Form U, Application for Victims of Criminal Activity, is a nonimmigrant visa used for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. This visa was created in conjunction with the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, and was intended to strengthen law enforcement agencies ability to investigate and prosecute domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking of noncitizens and other crimes, while protecting the victims of crimes who have suffered abuse.
Whatever your immigration issue may be, we are here to help. Our team of attorneys and staff work hard to help you reach your goals.
An accepted U Visa is valid for 4 years. Extensions of the visa are available in some cases, usually if:
No, there is no fee to file the U Visa. However, there is a filing fee of $230 in order to apply for a derivative visa for a family member (Form I-929).
You can file your form online or by mail. Filing online allows you to:
You can create an account to file online. You can also mail your form to your region’s designated USCIS office.
Of course, you can choose to manage your case independently. However, working with immigration experts can help you navigate the process and provide guidance throughout.
You may be represented, at no expense to the U.S. government, by an attorney or other duly authorized representative. Your representative must submit Form G-28, Notice of Entry or Appearance as Attorney or Representative. Your representative may also submit Form G-28 at the time of your interview.
Immigration issues can be quite complicated. Combine that with the current rate of change in U.S. policies, it can be hard to keep up. Our team puts their experience to work for you and your particular situation. We work hard to stay on top of policy changes and are prepared for changes down the line. We offer patented online software, MyEsq, that streamlines the filing process and makes our knowledgeable team of lawyers just a click away.
Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in U.S. Immigration.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1984 landmark case, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which established what is known as “Chevron deference.” For forty years, the Chevron doctrine required courts to defer to a federal agency’s interpretation of the law if the interpretation was considered reasonable, severely limiting meaningful judicial review.
Since three weeks ago, when President Biden ordered a pause on processing asylum claims when illegal border crossings hit certain levels, the number of arrests at the border has dropped by more than 40%, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
A recent court decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an earlier ruling by a district court that required the U.S. Department of State to process diversity visas for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. The circuit court found that the lower court did not have the authority to mandate this processing.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that U.S. citizens do not have a constitutional right to challenge the rejection of spousal visa applications.
