<div class="vt" data-vt-cat="humanitarian-visas" data-vt-code="U-1"> <div class="vt-crumbs"><nav class="vt-wrap" aria-label="Breadcrumb"><a href="/">Home</a><span>›</span><a href="/humanitarian-visas">Humanitarian & other</a><span>›</span><span>U-1</span></nav></div> <section class="vt-dhead"><div class="vt-wrap"> <div class="vt-badges"><span>Nonimmigrant</span><span>Humanitarian</span><span>Annual cap</span><span>No filing fee</span><span>Form I-918</span><span>Path to green card</span></div> <h1><span>U-1</span> Victim of Qualifying Criminal Activity</h1> <p class="vt-lede">Temporary status for victims of certain crimes who suffered substantial abuse and help law enforcement investigate or prosecute the crime.</p> <div class="vt-dmeta"><span>Last reviewed <strong>Oct 1, 2026</strong></span><span>Sources: USCIS</span><a href="/corrections?page=/visa/u">Report an error</a></div> </div></section> <section class="vt-dbody"> <nav class="vt-jump" aria-label="On this page"><a href="#overview">Overview</a><a href="#qualify">Who qualifies</a><a href="#duration">Duration</a><a href="#fees">Fees</a><a href="#processing">Processing</a><a href="#steps">Steps</a><a href="#documents">Documents</a><a href="#dependents">Dependents</a><a href="#greencard">Green card</a><a href="#related">Related</a><a href="#faq">FAQ</a><a href="#sources">Sources</a><a href="#changes">Changes</a></nav> <nav class="vt-toc" aria-label="On this page"><div class="h">On this page</div><ul><li><a href="#overview">Overview</a></li><li><a href="#qualify">Who qualifies</a></li><li><a href="#duration">Duration & extensions</a></li><li><a href="#fees">Fees</a></li><li><a href="#processing">Processing time</a></li><li><a href="#steps">Application steps</a></li><li><a href="#documents">Required documents</a></li><li><a href="#dependents">Dependents & family</a></li><li><a href="#greencard">Path to a green card</a></li><li><a href="#related">Related visas</a></li><li><a href="#faq">Common questions</a></li><li><a href="#sources">Official sources</a></li><li><a href="#changes">Recent changes</a></li></ul></nav> <article class="vt-art"> <div class="vt-glance"><h2>At a glance</h2><dl><div><dt>Who files</dt><dd>The victim (petitioner), on Form I-918</dd></div><div><dt>Required certification</dt><dd>Form I-918 Supplement B signed by a certifying official</dd></div><div><dt>Annual cap</dt><dd><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title8/html/USCODE-2023-title8-chap12-subchapII-partII-sec1184.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10,000 principal (U-1) grants per fiscal year</a></dd></div><div><dt>Period of status</dt><dd><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title8/html/USCODE-2023-title8-chap12-subchapII-partII-sec1184.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Up to 4 years</a>, extendable in limited cases</dd></div><div><dt>USCIS filing fee</dt><dd><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$0</a> — fee exempt through adjustment of status</dd></div><div><dt>Green card</dt><dd>Possible after 3 years of continuous physical presence in U status</dd></div></dl></div> <div class="vt-callout"><strong>Long wait for a cap number.</strong> USCIS reports it <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/I-918" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met the 10,000 cap for fiscal year 2025 on Sept. 9, 2025</a> and has reached the cap every year since fiscal year 2010. It said that when fiscal year 2026 began on Oct. 1, 2025, it would resume final approvals starting with petitions filed on or before April 30, 2017. Most petitioners in the United States first receive a bona fide determination or a waiting-list decision, which can bring deferred action and a work permit while they wait. Since <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20260508-DeferredAction.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 8, 2026 (Policy Alert PA-2026-01)</a>, USCIS describes deferred action as an extraordinary, case-by-case exercise of discretion.</div> <h2 id="overview" class="s">Overview</h2> <p class="b">U nonimmigrant status (often called the U visa) was created by Congress in October 2000 in the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. It is for victims of listed crimes — such as domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, stalking and witness tampering — who suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and have been, are, or are likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution. Source: <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-of-criminal-activity-u-nonimmigrant-status" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USCIS: Victims of Criminal Activity: U Nonimmigrant Status</a>.</p> <p class="b">The victim files Form I-918 with USCIS, together with a certification (Supplement B) from a federal, state or local law enforcement official, prosecutor, judge or other authority. Petitions can be filed from inside or outside the United States. Certain family members can receive derivative U-2 to U-5 status, and only principal (U-1) grants count against the <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title8/html/USCODE-2023-title8-chap12-subchapII-partII-sec1184.