FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME ยท U NONIMMIGRANT STATUS
U Visa Lawyers: Crime Victim Immigration
You helped bring someone to justice. The law can protect you in return.
The U visa exists for people who were victims of serious crime, suffered real harm, and helped the authorities investigate or prosecute it. If that is your story, you may have a path to lawful status, a work permit, and eventually a green card. Our U visa lawyers guide crime victims through every step, from the qualifying-crime analysis to the law-enforcement certification to the years that follow, across our Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, and Atlanta offices, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
OVERVIEW
A visa written for people who did the right thing.
Congress created U nonimmigrant status (the "U visa") to do two things at once: protect victims of serious crime and make it possible for police and prosecutors to do their jobs. Immigrant victims are often afraid to come forward. The U visa removes some of that fear by offering lawful status to victims who cooperate with law enforcement, so that crimes get reported and prosecuted instead of buried.
If you are approved, U nonimmigrant status lets you live and work legally in the United States for a set period, and it opens a path to a green card down the road. Certain close family members may qualify with you. It is one of the most protective tools in immigration law, and one of the most detail-sensitive, because the case rises or falls on evidence and on a certification you cannot get on your own.
ELIGIBILITY
The four things a U visa case has to show.
Every U visa case has to establish four things. We test your situation against each one at the consultation before you spend a dollar on filing.
You were the victim of a qualifying crime
The law lists the crimes that count. They generally involve serious harm or abuse. Some family members of a victim can also qualify in certain situations.
You suffered substantial physical or mental harm
The visa is for victims who were genuinely hurt, physically, emotionally, or both. That harm has to be documented.
You have information about the crime
You know something useful about what happened.
You were, are, or are likely to be helpful to law enforcement
You cooperated, or are willing to cooperate, with the police, prosecutors, or another authority investigating or prosecuting the crime.
Meeting all four is the goal. If your case is close on one of them, that is exactly where experienced counsel earns its keep: building the record that turns a "maybe" into an approvable filing.
THE CERTIFICATION
The one piece you cannot get on your own.
A U visa case requires a certification from a law-enforcement agency confirming that you were helpful in the investigation or prosecution of the crime. It is signed on a specific government form (Form I-918, Supplement B) by a qualifying official, such as a police department, a prosecutor's office, or another agency with authority over the case.
This is the part that stops many valid cases before they start. Agencies are not required to sign, they have their own internal processes, and a request that arrives without the right documentation often goes nowhere. We know how these requests should be prepared and presented, and we handle that outreach for you rather than leaving you to approach the same agency that handled the case against you. A well-supported, professional certification request is frequently the difference between a case that moves and a case that stalls.
THE TIMELINE
An honest picture of how long this takes.
There is a yearly limit on U visas.
Congress caps the number of principal U visas granted each year. Because demand runs well past that cap, approved and pending cases form a long line. We will give you a realistic picture of the wait for your case at the consultation.
A long wait, with protection along the way.
When the cap is reached, qualifying applicants are placed in a queue rather than denied. USCIS has also used a process to identify strong cases earlier and extend certain protections while people wait. The mechanics of this queue have changed over time, so we work from the current rules for your filing.
A path to a work permit.
U visa applicants and holders can become eligible for employment authorization, which changes daily life: legal work, a stable income, a step out of the shadows. We handle the work-permit piece alongside the underlying case.
WHAT COMES NEXT
From protection to permanence, and to your family.
U nonimmigrant status is not the finish line; for many people it is the on-ramp to a green card. After holding the status and meeting the continuous-presence and other requirements, U visa holders can generally apply to become lawful permanent residents. We stay with our clients through that adjustment step, so the years of waiting turn into something permanent.
The U visa also reaches your family. Depending on your age and circumstances, certain qualifying relatives (such as a spouse, children, and in some cases parents or siblings) may be included as derivatives. Keeping a family together is often the whole point, and we build the case with your loved ones in mind from the first meeting.
WHY DELGADO PURDY LAW
Experienced, discreet, and on your side of the table.
Crime-victim cases require an attorney who understands both immigration relief and the criminal-justice process the certification comes from. Jacqueline Delgado has handled humanitarian and crime-victim matters before the Immigration Court and brings a criminal-defense background to exactly this kind of work, while our team handles your case in the language you are most comfortable telling it in. You will always work with senior counsel, not a paralegal with attorney review at the end.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions crime victims ask about the U visa.
A U visa gives lawful "U nonimmigrant status" to victims of certain serious crimes who suffered substantial harm and were helpful to law enforcement. It lets you live and work in the United States and opens a path to a green card. It was created to protect immigrant victims and to help police and prosecutors investigate crime.
Look for an attorney who regularly handles humanitarian and crime-victim cases, not just general immigration filings, because the law-enforcement certification and the harm evidence take real experience to get right. We handle U visa cases from our Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, and Atlanta offices and meet with clients by phone, video, or in person in four languages.
The law lists the qualifying crimes, and they generally involve serious harm or abuse. Whether a specific incident qualifies depends on the facts and how the case was handled by the authorities. Bring what you have: police reports, court records, or even just your account. We will tell you whether it fits.
It is the form a law-enforcement agency signs to confirm you were helpful in investigating or prosecuting the crime. Your U visa case cannot be approved without it, and agencies are not required to sign. We prepare and present the certification request for you, which is often the hardest and most important part of the case.
Longer than most people expect. Congress limits how many U visas are granted each year, and demand far exceeds that limit, so approved and pending cases wait in a long queue. There are protections that can apply while you wait. We will give you a realistic timeline for your case based on the current rules.
U visa applicants and holders can become eligible for employment authorization. The timing depends on where your case sits in the process and the rules in effect when you apply. We handle the work-permit piece together with the underlying case so you are not chasing two separate things.
Often, yes. Certain qualifying relatives (such as a spouse and children, and in some situations parents or siblings) may be included as derivatives, depending on your age and circumstances. We identify who can be included at the start so the whole family moves forward together.
It can. After holding U nonimmigrant status and meeting the continuous-presence and other requirements, U visa holders can generally apply for lawful permanent residence. We represent clients through that adjustment step, not just the initial U visa filing.
Possibly. The U visa was designed for exactly this fear. Being undocumented does not automatically disqualify you, and the crime does not have to be recent. Speaking with an attorney privately is a safe first step. We will explain your options and the protections that apply before anything is filed.
It depends on the complexity of your case. We quote a real number after understanding your situation, and the consultation fee is credited to your case if you retain us. Some U visa applicants also qualify for reduced government filing fees or fee waivers, which we will assess with you.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS
Let's see whether the U visa fits your story.
Schedule a consultation with us. We will listen in your language, walk through the four requirements, and tell you honestly whether a U visa, or another form of protection, is your strongest path, with the real timeline and cost before you commit.