Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) work permit allows student to pay for college and graduate in UNM Class of 2022
By: Flaviano Graciano / NMILC Communications Manager
NMILC client Yair Romero graduated this Spring from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education. Originally from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Yair is a great example of the benefits immigrant youth can access through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). SIJS allows any immigrant child, before they turn 18 or 21 (depending on the case), who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected to apply for permanent residency and open the pathway to U.S. citizenship.
Yair migrated to Albuquerque from Mexico in 2014 when he was 14 years old. He says the transition to Albuquerque awoke in him a special passion for education and improved every aspect of his life. He first learned about SIJS while he was in high school during a presentation by NMILC staff members. He decided to follow up with a consultation with our team and later moved forward with applying for SIJS. Yair’s application was approved and provided him with a work permit that allowed him to find employment to pay for his tuition and other school expenses.
“Something changed when I came to the United States. I wanted to be better at everything and education became a tool to reach my goals and it really shaped who I am today as a person,” Yair said.
Now that he has graduated, Yair hopes to start teaching soon. He says he wants to help other immigrant students achieve their dreams and full potential. He decided to share his story to bring awareness to this less-known form of immigration relief available to immigrant youth and the work being done by NMILC to help every eligible youth possible apply. He is grateful for the hard work NMILC SIJS Supervising Attorney, Monica Newcomer Miller, and her team carried out to ensure he obtained his work permit.
“Never stop fighting for your dreams. No matter where you come from, there is always a way to move forward and reach your goals,” Yair said.
Our SIJS team work in collaboration with community partners and pro bono attorneys across New Mexico to ensure that every local undocumented child has access to a legal assessment to determine whether they qualify for a permanent path. NMILC’s goal is to provide representation to every single New Mexico child who qualifies for SIJS and needs representation.
If you think you or someone you know is eligible for SIJS, please visit our website by clicking below. Immigrant youth who answer “yes” to any of the following questions may be SISJ eligible:
Are they under 18 years of age and don’t live with one or both parents?
Does one of their parents not support them financially?
Have they been physically or emotionally abused by one or both parents?
Flaviano Graciano is NMILC’s Communications Manager.
Posted June 8, 2022 by Flaviano Graciano, Communications Manager