U Visa

Overview

Victims of certain criminal activities that either occurred in the United States or violated U.S. laws may be eligible to petition for U nonimmigrant status to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Victims must have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse due to the criminal activity and possess information concerning that criminal activity. Law enforcement authorities must also certify that the victim has been, is being, or is likely to be helpful in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity.

Information about the law that created this visa category is available under Reference – U.S. Law.

The first step toward petitioning for a U nonimmigrant visa is to file Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You must submit Form I-918 Supplement B, U Nonimmigrant Status Certification, at the same time you submit Form I-918. Review Victims of Criminal Activity on the USCIS website for more information about petitioning for a U visa.

You may include certain family members on your petition by completing Form I-918 Supplement A, Petition for Qualifying Family Member of U-1 Recipient. You must complete and file a separate Supplement A form for each family member for whom you want to petition. You may petition for family members at the same time you submit Form I-918 and Supplement B for yourself, or you may petition for them at a later date. Depending on your age, you may petition for the following family members:

If you are:	Then you may petition for your:
under age 21,	Spouse Children under age 21 Parents Unmarried siblings under age 18
age 21 or older,	Spouse Children under age 21

For more details on a U Visa, visit Travel.State.gov.

Be sure to view local information below to determine fees and payment process and additional requirements.

How to Apply

Complete the online visa application (once your petition is approved)

- - - Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 – You must: 1) complete the online visa application and 2) print the application form confirmation page to bring to your interview.
    - Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. Your photo must be in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

You should have the following documents available while you complete your DS-160

- - - Passport
    - Travel itinerary if you have already made travel arrangements.
    - Dates of your last five visits or trips to the United States if you have previously travelled to the United States. You may also be asked for your international travel history for the past five years.
    - Résumé or Curriculum Vitae – You may be required to provide information about your current and previous education and work history.
    - Other Information – Some applicants, depending on the intended purpose of travel, will be asked to provide additional information when completing the DS-160.

Additional documentation may be required

Review the instructions for how to apply for a visa on the website of the embassy, consulate, or office providing consular services where you will apply. Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified.

After you complete your DS-160, gather the required documentation

- - - Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). If more than one person is included in your passport, each person who needs a visa must submit a separate application.
    - Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page
    - Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview
    - Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.
    - Form I-797, Notice of Action, from USCIS indicating approval of a U nonimmigrant petition.

Additional Information

- - - We cannot guarantee that you will be issued a visa. Do not make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa.
    - Unless canceled or revoked, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport is still valid. If you have a valid visa in your expired passport, do not remove it from your expired passport. You may use your valid visa in your expired passport along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the United States.

Pay Fees (Prices in U.S. Dollars)

Each Applicant must pay a non-refundable processing (MRV) fee of US$160.00.

For some nationalities and visa types, an additional issuance fee may be required. Detailed information is available on your country of nationality’s Reciprocity Table on travel.state.gov. These additional fees will be paid at the time of your interview.

Schedule an Interview

If your Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status is approved by USCIS and you are outside of the United States, you must apply for a U visa at a embassy, consulate, or office providing consular services, generally in your country of permanent residence. You may request your visa appointment immediately upon receiving Form I-797 from USCIS stating your U nonimmigrant petition was approved. Do not wait for the embassy, consulate, or office providing consular services to contact you.

Schedule an interview online (using the barcode of your Form DS-160) and print the appointment confirmation. Because of space limitations in our public waiting area, only the person with an appointment for an interview will be admitted. Exceptions: Parents or guardians of a minor child who has an appointment, a caregiver for a disabled person, and young children accompanying the person with an appointment will be allowed to enter the waiting area.

Applicants aged 14 – 79 are required (some exceptions for renewals) to book one interview slot each and appear in person for an interview with a consular officer. While an interview is generally not required for children aged 13 and younger or for adults aged 80 and older, please keep in mind that a consular officer can require any applicant to appear for an interview. When submitting an application for a non-present child, the person present at the interview should bring the child’s birth certificate or family book as a supporting document.

Local Information

Please read the information in this section carefully. It contains location-specific information that you will need to know when applying for your Visa.

Select the country or area where you will apply for your visa:

Application Status

You can check the status of your visa application on ceac.state.gov.

Some visa applications may require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a consular officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement when they apply. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.

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