The new guideline reaffirms and clarifies that:

  • The petitioner must have been a juvenile under relevant state law when the juvenile court order was issued;
  • USCIS requires evidence of a court’s intervention to provide relief from abuse, neglect, or abandonment beyond a statement that the juvenile is dependent on the court; and
  • USCIS will no longer require evidence that a state court had the authority to place a petitioner in the custody of an unfit parent in order to make a qualifying determination regarding parental reunification for purposes of SIJ classification.

Follow the policy memo for more information.