U-VISAS

The attorneys of Solow, Hartnett and Galvan are ready to assist you with your U-Visa. If you were the victim of a crime and if you can help law enforcement investigate and/or prosecute that crime, you may be eligible to file for a U Visa.

You and your family members (spouse and children) can all benefit from an approved U Visa.  Three (3) years after a U Visa is approved, you and your family members can apply for a Green Card. 

A person who has suffered physical or mental harm as a result of having been a victim of certain crimes may obtain a U visa if he or she is or has reported that crime to the police and made themselves available for assistance in the investigation of the crime or prosecution of the criminal actor.  The person who committed the crime does not need to be arrested for an individual to qualify for a U Visa. 

In many cases, U Visas are approved despite one’s prior immigration history. 

Some of the qualifying crimes include:

• Violent crimes: Such as robbery, assault, domestic violence, manslaughter, murder, vehicular homicide, and stalking.
• Sexual crimes: This covers crimes such as sexual assault, incest, rape, abusive sexual contact, sexual exploitation, prostitution, and female genital mutilation.
• Obstruction of justice crimes: Witness tampering, withholding evidence, and perjury.
• Enslavement crimes: In this category are forced labor, slavery, abduction, kidnapping, criminal restraint, false imprisonment, and debt servitude.
• Fraud in foreign labor contracting: Such as H1-B violations or failure to pay wages. 

How to Apply:

Applying for a U Visa is a two-step process that Solow, Hartnett and Galvan can help you navigate:

1. The first step is obtaining the required certification, called an I-918 Supplement B, from law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, or the investigative government body that the crime was reported to.  
2. The second step is filing your I-918 Application with USCIS together with all supporting evidence and any waivers that you may require.