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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: |
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under age 21, |
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age 21 or older, |
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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.
Complete the online visa application (once your petition is approved)
You should have the following documents available while you complete your 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
Additional Information
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.
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.
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:
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.