Resources for Immigrants

Administration for Children's Services

Keeping Children Safe & Supporting Families


Initiatives

Resources for Immigrants


For Youth and Families

Immigration legal assistance

Public benefits and concrete services

Healthcare

Education

Support for survivors of crime and violence

For Service Providers

Immigration legal service providers

Preventive and foster care providers

For Youth and Families

Immigration Legal Assistance

Families involved with ACS may be eligible for various types of immigration relief including, but not limited to: Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), U-Visa, or T-Visa.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

Youth under 21 may qualify for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) if they have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by one or both parents. Youth also needs to be dependent on Family Court.

U-Visa

Client may qualify if they have been a victim of a crime and cooperated with a law enforcement/ACS investigation. Qualifying crimes include DV and sexual assault.

T-Visa

Client may qualify if they have been a victim of human trafficking and cooperated with a law enforcement/ACS investigation.

For help with immigration relief, you should speak to an immigration attorney. To find free or low-cost immigration attorney in NYC, you can:

Contact ActionNYC, city program that provides free and confidential help to determine your immigration status and eligibility to receive immigration relief. Call 1-800-354-0365 or call 311 and say "ActionNYC" or visit ActionNYC.

Call New York State Office of New Americans hotline at 1-800-566-7636 or visit New York State Services.

Learn more about Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), a form of immigration relief for children and youth under 21.

Review the list of New York State community organizations that may offer immigration legal assistance.

Public Benefits and Services

Even without a lawful immigration status, New York City residents may access some public benefits and services. For help with housing, childcare, food, clothing, cash assistance, or assistance related to COVID-19 pandemic, you can:

Call 311 and ask for help with your specific need

Visit NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) Immigrant Resources.

Visit Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA).

Visit New York Immigration Coalition Resources.

Healthcare

New York City residents can access insurance coverage for healthcare services regardless of their immigration status

Children younger than 19 in low income families can get free health insurance regardless of their immigration status. To enroll in a healthcare insurance program at New York State of Health Marketplace, call 1-855-355-5777 or visit New York State of Health.

Use the NY State of Health Directory to find a Navigator in your community who speaks your language

Learn about

NYC Care

program that provides coverage for healthcare services regardless of a person's age or immigration status.

Find out where you can get free or low-cost health services on NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA).

Education

In New York State, students who do not have lawful immigration status and cannot receive federal assistance for college are still eligible for tuition assistance and scholarship through the DREAM Act.

Support for Survivors of Crime and Violence

New York City Family Justice Centers provide free and confidential services throughout the five boroughs

Find the Center nearest to you by calling 311 or visiting Family Justice Centers.

Learn more about resources for immigrants who have experienced crime and violence on the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA).

For Service Providers

Immigration Legal Service Providers

ACS can certify U-visas and T-visas for eligible ACS clients; to learn more, write to uvisa@acs.nyc.gov

Preventive and Foster Care Providers

If you are assisting immigrant clients involved with ACS, write to sijs@acs.nyc.gov for guidance and resources.

For immigrant clients in foster care, you will be connected to ACS Immigration Service for Youth in Care (ISYC) program and receive information about all aspects of assistance, legal and otherwise, for immigrant children and youth in ACS care.

For immigrant clients NOT in foster care, you will receive information about New York City and New York State resources, some of which you can also find listed in the above section "For Youth and Families" and at the National Immigration Legal Services Directory - Nonprofit Resource Center.