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10,000-per-year statutory cap</a>.</p> <p class="b">Because demand far exceeds the cap, petitions move through stages: a bona fide determination (BFD) review, placement on a waiting list if not handled at the BFD stage, and final approval when a cap number is available. U status lasts up to four years and can lead to a green card under <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title8/html/USCODE-2023-title8-chap12-subchapII-partV-sec1255.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INA 245(m)</a>.</p> <h2 id="qualify" class="s">Who qualifies</h2> <h3 class="s">The petitioner must show all of the following</h3> <ul class="b"><li>Was the victim of qualifying criminal activity that occurred in the United States (including territories) or violated U.S. law.</li><li>Suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result.</li><li>Has information about the crime (a parent, guardian or next friend may provide it if the victim is under 16 or incapacitated).</li><li>Was, is, or is likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution, shown by a signed Form I-918 Supplement B.</li><li>Is admissible to the United States, or obtains a waiver on <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-192" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Form I-192</a> (no fee for U petitioners).</li></ul> <h3 class="s">Qualifying crimes listed by USCIS include</h3> <ul class="b"><li>Abduction, kidnapping, hostage, false imprisonment, unlawful criminal restraint</li><li>Domestic violence, felonious assault, stalking, torture, manslaughter, murder</li><li>Rape, sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, sexual exploitation, incest, prostitution, female genital mutilation</li><li>Trafficking, involuntary servitude, peonage, slave trade, fraud in foreign labor contracting</li><li>Blackmail, extortion, obstruction of justice, perjury, witness tampering — plus attempt, conspiracy or solicitation and substantially similar crimes</li></ul> <h2 id="duration" class="s">Duration & extensions</h2> <table class="vt-kv"><tbody><tr><th scope="row">Period of U status</th><td>Up to 4 years (<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title8/html/USCODE-2023-title8-chap12-subchapII-partII-sec1184.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INA 214(p)(6)</a>)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Extensions</th><td>Only if law enforcement certifies presence is needed, for exceptional circumstances, for consular delays, or automatically while a green card application under INA 245(m) is pending</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Work authorization</th><td>U-1 principals are employment authorized incident to status; USCIS issues the EAD automatically on approval</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">While waiting</th><td>Bona fide determination EAD and deferred action, generally valid for <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-3-part-c-chapter-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4 years</a>, at USCIS’s discretion</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Green card eligibility</th><td>After 3 years of continuous physical presence in U status</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="fees" class="s">Fees</h2> <p class="vt-feesintro">USCIS states that U petitioners and U nonimmigrants are fee exempt for all forms through adjustment of status. Amounts below are from the <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055, edition 10/01/26)</a>.</p> <div class="vt-scroll"><table class="vt-fees"><thead><tr><th>Fee</th><th class="amt">Amount</th><th>Who pays</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td>Form I-918 (and Supplements A and B)</td><td class="amt">$0</td><td>Petitioner</td><td>No filing fee</td></tr> <tr><td>Form I-192 inadmissibility waiver</td><td class="amt">$0</td><td>Petitioner</td><td>Fee is $0 for U petitioners and derivatives; $1,100 for other filers</td></tr> <tr><td>Form I-765 (a)(19), (a)(20) or (c)(14) work permit</td><td class="amt">$0</td><td>Petitioner / family member</td><td>Initial and renewal</td></tr> <tr><td>Form I-929 (family member who never held U status)</td><td class="amt">$0</td><td>U-1 principal</td><td>Filed with or after the green card application</td></tr> <tr><td>Form I-485 under INA 245(m)</td><td class="amt">$0</td><td>U nonimmigrant</td><td>Adjustment of status</td></tr> <tr><td>Visa application (MRV) fee abroad</td><td class="amt"><a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$185</a></td><td>Family member applying at a consulate</td><td><a href="https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040206.