS. It discusses SIJS in dependency proceedings and common case scenarios. It also briefly discusses the procedural consideration and best practices for SIJS findings in dependency cases.

This Chapter provides an overview of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status findings in delinquency proceedings. It explains the meaning of SIJS, the requirements, and the eligibility status for SIJS. It discusses SIJS in delinquency proceedings and common case scenarios. It also briefly discusses the procedural consideration like service of process and best practices for SIJS findings in delinquency cases.

This Chapter provides an overview of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status findings in declaratory judgment cases. It explains the meaning of SIJS, the requirements, and the eligibility status for SIJS. It discusses SIJS in declaratory cases and common case scenarios. It also briefly discusses the procedural consideration like service of process and best practices for SIJS findings in declaratory cases.

This Chapter provides an overview of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status findings in civil and criminal protection orders proceedings. It explains the meaning of SIJS, the requirements, and the eligibility status for SIJS. It discusses SIJS in civil and criminal protection order proceedings and common case scenarios. It also briefly discusses the procedural consideration like service of process and best practices for SIJS findings in protection orders.

This Chapter provides an overview of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status findings involving termination of parental rights and adoption. It explains the meaning of SIJS, the requirements, and the eligibility status for SIJS. It further discusses the termination of parental rights in adoption proceedings and common case scenarios. It also briefly discusses the procedural consideration like service of process and best practices for SIJS findings in adoption cases.

This Chapter of the manual provides an overview of how state courts apply the state law definitions of “abuse,” “abandonment,” and “neglect” in issuing SIJS findings as part of state court orders. It discusses how courts should apply the state law definitions of abuse, abandonment, and neglect to the facts that occurred outside and inside of the United States. It also explains the state law definition of the abuse, abandonment, and neglect ad highlight the common themes in the state law definition of these terms. The chapter provides an overview of the helpful charts included as appendices to this manual that provide the state-by-state details and a national multi-state overview of how each of the following terms are described in the law of each of the U.S. states and jurisdictions.

This Chapter provides an overview of the findings required by State Court in determining eligibility for SIJS. It discusses the findings like – Dependency, reunification, abuse, neglect or abandonment and similar basis under the State law.

This Chapter provides an overview of the Special Immigrant Juvenile States as a form of immigration relief that helps immigrant children who have suffered abuse, abandonment or neglect perpetrated by a parent. It discusses this federal immigration program, its history, and the role of the state courts in SIJS cases. It also discusses the federal immigration adjudication process and how state courts will encounter SIJS eligible children in the wide range of cases that in which SIJS eligible children appear before state courts.