Image by Larry White from Pixabay
Today, the City Life Org starts a campaign advocating for immigrant victims of crimes in the US. Those immigrants who helped Police to solve their cases and arrest the criminals are waiting for the I-918 U Visa application to be processed by the USCIS. It takes about 5 to 6 years for the Bona Fide Determination, after which he/she will qualify for deferred action and a work permit. To get the actual U visa, the wait time is around 25-30 years for applications submitted in 2021 due to the 10k approvals per year limit set by Congress, with the wait time rising by about 2-3 years per calendar year*.
Many people around the world dream about to come to the US to escape violence, crimes, discrimination, etc… in their countries, just to realize that are a lot of crimes and violence here too. Many of them came to the US legally but let their Visas expire, and many of them crossed the border looking for a better and safe life.
Every day many immigrants are being victims of crimes in the US. Those victims already have gone through a physical abuse and traumatic experience, and still have to wait many years for the Bona Fide Determination, and I-918 U Visa applications to be processed by the USCIS. The waitlist has grown significantly in the last few years. It’s so many crimes against immigrants that the congress should consider to increase the number of U-Visas from 10k to 100k per year to solve the problem.
Here’s the definition of U-Visa from the USCIS Website:
The U nonimmigrant status (U visa) is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. Congress created the U nonimmigrant visa with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (including the Battered Immigrant Women’s Protection Act) in October 2000. The legislation was intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking of noncitizens and other crimes, while also protecting victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse due to the crime and are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. The legislation also helps law enforcement agencies to better serve victims of crimes. To learn about updates to the program, visit our source U Nonimmigrant Status Program Updates page on the USCIS website.
If you’re a Journalist, Television Station, Newspaper, Magazine, Lawer, Congress Man/Woman, Citizen, etc… interested in our campaign to help immigrants victims of crimes in the US who are actually waiting for a Bona Fide Determination, and I-918 U Visas applications to be processed by the USCIS, please helps us to spread the word to bring attention to the matter.
*Information collected on the web by people who are going through the experience of wait for Bona Fide Determination, and U Visas.