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9 FAM 402.6-6(G)</a> requires U visa applicants to pay the MRV fee and any reciprocity fee</td></tr> </tbody></table></div> <p class="vt-foot">The H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21) Visa Integrity Fee had not been implemented as of Oct. 1, 2026: USCIS’s <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/22/2025-13738/uscis-immigration-fees-required-by-hr-1-reconciliation-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 22, 2025 notice</a> said it “requires cross-agency coordination” and will be implemented in a future publication, and no implementing notice was found in the Federal Register.</p> <h2 id="processing" class="s">Processing time</h2> <dl class="vt-cards"><div><dt>Annual cap</dt><dd>10,000</dd><dd class="n">Principal U-1 grants per fiscal year; derivatives are not counted</dd></div><div><dt>Cap status</dt><dd>Reached every year since FY 2010</dd><dd class="n">FY 2025 cap met Sept. 9, 2025, per <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/I-918" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USCIS</a></dd></div><div><dt>BFD EAD validity</dt><dd>4 years</dd><dd class="n">Deferred action and EAD issued on a favorable bona fide determination</dd></div></dl> <p class="b">There is no fixed processing time. Petitions are reviewed in filing-date order. Times for the bona fide determination, waiting list and final decision vary; check <a href="https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USCIS processing times</a> for Form I-918.</p> <h2 id="steps" class="s">Application steps</h2> <ol class="vt-steps"><li><span class="num">1</span><div><div class="tt">Obtain law enforcement certification</div><div class="tx">Ask the investigating or prosecuting agency, court or other certifying authority to sign Form I-918 Supplement B. It must be submitted within 6 months of the certifier’s signature.</div></div></li><li><span class="num">2</span><div><div class="tt">Prepare the petition</div><div class="tx">Complete Form I-918 with a personal statement describing the victimization and evidence for each requirement. Add Form I-192 if any ground of inadmissibility applies, and Form I-765 to be considered for a bona fide determination work permit.</div></div></li><li><span class="num">3</span><div><div class="tt">Add family members</div><div class="tx">File Form I-918 Supplement A for each qualifying family member, with the petition or later.</div></div></li><li><span class="num">4</span><div><div class="tt">Bona fide determination</div><div class="tx">After biometrics, USCIS checks whether the petition is complete and bona fide and whether discretion is warranted. If so, it grants deferred action and an EAD; if not, it moves to a full waiting-list adjudication. Non-issuance of a BFD EAD is not a denial and cannot be appealed.</div></div></li><li><span class="num">5</span><div><div class="tt">Waiting list</div><div class="tx">Petitioners found eligible but for the cap are placed on the waiting list under 8 CFR 214.14(d)(2) and receive deferred action or parole; they may request work authorization.</div></div></li><li><span class="num">6</span><div><div class="tt">Final approval</div><div class="tx">When a cap number is available, USCIS approves the petition in filing-date order and grants U-1 status (up to 4 years) with an EAD. Petitioners abroad then apply for a U visa at a U.S. consulate.</div></div></li></ol> <h2 id="documents" class="s">Required documents</h2> <div class="vt-docs"><div><h3>From the petitioner</h3><ul><li><span>Form I-918 and a signed personal statement</span></li><li><span>Form I-918 Supplement B signed within the previous 6 months</span></li><li><span>Evidence of substantial physical or mental abuse (medical, counseling or police records, affidavits)</span></li><li><span>Proof of identity and nationality; Form I-192 if inadmissible</span></li><li><span>Form I-765 (optional, to be considered for a BFD work permit) and Form I-918 Supplement A for each family member</span></li></ul></div><div><h3>For family members</h3><ul><li><span>Proof of the qualifying relationship (marriage or birth certificates)</span></li><li><span>Identity documents and, if inadmissible, a separate Form I-192</span></li></ul></div></div> <h2 id="dependents" class="s">Dependents & family</h2> <p class="b">Family members are not counted against the cap. A principal who is under 21 may petition for a spouse (U-2), children (U-3), parents (U-4) and unmarried siblings under 18 (U-5); a principal who is 21 or older may petition for a spouse and children. Each family member needs Form I-918 Supplement A, filed with the principal’s petition or later, per <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-of-criminal-activity-u-nonimmigrant-status" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USCIS</a>.