10,000 U Non-Immigrant Visas for Victims of Crimes

According to the news alert released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a statutory maximum of 10,000 U visas for the fiscal year 2014, has been approved by the agency. This is the fifth year and the USCIS has been issuing U visas since 2008. USCIS has so far granted U visas to around 89,000 victims of crimes and their eligible dependents.

Moreover, USCIS has announced that it will continue to review pending applications for U visas filed by eligible applicants. This U visa program is meant for the victims of certain crimes like domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. This visa program will benefit the victims of such crimes and their eligible family members.

USCIS issues 10,000 U visas every year. Victims of qualifying crimes can apply for these U.S. visas. They need to establish that they have suffered mental or physical abuse, at the time of filing their petitions.

The U.S. Congress created this visa program to assist the victims of crimes. Moreover, this program also aims at strengthening the ability of the federal law enforcement agencies to investigate cases of crimes. This program protects victims of crimes who are willing to assist the federal law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute crimes.

According to the news alert the agency has released, it will process pending applications in the order the applications were received, though it has reached its statutory cap of 10,000 visas. USCIS will again start issuing U visas on 1st October, 2014, the first day of the fiscal year 2015. The U visa cap will again be opened on that day. Eligible applicants will be sent letters with information on their cases. USCIS will notify the applicants whose petitions for U visas are pending and notify them that they are on a waiting list. They will be issued visas soon after visas become available.