U Visas for Victims of Crimes
As a victim of a serious crime, you may be able to apply for a U visa to stay in the United States for a maximum of four years while assisting law enforcement in the investigation of the crime, regardless of whether you legally entered the country. If you are approved for a U visa, you and your immediate family members will be permitted to work and remain in the U.S. while applying for permanent residency.
If you or a loved one was a victim of human trafficking or submitted to any other criminal abuse in a foreign country, you should call Legalize Me to consult with an experienced and compassionate lawyer to see if you qualify for a U visa.
Eligibility Requirements For a U Visa
In order to qualify for a U visa, you must satisfy the following requirements:
- You must be a victim of a qualifying crime that involves human trafficking or another type of criminal violence, or are a bystander who suffered serious physical or mental abuse as a result of a qualifying crime.
- o Examples include: Torture, trafficking, rape, incest, domestic violence, abduction, extortion, false imprisonment, murder, peonage, perjury, slave trade, prostitution, unlawful criminal restraint, abusive sexual contact, hostage, and felonious assault
- You must have or had certain key information regarding the subject crime.
- You must prove that you are useful to the investigation of the crime.
- You must be admissible to the United States or must be eligible for a waiver of inadmissibility.
If you meet these requirements, our immigration attorneys will help you start the visa process by submitting Form I-918 to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to obtain non-immigrant status lasting for a maximum of four years. This visa will allow you to also petition your spouse, children, brothers and sisters under 18 yeas of age, parents, step-parents and adoptive parents under the U-2 and U-3 non-immigrant visa category. Once your visa is approved, you and your eligible family members will be issued a work permit.
Contact Legalize Me For Getting a U Visa
At Legalize Me, our knowledgeable immigration attorney can answer any questions and/or comments you may have regarding your eligibility for a U visa. If we determine that you qualify for either one of these visas, we will do everything we can to help you obtain a visa so that you may legally enter the U.S. and seek the pathway to permanent residency.
Legalize Me is dedicated to offering the most experienced immigration support for all of our clients, especially those who are victims of human trafficking and other serious crimes. Like any other legal process, applying for a U visa for victims of human trafficking is complicated and delicate process.
For more information or to schedule a free consultation with compassionate and experienced immigration attorney Michael S. Carrillo, call Legalize Me toll free at 800-554-8778.
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