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Legal Information: Federal

Immigration

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Updated: 
August 15, 2022

What are the requirements that I must meet to get a U visa?

To get a U visa, you must do everything explained in #1 and #2 below:

  1. You must get a certification from law enforcement or another certifying agency that says all of the following:
  • you are a victim of one of the U visa crimes;
  • the crime took place in the U.S., including U.S. territories and possessions, or on a U.S. military base;
  • you have information about that crime; and
  • you were helpful, are being helpful, or are likely to be helpful in the criminal investigation or prosecution of that crime.1
  1. Also, you must show that:
  • you suffered substantial physical or mental harm from the crime;2 and
  • none of the grounds of inadmissibility applies to you. “Grounds of inadmissibility” are a long list of crimes and other acts that prevent people from getting status or entering the U.S. Note: If one of the grounds of inadmissibility applies to you, you must ask for a “waiver” in order to be able to qualify for a U visa. It is up to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to decide whether you should get that waiver after weighing the pros and cons of your case.3

1 INA § 214(p)(1)
2 INA § 101(a)(15)(U)(i)(I)
3 INA § 212(d)(14)