</p> <p class="b">A family member’s Supplement A is judged separately: it is not bona fide just because the principal’s petition is. Derivatives in the United States are employment authorized once status is granted but must file Form I-765 to get a card ($0). A family member who never held U status may still get a green card through <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title8/html/USCODE-2023-title8-chap12-subchapII-partV-sec1255.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INA 245(m)(3)</a> if the U-1 files Form I-929 and shows extreme hardship.</p> <h2 id="greencard" class="s">Path to a green card</h2> <p class="b">A U nonimmigrant may apply for a green card on Form I-485 under <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title8/html/USCODE-2023-title8-chap12-subchapII-partV-sec1255.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INA 245(m)</a> if they meet the requirements. There is no USCIS fee for this application.</p> <div class="vt-gsteps"><div><div class="k">Step 1</div><div class="tt">Meet the presence requirement</div><div class="tx">Have at least 3 years of continuous physical presence since admission in U status. A single absence over 90 days, or absences totalling more than 180 days, breaks it unless the absence was to help law enforcement or was certified as justified.</div></div><div><div class="k">Step 2</div><div class="tt">Keep cooperating</div><div class="tx">Not have unreasonably refused to help law enforcement since receiving U status.</div></div><div><div class="k">Step 3</div><div class="tt">Show humanitarian or public-interest grounds</div><div class="tx">USCIS must find that continued presence is justified on humanitarian grounds, for family unity, or in the public interest.</div></div><div><div class="k">Step 4</div><div class="tt">File Form I-485</div><div class="tx">File during U status. U status is automatically extended while the I-485 is pending. Family members can file their own I-485, or the principal can file Form I-929 for relatives who never held U status.</div></div></div> <p class="b">Green cards under INA 245(m) are not subject to the annual U cap.</p> <h2 id="related" class="s">Related visas</h2> <div class="vt-rel"><a href="/visa/t"><div class="c">T-1</div><div class="n">Victim of human trafficking</div><div class="tx">Separate status for trafficking victims, cap 5,000 a year.</div></a><a href="/visa/s"><div class="c">S-5 / S-6</div><div class="n">Witness or informant</div><div class="tx">Requested by law enforcement for critical witnesses, not by the individual.</div></a><a href="/visa/tps"><div class="c">TPS</div><div class="n">Temporary Protected Status</div><div class="tx">Country-based protection for nationals already in the United States.</div></a><a href="/visa/eb-4"><div class="c">EB-4</div><div class="n">Special immigrants</div><div class="tx">Green card category that includes several humanitarian groups.</div></a></div> <h2 id="faq" class="s">Common questions</h2> <div class="vt-faq"><details><summary>Does it cost anything to file for a U visa?</summary><p>No USCIS fees apply. According to USCIS, U petitioners and U nonimmigrants are fee exempt for all forms through adjustment of status, including Forms I-918, I-192, I-765 and I-485. Family members applying for a visa at a consulate abroad pay the State Department’s visa application (MRV) fee.</p></details><details><summary>Can a U petitioner work while waiting?</summary><p>Possibly. If USCIS finds the petition bona fide and decides to exercise discretion favorably, it grants deferred action and an EAD valid for 4 years. Petitioners placed on the waiting list also receive deferred action or parole and can request work authorization. Both decisions are discretionary.</p></details><details><summary>What if the police refuse to sign Supplement B?</summary><p>A signed Form I-918 Supplement B is required initial evidence, and USCIS cannot grant U status without it. Certifying officials decide for themselves whether to sign.</p></details><details><summary>Does a U petition stop removal?</summary><p>Filing alone does not. Deferred action granted through a bona fide determination or the waiting list is temporary, and USCIS can terminate it. Under 8 CFR 214.14, a petitioner with a final removal order may still file, and ICE may consider a stay of removal.</p></details><details><summary>Why does approval take so long?</summary><p>The law allows only 10,000 principal approvals per fiscal year, and USCIS has reached that cap every year since FY 2010. Final approvals move in filing-date order.</p></details></div> <h2 id="sources" class="s">Official sources</h2> <ul class="vt-src"><li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-of-criminal-activity-u-nonimmigrant-status" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>USCIS</strong> · Victims of Criminal Activity: U Nonimmigrant Status</span><span>uscis.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/I-918" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>USCIS</strong> · I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status (cap alert)</span><span>uscis.