SIJ classification helps children under 21 who have a qualifying state juvenile court order. Prima.Law tracks the court findings, Form I-360 and the later Form I-485 in one case.
An unmarried child living in the U.S., under 21 when Form I-360 is filed, with a valid state juvenile court order containing the required findings.
Dependency or custody, no reunification with one or both parents due to abuse, abandonment, neglect or similar basis, and return not in best interests.
Form I-360 for SIJ classification, Form I-485 when a visa is available, and Form G-28 for the attorney. Written HHS/ORR consent if required.
File Form I-360 before the 21st birthday. USCIS allows a request to file in person at a field office in the 2 weeks before turning 21.
Special Immigrant Juvenile classification helps children living in the U.S. who were abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent. The child first needs a state juvenile court order with specific findings, then files Form I-360 with USCIS before turning 21. When a visa is immediately available, the child may file Form I-485 to become a permanent resident.
USCIS will not require the child to contact the person who abused, abandoned or neglected them, or that person's family, to apply. USCIS must also consent to the classification, meaning the court order was sought to obtain relief from abuse, neglect, abandonment or a similar basis, not primarily to get an immigration benefit.
USCIS rescinded its 2022 SIJ deferred action policy effective May 10, 2026. For Forms I-360 filed on or after that date, USCIS no longer automatically considers deferred action for beneficiaries who cannot adjust only because no visa is immediately available.
General information based on USCIS and other government guidance. Eligibility depends on each client’s facts; this is not legal advice.
Form I-360 must be filed before the child turns 21, and the state court order must come first, so late intake can sink the case.
How Prima.Law helps: The SIJS checklist, created and maintained by active immigration lawyers, lists the court order, findings evidence, age proof and translations. Clients upload in the portal and staff mark items complete.
A child may live near the parent who abused, abandoned or neglected them, so a call or letter to the wrong place can put the child at risk.
How Prima.Law helps: An Important Notice at Danger level puts safe contact rules, such as do not call the home number, at the top of the contact and every case, visible to the whole team.
Messages come from the child, caregivers, guardians and family court counsel, and key details get lost in personal phones and inboxes.
How Prima.Law helps: Text from the firm's Twilio number and log Gmail or Outlook email to the contact and case. The portal is tied to the client's own email, cases are shared one at a time, and data is AES-256 encrypted.
Opening an SIJS case adds Form I-360, case flow items and a checklist for the court order, age evidence and translations, built by active immigration lawyers.
Keep the I-360 and the later I-485 in one case, and use priority date tracking to watch visa availability before filing to adjust status.
Portal uploads land straight on the checklist, so the juvenile court order, supporting findings and birth certificate are in place before filing.
Form I-360 for SIJ is filed on paper, so build one indexed, paginated PDF with exhibit sheets, a table of contents and an A-Number footer.
A state juvenile court issues an order with the dependency, reunification and best-interest findings.
Submit Form I-360 with the court order and evidence of age before the child turns 21.
USCIS reviews the petition, including whether the child is eligible for USCIS consent.
When a visa is immediately available, file Form I-485; permanent residence starts when USCIS approves it.
Form I-589 asylum applications filed with USCIS, from intake to interview
VAWA self-petitions on Form I-360 for abused spouses, children and parents
DACA renewals and requests on Forms I-821D, I-765 and I-765WS
All humanitarian case types in Prima.Law.
Book a demo and see how Prima.Law handles SIJS Petitions cases.