What is the U visa category?
The U visa is a United States nonimmigrant visa which is set aside for victims of crimes (and their immediate family members) who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse while in the U.S. and who are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the …
What is the U visa cap?
By law, there is a 10,000 annual cap on U visas for principal applicants. However, USCIS continues to adjudicate applications even after the annual cap has been reached.
What is U visa deferred action?
What are the benefits of a bona fide determination for U Visa applicants? If DHS decides a U Visa application is bona fide, the applicant will be granted protection from deportation—called deferred action—and will be eligible for work authorization (an EAD) for four years, which can be renewed as necessary.
Does U visa lead to green card?
U.S. immigration law allows aliens who have been victims of certain crimes and granted U nonimmigrant status (U visa) to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card).
Can I travel with U visa?
U Visa Applicants Can Get Stuck Outside the U.S. If They Leave. A pending application for U status does not give you any reentry privileges. Therefore, applicants should not travel outside the U.S. unless an emergency situation requires it.
Can U visa be denied?
USCIS may deny a U visa petition for a variety of reasons including if the victim’s criminal history warrants such a decision. Denials may occur in cases where a victim has multiple arrests, convictions, or has a serious or violent criminal arrest record.
How does the U visa work?
A U-Visa lets victims of crimes who meet certain requirements stay in the United States. A U-Visa provides the following benefits: You can legally live in the United States for four years. After three years of having a U-Visa you can apply for a green card to stay in the U.S. permanently.
Why is my U visa taking so long?
One reason it takes so long is that Congress limited the number of U visas the government can give out to 10,000 per year,1 but far more than 10,000 people apply for U visas each year, so the line of applications waiting to get reviewed gets longer and longer every year.