U Visa

Posted by Louis F. Quijas, Assistant Secretary for the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement and January Contreras, Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman

Released Sept. 19, 2011

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), marking a significant milestone in its efforts to provide relief to victims of crimes, has for the second straight year approved 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status, also referred to as the U-visa.

On an annual basis, 10,000 U-visas are set aside for victims of crime who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to help law enforcement authorities investigate or prosecute crime.

On June 20, 2011, the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman's Office (Ombudsman's Office) hosted a public teleconference regarding U nonimmigrant visas and interviewed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Department of State (DOS) officials.

I-914 (T) and I-918 (U) Visa Statistics

This report contains information on the Victims of Trafficking (T visa) applications and the Victims of Crime (U visa) petitions.  The number of receipts, approvals, denials, and pending cases are displayed by fiscal year and by office.

USCIS policy memo providing guidance about the extension of status for T and U nonimmigrant visas , including any related adjustment of status applications.

Secretary of Labor delegated the authority to issue U nonimmigrant status certifications to the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division.

This Policy Memorandum (PM) authorizes the Vermont Service Center (VSC) to approve an Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Form 1-539) to extend U nonimmigrant status for a derivative family member whose initial period of stay is less than four years.

USCIS seeks your input on the draft memoranda listed below.  These memoranda are drafts of proposed or revised guidance to USCIS Field Offices and Service Centers.  They are not intended as guidance for the general public, nor are they intended to create binding legal requirements on the public.  Until issued in final form, the draft memoranda do not constitute agency policy in any way or for any purpose.

ICE Memorandum provides guidance to ICE, DRO and Field Office Directors about the factors to consider when adjudicating requests for a Stay of a Final Administrative Order of Removal filed by an alien with a pending petition for U Nonimmigrant status.

On March 15, 2010 Secretary Solis announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) will begin exercising its authority to certify applications for U Nonimmigrant Status Visas ("U Visas").

What are U Visas?