Among the important aspects to U-visas in Aurora is the understanding that not everyone qualifies. There is a limited number of these visas, and victims need to have worked with investigative agencies for an extensive and documented amount of time.
If you feel as though your efforts in making our communities safer warrants qualifying for a u-visa, reach out to a dedicated attorney for the help you need today.
A U-visa is a type of nonimmigrant status that could be obtained for victims of particular crimes. These victims need to have helped law enforcement in the investigation of the offense and be readily available to aid them in any future work or questions that law enforcement might have, including testifying at a trial.
The U-visa grants someone a nonimmigrant status in the United States, which means that they are able to have a visa and able to work. That status is generally good for four years once granted. It could be granted to someone outside of the United States or inside the United States as long as it was a qualifying crime, and for that crime to be qualifying it needs to have happened in the US.
The quota on U-visas is 10,000 per year, and that quota is met every year. If a person’s case is approved, he or she usually receives deferred action for the time period until the U-visa becomes available.
The entity responsible for issuing a U-visa is USCIS, and it is handled by the Vermont Service Center within immigration.
The U-visa is a visa that was part of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in 2000. In essence, it provides that nonimmigrant visa for anyone who is a victim of a crime. It is also related to the Violence Against Women’s Act. The person does not need to be a female to get this type of visa. Any male or female may apply for the visa if he or she shows that he or she qualifies under all the requirements.
The benefit of the visa to the government and law enforcement is that crimes that normally do not get reported are now being reported, and that the victims are helping the police and the authorities to investigate and prosecute these crimes, which in turn makes communities safer.
People are usually eligible for a U-visa if they are a victim of a qualifying criminal activity. They must have suffered substantial physical and mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of that activity. That activity needs to have happened within the United States, and they must have information about that activity.
The other requirement is that they are helpful, are being helpful, or are likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of the crime. Aside from that, they also need to be admissible to the United States. If they are not admissible to the United States, they may apply for a waiver in conjunction with their U-visa application.
When victims of crime aid the police and other investigative agencies to make the communities in the United States safer, they are awarded the opportunity to apply for a U-visa. However, there are many important aspects to U-visas in Aurora. Not everyone qualifies, and to ensure that you stand a chance, you need to speak with an attorney who could help you.
