India's 7th rank in US scheme for children sparks fraud concerns
Originally designed to protect abused or abandoned children, the programme has grown into a pathway increasingly used by older applicants.
It is also the only non-western hemisphere country in the top 10, with most applicants concentrated in New York and California. The findings show that 82% of Indian SIJ petitioners were aged 18 or older and 90% were male, underscoring concerns about possible misuse of a scheme originally intended for abused or neglected children.
The report titled "Criminality, gangs and program integrity concerns in special immigrant juvenile petition" was issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate of USCIS analysed SIJ petitions filed from 2014 to 2024 and flagged serious vulnerabilities. Nearly 1,98,500 petitions were approved between 2020 and 2024, with more than half filed by those aged between 18 and 21.
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The review highlighted security risks: more than 19,000 petitioners were arrested, including at least 120 for murder. Over 500 suspected MS-13 gang members and at least 200 sex offenders gained SIJ approvals. Identity and age fraud were found to be widespread, while a small but concerning number of applicants had links to extremist groups. In the country ranking, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras dominated, reflecting Central American migration flows.
But India stood at the seventh place, ahead of Afghanistan and Venezuela. This makes India unique as the only non-western hemisphere country in the top tier of SIJ petitions.
The demographic profile of Indian applicants adds to concerns — 82% were 18 or older when they applied, and nine out of 10 were male. Most listed US addresses in New York (57%) or California (20%), two states with large immigrant populations and courts that often process SIJ cases.
Analysts say this pattern suggests the use of irregular migration routes by Indian nationals, particularly through Latin America, to position themselves for SIJ eligibility.
While India's numbers are modest compared to Central America, its ranking shows the global reach of networks exploiting humanitarian visa channels.
The report noted rising SIJ applications from Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, countries with terrorism concerns. For India, this overlap with its wider neighbourhood has security relevance, requiring close monitoring. Another issue is the EB4 visa backlog. SIJs are processed under EB4, the same category used by Indian religious workers and certain professionals. The surge in SIJ petitions increases wait times for other applicants, indirectly affecting legitimate Indian cases.
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