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The federal program, Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa Program, is a current path to lawful permanent residency for children who have experienced neglect, abuse or abandonment by a parent and who cannot return to their home countries. To obtain lawful permanent residency requires the child to obtain an Order in his state court prior to filing with USCIS. The Order typically places the child in the custody or adoptive placement of another parent or a third party. Additionally, the Order makes findings of fact (SIJ Findings of Fact) which permit the child to then file for a green card with USCIS. There is great disparity among states, and even among counties within a state, as to whether to issue the SIJ Order. The Virginia Court of Appeals is considering these questions this month and the outcome of the two cases on appeal will determine the availability of SIJ status for children in Virginia. The core issue currently plaguing the Virginia courts is a debate surrounding whether local...

As of April 21, 2017, adoptions from Ethiopia have been put on suspension by the  Ethiopian  government.  Regardless of what stage an adoption is in, the Ministry of Women and Children's  Affairs, MOWA, has indicated that only negative letters will be issued preventing an adoption from  being finalized or an exit visa from being issued.  As of now, there is no official communication from the Ethiopian government about the rationale for the suspension.  The Department of State is fighting  for any adoption completed prior to the suspension date of April 21 to be allowed to continue in the  process.  Ethiopian adoptive parents are meeting with their U.S. Senators and Representatives to urge  involvement at the highest level of government.  This is extremely difficult for families who have  already met the children they are adopting.  In some cases, the families have already completed the  Court process in Ethiopia ...