Special Immigrant Juveniles & the Grounds of Inadmissibility
Practice Advisory

Young people pursuing adjustment of status (a green card) as special immigrant juveniles (SIJs) must be admissible or eligible for a waiver. However, certain grounds of inadmissibility automatically do not apply to SIJ-based adjustment of status, others are waivable under a special waiver standard, and a few cannot be waived or are subject to higher waiver standards.

This practice advisory provides helpful charts of the grounds of inadmissibility as applied to special immigrant juveniles (SIJs). It also describes the waiver standard and process for SIJs.