The regulations at 8 CFR 204.11, 205.1, 245.1, effective Apr. 7, 2022 made some significant changes to the previous ones. A comparison between the old and new regulations can be found below. If using a resource prepared before 2022, verify the information against the new regulations.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Bench Book: A National Guide to Best Practices for Judges and Courts, National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project & American University Washington College of Law (Mar. 2018). 

This excellent book was written to provide state court judges with access to legally correct information about immigration law issues that arise in state family court cases. It is also a primary resource for advocates. It is comprehensive and content dense. Among the most useful features are the appendices. Included, among others, are state-by-state compendiums detailing qualifying juvenile courts; statutory definitions of abuse, abandonment, and neglect; factors in determining the best interests of the child; and service of process. As the bench book was published in 2018, statutory and case law material need to be cite-checked.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and Other Immigration Options for Children and Youth, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (2021) (For Purchase)

This two-volume manual provides detailed guidance on eligibility for SIJS and representing clients in removal proceedings and affirmatively. The manual also explains best practices for working with child clients and immigrant youth. Training materials include sample SIJS applications, sample state and immigration court motions, and sample court orders.

Overview of New Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Regulations, American Bar Association Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA) (May 2022)

This is an overview of the 2022 changes to regulations governing SIJS and predicate orders. 

The ABCs of SIJS: An Overview of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, American Bar Association Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA) (2022)

This is a brief explanation of the SIJS practice and procedures including applying for permanent residence and the effect of the quota backlog on processing.

An Overview of USCIS’s New SIJS Regulations, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (Jan. 2023)

This resource explains the 2022 changes to the USCIS rules governing Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and how these changes affect practice and procedure.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide for Safe Passage Project Pro Bono Attorneys, Safe Passage Project (2021)

This manual was developed by a New York City-based nonprofit organization that provides pro bono legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children, including those eligible for SIJS. It is an exhaustive guide of how to apply for SIJS status, written for new practitioners and with the intention of familiarizing them with the federal and state requirements of the program.

Chapter 4: Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) 

This is a simple overview of the SIJS requirements and procedures. Depending on the case, it may be important to look at the USCIS AAO appellate decisions, which cover a broad variety of topics. Unpublished decisions are available for purchase through the National Immigration Project.

Adjustment of Status Through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Immigrant Legal Resource Center (2022)

This practice advisory contains the practices and procedures for children seeking permanent residence based on SIJS (the last step in the SIJS process) who are either in removal proceedings or applying affirmatively.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status & Visa Availability, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (Mar. 2023)

A visa must be available under our numerically restricted system in order to file an application for permanent residence – the last step in the SIJS process. In March 2023, the procedure for determining SIJS visa availability  changed. This excellent practice advisory explains the complex process to determine if a visa is available and the new deferred action policy.

Deferred Action & Work Permits for Young People With Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Immigrant Legal Resource Center (Mar. 2022)

This publication describes and analyzes the 2023 deferred action and work authorization policies. 

Other Libraries

Some organizations that have expertise in SIJS have their own libraries. In addition to having general resources about representing children in SIJS cases, they also have state-specific information. 

• Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC)
• Child Welfare Information Gateway
• Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA)
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
• Kids In Need of Defense (KIND)
• National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)
• National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project (NIWAP)

As with all publications in this library, advocates must check to be sure that the information contained in each document is current. Contacting the organization that produced the publication is one way to do this.

California 

Katie Annand et. al., Guidance for SIJS State Court Predicate Orders in California: What You Need to Know Now, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Kids in Need of Defense, Legal Services for Children (Nov. 29, 2017) 

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Primer: How to Seek SIJS Findings in California Superior Courts, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (Mar. 12, 2015) 

Strengthening Child Welfare Practice for Immigrant Children & Families: A Toolkit for Child Welfare Professionals in California, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, National Youth Law Center (Aug. 2019) 

Martin Gauto, California Law Expands Eligibility for SIJS, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (Oct. 27, 2015) 

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, California Courts (Oct. 20, 2020)

Colorado

Ashley Harrington, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network Children’s Program, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Presentation (Sept. 21, 2018) 

Florida

Bernard P. Perlmutter, Judges Behaving Badly… Clinics Fighting Back: The Struggle for Special Immigrant Juveniles in State Dependency Courts in the Age of Trump, 82.4 Albany L. Rev. 1555 (2019)

Illinois 

Hillary Richardson, Rebekah Rashidfaroki, & Rob Zielinski, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: Virtual Pro Bono Clinic, Virtual Presentation (Apr. 2, 2020)

Maryland

Video Presentation: Custody, Guardianship, and Obtaining Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center (Apr. & May 2020)

Maryland Law Expands Eligibility for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (Jul. 1, 2014)

Nebraska

The Nebraska Court Improvement Project, CIP Webinar – 2018 Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, YouTube (Jan. 23, 2018) 

Shane Ellison & Kevin Ruser, Practice Advisory: Seeking Predicate Findings in Nebraska for Special Immigration Juveniles, Immigrant Legal Center (May 28, 2018)

New York 

Representing Noncitizen Youth in Removal Proceedings: A Step-by-Step Guide to Representing Immigrant Youth in 2018-2019, Safe Passage Project 

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide for Safe Passage Project Pro Bono Attorneys, Safe Passage Project

North Dakota

Establishing Guardianship of a Minor Child: A Research Guide for Two North Dakota Court Processes, North Dakota Legal Self Help Center (Mar. 2019) 

Pennsylvania 

Protocol for Filing for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) in Montgomery County, Montgomery County, PA

Texas

Desiree Salinas & Salma Hasan, Kids in Need of Defense, Nuts and Bolts of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Presentation Children’s Immigration Law Academy

Dalia Castillo-Granados & Alex Hunt, Paternity Issues in Texas for SIJS Cases, Webinar, American Bar Association’s Children’s Immigration Law Academy

Dalia Castillo-Granados, David Walding & Yasmin Yavar, Post-18 Issues in Texas State Court and Before USCIS, Webinar, American Bar Association’s Children’s Immigration Law Academy

Brandon Roche & Yasmin Yavar, REFS, NOIDS, and Inadmissibility Issues in Texas SIJS Cases, Webinar, American Bar Association’s Children’s Immigration Law Academy

Dalia Castillo-Granados, Texas State Court Procedural Issues in SIJS Cases, Webinar, American Bar Association’s Children’s Immigration Law Academy

John Wheat Gibson, Immigrant Juveniles in Texas Face Special Problems, State Bar of Texas (last visited Oct. 20, 2020) 

Virginia

Sophia Gregg et. al., Strategies for Obtaining SIJS Factual Findings In Virginia After July 1, 2019, Legal Aid Justice Center (Jul. 29, 2019) 

Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Christine Poarch, Matthew Yao, Richard Balnave & Madeline Taylor, Pro Bono and Special Immigrant Juveniles: Best Practices for Family Court Practitioners, Presentation by VSB Access to Legal Services Committee, Legal Aid Justice Center, Ayuda, and Poarch Law Firm

Washington

Washington State Court Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Bench Book and Resource Guide, University of Washington School of Law & Washington State Bar Association (Oct. 2015, rev. Oct. 2016) 

The goal of the Predicate Order Resource Center and this page is to provide advocates with easy access to publications and other resources to be used as a starting place for research and further investigation. It is not a substitute for independent thought, research and, if applicable, obtaining legal advice.