VISA U / VAWA

If you are the victim of a qualifying crime that occurred in the United States and have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity, you may be eligible for a Humanitarian Nonimmigrant Visa called U VISA.

Qualifying Crimes:
  • Abduction
  • Abusive Sexual Contact
  • Blackmail
  • Domestic Violence
  • Extortion
  • False Imprisonment
  • Female Genital Mutilation
  • Felonious Assault
  • Fraud in Foreign Labor Contracting
  • Hostage
  • Incest
  • Involuntary Servitude
  • Kidnapping
  • Manslaughter
  • Murder
  • Obstruction of Justice
  • Peonage
  • Perjury
  • Prostitution
  • Rape
  • Sexual Assault
  • Sexual Exploitation
  • Slave Trade
  • Stalking
  • Torture
  • Trafficking
  • Witness Tampering
  • Unlawful Criminal Restraint
  • Other Related Crimes

There is a 10,000 yearly cap on the number of U VISAS granted and when it is reached, the applicant will be put on a waiting list, granted deferred action, and become eligible to apply for work authorization in the meantime. Those on the waiting list do not have to take additional steps to request the U VISA and USCIS will notify the petitioner of the approval and the U VISA.

Derivative Family Members 
U VISA applicants are also able to petition qualified family members who would not be included in the yearly cap, but the principal applicant’s petition must be approved before their family members. Principal applicants under 21 years of age can petition their spouse, children, parents, and unmarried siblings under 18 years of age. Applicants over 21 years of age may petition their spouse and children.

Green Card

After 3 years with U nonimmigrant status, you may be eligible for a green card if you have been continuously physically present in the United States for at least 3 years while in U nonimmigrant status and have not unreasonably refused to provide assistance to law enforcement since receiving your U VISA.

Our Process

We begin our process by requesting a police report or court records to prove you were the victim of a crime. Afterward, we request certification from the agency which shows you were helpful to law enforcement. After these two steps are taken, we proceed with the U VISA process.

If you are considering applying for Visa U or VAWA, contact our immigration specialists today at (213) 309-9123.