A U Visa is an application by a victim of certain crimes who has suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and is helpful to law enforcement or government officials investigating or prosecuting criminal activity. U Visa is intended to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking of non-citizens and other crimes listed on the application form. The U Visa application may lead to a Green Card if the victim meets certain eligibility requirements. This process typically involves 3 steps: (1) certification by a law enforcement agency (Form I-918 Supplement B); (2) after I-918B certification, filing of I-918 application; (3) depending on the immigration history, most clients require concurrent filing of the I-192 waiver, i.e., when a client entered the U.S. without inspection.
Certain Family members (spouse and unmarried children under 21) may also qualify.
Although this process may take many years to complete due to the limited number of available visas each year, it may be the only option for certain noncitizens. If you are a victim of a crime (i.e., domestic violence or other listed crimes on Form I-918B) let us review your facts to determine your qualification for this very useful U Visa option.