USCIS Updates Guidance for Special Immigrant Juvenile Petitions

Tatiana Molano • November 27, 2023

USCIS Updates Guidance for Special Immigrant Juvenile Petitions

Effective immediately, we are updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual (PDF, 343.18 KB) for adjudicating Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petitions. This update will make the SIJ adjudication process more efficient for some applicants.

We are updating this guidance to align with the July 31, 2023, declaratory order in Casa Libre/Freedom House v. Mayorkas. The 180-day time frame for USCIS to adjudicate an SIJ petition applies only to the initial adjudication of an SIJ petition. It does not extend to the adjudication of any motion or appeal filed after a denial of an SIJ petition.

SIJ is an immigration classification for non-citizens in the United States who need the protection of a juvenile court because they have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent. They may apply for SIJ classification using Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant. Noncitizens with SIJ classification may qualify for lawful permanent resident status (also known as getting a Green Card).

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Join Us for Our Tech Talks on the Organizational Accounts

By tatiana molano • January 30, 2024

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will launch our Tech Talks sessions in February so you can ask questions about the new USCIS organizational accounts in preparation for the fiscal year 2025 H-1B electronic registration season and online filing of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker , and Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service , for H-1B petitions. The first five sessions will be held on the following dates: Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, 2-2:45 p.m. Eastern Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, 2-2:45 p.m. Eastern Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, 2-2:45 p.m. Eastern Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, 2-2:45 p.m. Eastern Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, 2-2:45 p.m. Eastern No registration is required for these events. During these sessions, USCIS subject-matter experts will be available to respond to your questions about creating and using USCIS organizational accounts. Topics will include: How to create an organizational account; Using the new enhanced representative account features; and How to share access and collaborate on H-1B registrations; Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker for H-1B petitions; and Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service . Save the Date: Additional Tech Talks will be held throughout February and March. Please use Microsoft Teams to join the engagements. We recommend using Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Firefox as your web browser. You may also view the engagement from a mobile device with the Microsoft Teams application. We encourage you to submit questions in advance using the Teams Live link for each event or by emailing myuscisoutreach@uscis.dhs.gov . To submit a question when you are in Teams Live, click on the Q&A icon and enter your question. To request a disability accommodation to participate in this engagement, email us at public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov at least two business days before the engagement in which you choose to participate. Recordings of our national engagements, USCIS Organizational Accounts Overview for Legal Representatives and USCIS Organizational Accounts Overview for Companies, will be posted on our YouTube channel .