Special Immigrant Juvenile Adjudications: An Opportunity for Adoption of Best Practices   [open pdf - 212KB]

"This study reviews four aspects of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) handling of applications for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status: (1) timeliness and consistency of adjudications; (2) officer expertise in conducting interviews and performing adjudications; (3) Requests for Evidence (RFE) improperly seeking evidence relating to the facts and circumstances underlying a juvenile court determination of dependency; and (4) the need for public guidance indicating how USCIS will process these cases under expanded eligibility criteria."