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Legal Information: Federal
Updated:
January 30, 2018Is a step-child considered to be a child for the purposes of VAWA?
Throughout these pages, we refer to the relationship between a child and a parent when it comes to eligibility for VAWA. It is important to know that under immigration law, a “child” includes:
- a biological child;
- an adopted child; or
- a step-child.1
However, a step-child must have been under 18 years old at the time of the marriage between the parent and step-parent in order to be considered the “child” under immigration law. An adopted child must have been adopted before the age of 16.1
1 INA §101(b)(1)
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