The U visa provides a vital path to safety and legal status for immigrant crime victims who assist law enforcement. It grants qualified victims and certain family members up to four years of non-immigrant status and a work permit. After three years in U status, holders can apply for permanent residence (a green card). However, […]

The U visa backlog in 2026 remains one of the most urgent challenges facing immigrant crime victims seeking safety and stability in the United States. While the U visa was created to protect victims who assist law enforcement and offer them lawful status and work authorization, the reality today is far more complex. Demand continues

If you were a victim of certain crimes in the U.S. and cooperated with law enforcement, you may qualify for a U visa, a special immigrant visa that provides legal status and work authorization for up to four years. The key to a successful U visa petition is obtaining a signed law enforcement certification form

If you are a victim of a serious crime in the U.S. and are living in fear because of your immigration status, you may feel like there’s nowhere to turn. But there are legal protections that can help. The U visa offers a path to safety, stability, and eventually lawful immigration status for certain noncitizen

No one chooses to be a victim. Yet every day, immigrants across the U.S. are targeted, trapped in silence by fear, legal uncertainty, or threats of deportation. Survivors of human trafficking, assault, and other violent crimes often face impossible choices: stay silent or risk everything to come forward. The U Visa exists to change that.