Special Immigrant Juvenile Program (SJI)
New Jersey Attorneys Protecting Abused Children
The Special Immigrant Juvenile program is one designed to offer aid for foreign children in the United States who have been abused by their parents or primary caretakers. The program allows victims under the age of 18 to obtain a green card under this status that could, after a set duration of permanent residency in the United States, lead to full citizenship and all of the rights that pertain to it.
Of course, this program is only available to those who qualify, and the Department of Homeland Security has put limitations in place so that the program is not used by their parents as a means of obtaining a green card for themselves. Our New Jersey immigration attorneys explain the conditions.
In order to be eligible for the SJI program, the following must be true:
- Your under 21 years old when you file
- You are not married
- You are in the United States when you file
- You have been abused, neglected, or abandoned
- This history makes it impossible for you to be reunited with your parents
Exceptions and Rules with an SJI Green Card
This status is very generous, as it ignores a lot of the other conditions that stop most people from getting a green card, such as an inability to provide for yourself, not having passport, and the manner in which you entered the country, all for a humanitarian cause. But it does have limitations.
The Department of Homeland Security wants to be sure that you are not a public danger because of a mental disability, and if that applies to you, they want to see that you’re treating the condition. Additionally, they also want to know that you are not willfully involved in the drug, prostitution, or human trafficking industries. Once you obtain an SJI, there will be certain things you cannot do.
You will not be able to:
- Petition for a green card for your parents
- Petition for a green card for siblings until you are a full U.S. citizen
If all of these conditions are met, the proper ones avoided, then our New Jersey immigration attorneys can help you file and afford you the ability to live and work in the United States independently.
Call (800) 909-8129 today to speak with one of our attorneys about your eligibility.