Anne Arundel County U Visa Lawyer
A U nonimmigrant visa is issued to victims of qualifying crimes who experienced physical and/or mental suffering as a result of that crime. These victims must also demonstrate that they have cooperated with law enforcement or are willing to cooperate with law enforcement and prosecutors in the investigation and subsequent prosecution of the crime.
If you have been the victim of a crime and are currently complying, or willing to comply, with law enforcement in the investigation of the crime, contact an experienced attorney to find out if you are eligible for a U visa. An Anne Arundel County U visa lawyer could provide you with the proper insight about obtaining this visa in a quick and efficient manner.
Eligibility Requirements for Obtaining a U Visa in Anne Arundel
To be eligible for a U visa, the applicant must be a victim of a qualifying crime. The victim should also cooperate with law enforcement or be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation and/or prosecution of the crime. In addition to being a victim of a qualifying crime, the U visa applicant must have also suffered a substantial mental and/or physical harm as a result of the crime. To find out more about the eligibility requirements, get in touch with an Anne Arundel County U visa lawyer.
What Crimes Qualify for Obtaining a U Visa?
Examples of qualifying crimes include domestic violence, sexual abuse, kidnapping, assault, felonious assault, and blackmail. Due to the number of qualifying crimes, anyone considering applying for a U visa should look at the list to see if the crime of which they are a victim of is a crime that USCIS deems eligible.
These crimes often go unreported because of the nature of the offense. For example, domestic violence cases are often under-reported because U visa applicants do not want to come to the attention of the authorities due to their immigration status. They are afraid that if they interact with law enforcement or government officials, they could face negative immigration consequences.
Importance of Obtaining Form I-918, Supplement B
The most important thing to know if someone is considering applying for a U visa is that they must obtain a signed Form I-918, Supplement B, the certification form a police department and/or prosecutor’s office. This often requires a timely request from the agency because prosecutors or police officers may have changed, retired, or insufficient information is unable to prove that the victim cooperated.
If the victim of the qualifying crime is not able to submit a record of the crime and proof of their cooperation with law enforcement and prosecutors, it is likely they would not be able to get their Form I-918, Supplement B certification signed.
Benefits for Government and Law Enforcement Issuing a U Visa
The benefit of the U visa to the government and law enforcement is that it encourages victims of specific qualifying crimes to come out from hiding and cooperate with law enforcement and the government in the investigations of these crimes without fearing that if they cooperate with the law enforcement and the government, they will suffer immigration consequences.
Protections in Place for Victims of Crimes
Protections are in place to encourage victims to report crimes. The U visa is a protection to encourage victims who are immigrants with or without status to report crimes against them. There are other visas like T visas and other protections under VAWA that encourage these victims to report the crime.
Schedule a Consultation with an Anne Arundel County U Visa Attorney Today
If you have been the victim of a crime and have also been helping law enforcement finding the perpetrator of the crime, you may qualify to receive a U visa. An attorney could inform you of your options as well as assist you in obtaining the correct documents needed to be submitted for a U visa. Failure to acquire these documents could put your hopes of obtaining a visa at risk. For more information, or to review the details of your case, reach out to an Anne Arundel County U visa lawyer today.