If you are a victim of a qualifying crime and cooperated with law enforcement, you may be eligible for a U-Visa — providing legal status, work authorization, and a path to permanent residency.
The U-Visa is a nonimmigrant visa created by Congress to protect victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who are helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. It provides temporary legal status, work authorization, and after 3 years, eligibility to apply for a green card.
Receive lawful immigration status for up to 4 years, protecting you from deportation.
Obtain employment authorization so you can work legally in the United States.
After 3 years in U-Visa status, you may apply for lawful permanent residency.
You may qualify for a U-Visa if you were a victim of any of the following crimes (or similar activities):
Our experienced U-Visa attorneys guide you through every step of the application process.
We assess your eligibility by reviewing the crime you experienced and your cooperation with law enforcement.
We work with police and prosecutors to obtain the required I-918 Supplement B certification confirming your cooperation.
We prepare and file your complete U-Visa petition with USCIS, including your personal declaration and supporting evidence.
Once approved, we help you obtain work authorization and later apply for your permanent green card.
Processing times vary but are currently lengthy due to high demand and the annual cap of 10,000 U-Visas. However, once your petition is filed, you may receive a "Bona Fide Determination" that grants deferred action and work authorization while you wait for a visa number to become available.
Yes. There is no strict time limit for filing a U-Visa petition after the crime occurred. However, you must still be able to obtain the law enforcement certification and demonstrate that you were helpful or are willing to be helpful. The sooner you apply, the better, as evidence and memories can fade over time.
Yes. If you are under 21, your spouse, children, parents, and unmarried siblings under 18 may qualify as derivatives. If you are 21 or older, your spouse and children under 21 may qualify. This allows your family to receive the same immigration benefits as you.
The law enforcement certification can be signed by various agencies, not just the police. Prosecutors, judges, child protective services, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other agencies can certify. Our attorneys know how to work with multiple agencies to obtain the certification you need.
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