Petitioners for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) must file Form I-360 before their 21st birthday (among other requirements). Mailing delays or delays in the state court process can make it difficult for SIJS petitioners to file well before their 21st birthday. To help petitioners file on time, USCIS recently announced that the agency will allow SIJS petitioners to file their I-360s in person at a USCIS field office within 2 weeks before their 21st birthday.
The petitioner (or the petitioner’s attorney) can contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 to request an “SIJ expedite appointment” at a USCIS field office within the two weeks before the petitioner’s 21st birthday. At the appointment, the field office will date stamp the first page of the I-360 and provide the petitioner with a photocopy of the first page. The field office will then send the form and supporting documents to the USCIS lockbox for receipting. If the Form I-360 is complete and properly filed, the USCIS lockbox will issue a receipt notice, using the date that the USCIS field office physically received the I-360 as the receipt date. Please note, however, that even if the USCIS field office date-stamps the Petitioner’s I-360 in person, the USCIS lockbox can still reject the application if it is filed improperly (for example, if it is incomplete or unsigned).
If you are a current client who plans to apply for SIJS, please contact your G&M attorney if you are interested in taking advantage of this new filing option.
