U Visa Attorney in Illinois

If you were the victim of a serious crime in the United States and you helped the police or prosecutors, immigration law may have something for you — whatever your current status. That is the U visa, and it exists because crimes go unreported when victims are afraid of being deported for coming forward.

The six requirements

USCIS lists six conditions:

• You are the victim of qualifying criminal activity.
• You suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim.
• You have information about the crime.
• You were, are, or are likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution.
• The crime occurred in the United States or violated US laws.
• You are admissible to the United States — and if you are not, you may apply for a waiver on Form I-192.

Do not rule yourself out on the last one. Being inadmissible does not by itself end a U case: the I-192 waiver exists for exactly that, and whether you need one and how to ask for it is part of the work.

The law names 28 qualifying criminal activities — among them domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, kidnapping, stalking and felonious assault — plus crimes with substantially similar elements, and attempt, conspiracy or solicitation to commit any of them. If you are not sure whether what happened to you is on the list, ask; the categories are broader than most people expect.

The certification is the hard part

A U petition is Form I-918, and it must be accompanied by Supplement B, a certification signed by an authorized official of the certifying law-enforcement agency confirming that you have been, are being, or are likely to be helpful.

This is where cases stall, and it is worth being honest about why: no agency is obliged to sign it. Different departments have different practices, different designated officials, and different levels of familiarity with the form. Requesting certification well, from the right person, with the case properly documented, is most of the practical work — and starting it early matters, because records and the people who handled your case do not stay available forever.

You do not need a conviction. You do not even need a prosecution. Helpfulness to an investigation can be enough.

The cap, and what it means for you

Congress limits U visas granted to principal petitioners to 10,000 per year. Family members who derive status from you are not counted against that cap.

The practical consequence is a queue, and it is the reason filing sooner is better than filing when everything feels perfect. We will not give you a waiting-time estimate on this page, because any number printed here would be wrong within months — but the position in the queue is set by when you file.

What it gives you, and for how long

U nonimmigrant status, once granted, is valid for four years. Family members may qualify in their own categories — U-2 for a spouse, U-3 for a child, U-4 for a parent and U-5 for a sibling, depending on your age and their relationship to you.

There is also a route onward. A U nonimmigrant may apply for a green card after meeting several requirements, including continuous physical presence in the United States for at least three years while in U status. It is not automatic and the other conditions matter, but the path exists.

What it costs to petition

U petitions are fee exempt. USCIS does not charge a filing fee for the petition itself. Our fee is quoted before work starts, the consultation is free and payment plans are available.

U visa or VAWA?

If the person who harmed you was a US citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent, a VAWA self-petition may be the better route, because it needs no police involvement at all and no certification from anyone. The U visa does not care about the abuser's status but does require that certification. Sometimes both are available. See which of the two may fit your case and U visa eligibility explained. In Spanish: Visa U en Illinois.

What to bring

Bring any police report number, the name of the department and any officer or detective you dealt with, court papers if there was a prosecution, medical or counseling records, and anything showing the effect it had on you. If you have no documents at all, come anyway — part of the work is reconstructing the record.

Call 630.928.0100 or book a time online. The official page is USCIS's Victims of Criminal Activity: U Nonimmigrant Status. If you are already in removal proceedings, tell us — see removal defense.

Nothing on this page is legal advice about your situation, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Requirements described here were checked against USCIS in October 2026.