The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that it will reimburse U nonimmigrant status visa, or U Visa, fees charged by mistake and correct some work authorization applications that were rejected by mistake. According to a USCIS bulletin,
“Individuals who filed a Form I-765 related to a determination of authenticity under the category of eligibility (c) (14) between June 14, 2021 and September 29, 2021, whose Form I-765 was rejected for lack of fee and they have not resubmitted it, they can file it again without paying a fee.”
USCIS recommended that people who believe they have paid fees in error and do not receive a refund before March 22, 2022, should contact the USCIS offices in Vermont (HotlineFollowupI918I914.vsc@uscis.dhs.gov) and in Nebraska (NSC765C14inquiries@uscis.dhs.gov).
The U Visa is for victims of criminal activity and protects victims of serious offenses from further mistreatment. It is reserved for victims of certain crimes who have suffered physical or mental abuse and provide assistance to law enforcement agencies and government officials to investigate and prosecute the crimes. U visas allow immigrants who are victims of crimes such as domestic violence or sex crimes to live and work in the United States for four years or more. After three years living in the US, a U visa holder and their immediate family can apply for green cards.
How To Apply For A U Visa
To apply for a U-Visa, you need to fill out forms and submit documents that support that you are the victim of a crime and have assisted the government in solving the crime. Required U visa documentation includes:
• USCIS Form I-918
• A personal statement detailing how the qualifying criminal activity in question caused physical and mental harm to the applicant
• Identifying documents and anything else necessary to establish admissibility, potentially including a Form I-192 inadmissibility waiver
• Supplement B of Form I-918, having been signed by an authorized official of the law enforcement agency responsible for certifying that the applicant helped investigative or prosecutorial efforts
• Applicants who want to bring qualifying family members to the United States may do so by listing these relatives on Supplement A of Form I-918
There is no fee for a U visa application. A qualifying U visa applicant is eligible for work authorization after receiving their visa. USCIS mistakenly rejected some applications for employment authorization from individuals applying for a U nonimmigrant visa that were filed without a fee (or who applied for a fee waiver) from June 14, 2021 to June 29, September 2021.
On November 22, USCIS announced that some U visa applicants who completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and mistakenly accepted fees where certain petitioners for U nonimmigrant status unnecessarily submitted a fee with their Form I-765. By policy, there is no fee for an initial Form I-765 application.
USCIS committed to correcting the errors and expects to issue refunds by March 22, 2022.
There are a limited number of U visas available each year. If you or a family member was a victim of a crime or domestic abuse and want to live in the United States, you may be entitled to a U visa. Contact an experienced U visa lawyer to ensure your application is complete and does not have any mistakes that will result in your application being denied or rejected. Contact the skilled immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office today to schedule your initial appointment.
AREAS WE SERVE: Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will, and Lake Counties
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