An Overview and Update on The Child Status Protection Act: Will It Ever Grow Up?
The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is intended to protect derivative beneficiary children from “aging-out” due to government agency delay. In the last few years, USCIS has provided two major updates to CSPA policy guidance: (a) the Visa Bulletin chart designation, and (b) clarifying the CSPA’s “extraordinary circumstances” provision to address long-pending adjustment of status concerns with retrogressing priority date availability. Our panel of experts will discuss the CSPA and how it impacts your client’s children in unexpected ways. Just as in parenthood, prepare to be both delighted and frustrated (by the CSPA)!
Featured Topics
- What is the CSPA?
- How does it protect derivative beneficiary children from aging out?
- CSPA age calculation differences: DOS vs. USCIS
- Retrogression/immigrant visa unavailability
- “Sought to acquire” and “extraordinary circumstances”
- “So, how do I know if my client’s child is going to age out?”
AILA Membership Benefit – Access to Free Seminar Recordings (CLE Credit Available for $35)
Enjoy access to free seminar recordings as an AILA Member. AILA encourages live attendance for those wishing to ask the speaker questions. CLE credit is included with purchase for live participants.
Recordings will be available approximately two weeks after the live event date. AILA members can access these seminars, with no CLE credit, for free. Recordings are CLE eligible in most jurisdictions and a $35 administration fee is required to obtain CLE credit.
Contact us at cle@aila.org or visit AILA’s Web Seminar Recordings page for more information about receiving CLE credit for a web seminar recording.
| Product Details | |
| Event Date | September 30, 2025 |
| Format | Web Seminar |
| Length | 90 minutes |
| CLE Eligible | Yes. Live attendance must be recorded in My CLE by Tuesday, October 7, 2025. This deadline does not apply to the OnDemand format. |
| Digital Library | Digital goods (MP3, PDF, ZIP, etc.) are available for download for two years after purchase. |
Eligible participants can receive up to 1.8 CLE credit hours. AILA will administer CLE credit only to individuals who register and log into the web seminar. AILA cannot verify your attendance and participation in this program unless you register directly for the web seminar and use your name to log in to participate in the program. Therefore, persons who log in or listen in on the web seminar as part of a group will not be able to obtain CLE credit.
Please note that your jurisdiction may limit the amount of distance learning credit you can earn. To view details on your jurisdiction's credit restrictions and CLE requirements, visit the CLE Center.
AILA has filed for CLE and specialized credit in all jurisdictions with mandatory CLE requirements. For details about specific approvals, contact us at cle@aila.org.
- AILA applies for accreditation upon attorneys’ request after participation for the following states: AR, DE, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, ME, MN, MS, OR, TN and WY. Programs are typically approved.
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- The OnDemand Recording format does not qualify for CLE credit in the following jurisdictions: MO and PR. Please note that your jurisdiction may limit OnDemand credit based on the date of the original presentation. View the OnDemand Downloadable Expiration Chart for more details.
To receive CLE credit for the live event, attorneys must record web seminar attendance and the CLE code provided within one week of the web seminar date via My CLE.
Contact us at cle@aila.org or visit AILA’s Web Seminar Recordings page for more information about receiving CLE credit for a seminar recording.
Stephen D. Parker (DL), Richardson, TX
Stephen D. Parker is a Senior Associate with BAL, a business immigration law firm. Stephen is a member of the AILA Texas chapter and has served on business-track committees for AILA’s conference planning and distance learning. He has presented on various business immigration-related panels for AILA state and national conferences. Stephen received his JD from the Seattle University School of Law and bachelor's from Biola University.
Kathleen E. Irish, AILA Family Section Steering Committee Chair, Kansas City, MO
Kathleen Irish is the owner and sole attorney at the Law Office of Kathleen Irish in Kansas City, Missouri, where she has practiced since 2011. She currently serves as Chair of the AILA Family Section Steering Committee and is a frequent speaker on family and juvenile immigration matters. Ms. Irish earned her JD from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law (2009).
Charles Wheeler, AILA Author, AILA's Focus on the Child Status Protection Act, 4th ed., Berkeley, CA
Charles Wheeler is a senior attorney with Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) where he has worked since 1996. Prior to that he directed the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles (1985-1996). He has authored several AILA publications including AILA's Focus on the Child Status Protection Act.
Dip Patel, Improve the Dream, Chicago, IL
Dip Patel is a pharmacist and founder of Improve The Dream, a grassroots organization advocating for young immigrants who have grown up in the United States as child dependents of visa holders. Since 2017, he has led efforts resulting in bipartisan legislation, such as America's Children Act. Improve The Dream has expanded to grassroots members in over 40 states, testified before Congress, and gained recognition in national and international media for impact on immigration reform.
