Temporary Protection Status & Unaccompanied Minors

Temporary Protection Status

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a little-known program that offers a temporary legal status to certain immigrants in the United States who cannot return to their country of origin due to ongoing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary reasons.

In order to qualify for TPS, an individual must:

• Be a national of the foreign country with a TPS designation (or if stateless, have last habitually resided in a country with a TPS designation);

• Be continuously physically present in the United States since the effective date of designation;

• Have continuously resided in the United States since a date specified by the Secretary of Homeland Security; and

• Not be inadmissible to the United States or be barred from asylum for certain criminal or national security-related reasons, such as individuals who have been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors.

Contact us to discuss your options for TPS.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

SIJS is a very complex process that should be handled with very detailed attention. SIJS is available for minors who have been abused, neglected, or abandonded by the parent(s). The approval of an SIJS petition is a way for the applicant to obtain ther permanent residency.

In order to qualify for SIJS, the juvenile must:

• Be under the age of 21;

• Be unmarried;

• A juvenile court judge in family court has declared the minor as dependent;

• Juvenile cannot reunite with parent(s) due to abuse, neglect, or similar; AND

• The minor cannot return to their county of nationality or last place of residence due to the abusive circumstances.

The juvenile goes through a complex process with immigration and family court. of family court.