We hope you have been following our blog post series (part 1, part 2, part3, part 4, part 5) on United States immigration laws. We will now discuss different type of visa in next couple of blog posts.
In October 2000 Congress created the U nonimmigrant visa with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. The U visa is for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity that occurred.
Can I qualify for a U visa?
There are multiple scenarios under which you could qualify for U Visa, but there are 3 broad characteristics of requirement
You are the victim of qualifying criminal activity.
You have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of criminal activity.
You have information about the criminal activity.
In addition to above there are other considerations and situation that can determine the eligibility of the case. Once the case is deemed eligible, a I-192 waiver can be proceeded with.
Not all crimes qualify for the U visa. There are additional process depending on case for ex - if the applicant is living abroad, age of petitioner etc.
Do you want to know if U Visa is right for you ? Contact our law office for your first complimentary consult.