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-3-part-c-chapter-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>USCIS</strong> · Policy Manual Vol. 3, Part C, Ch. 5 – Bona Fide Determination Process</span><span>uscis.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20260508-DeferredAction.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>USCIS</strong> · Policy Alert PA-2026-01: Deferred Action as an Extraordinary Use of Prosecutorial Discretion</span><span>uscis.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>USCIS</strong> · Form G-1055, Fee Schedule (edition 10/01/26)</span><span>uscis.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/section-214.14" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>eCFR</strong> · 8 CFR 214.14 – Alien victims of certain qualifying criminal activity</span><span>ecfr.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title8/html/USCODE-2023-title8-chap12-subchapII-partII-sec1184.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>GovInfo</strong> · 8 U.S.C. 1184(p) – U visa requirements and cap</span><span>govinfo.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040206.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>State Department</strong> · 9 FAM 402.6 – Witnesses, Informants and Victims (S, T and U visas)</span><span>state.gov ↗</span></a></li></ul> <h2 id="changes" class="s">Recent changes</h2> <ul class="vt-chg"><li><span class="d">Aug 24, 2026</span><div class="x"><strong>Court orders USCIS to adjudicate held cases.</strong> In Red Eagle Law v. Edlow (N.D. Cal.), the court ordered USCIS to process applications from nationals of the 39 countries covered by its hold memos (PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194) in the normal course. USCIS said it will comply pending possible further review. <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/recent-court-order-on-hold-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li><li><span class="d">Jun 5, 2026</span><div class="x"><strong>Hold policies vacated.</strong> The U.S. District Court for Rhode Island vacated PM-602-0192, PM-602-0194 and PA-2025-26 (Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS); final judgment was entered June 11, 2026. USCIS treats the policies as not in effect. <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/court-order-on-hold-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li><li><span class="d">Jun 5, 2026</span><div class="x"><strong>Proposed limits on discretionary work permits.</strong> DHS proposed new discretionary factors, including criminal history, for (c)-category EADs, which it says would apply to bona fide and waitlisted U petitioners. Comments closed Aug. 4, 2026; this is a proposal, not a final rule. <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/05/2026-11285/clarification-of-discretionary-employment-authorization-for-certain-aliens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li><li><span class="d">May 8, 2026</span><div class="x"><strong>Deferred action reframed as extraordinary discretion.</strong> Policy Alert PA-2026-01 moved deferred action guidance to a new Volume 1, Part I of the Policy Manual. It lists U waiting-list placement as a regulatory basis for deferred action but says every request is reviewed case by case, and that people with a pending U petition may be subject to removal depending on their circumstances. <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-1-part-i-chapter-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li><li><span class="d">Sep 9, 2025</span><div class="x"><strong>FY 2025 U-1 cap reached.</strong> USCIS reached the 10,000 cap for FY 2025 and said FY 2026 approvals would start with petitions filed on or before April 30, 2017. <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/I-918" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li><li><span class="d">Feb 4, 2025</span><div class="x"><strong>Streamlined bona fide review suspended.</strong> USCIS says it used data analysis from late 2023 to early 2025 to send some Form I-918 petitions through a streamlined bona fide determination, and suspended that streamlined process as of Feb. 4, 2025. Standard bona fide determination review continues. <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/I-918" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li></ul> <div class="vt-disc">This page is general reference material compiled from the official sources above and is not legal advice. Eligibility depends on individual facts; rules and fees change, so confirm with the agency before you file. VisaTypes.com is not affiliated with USCIS, the Department of State or any government agency. Spotted an error? <a href="/corrections?page=/visa/u">Tell us</a>.</div> </article></section></div> <script type="application/ld+json">[{"\u0040context": "https://schema.org", "\u0040type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [{"\u0040type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://visatypes.com/"}, {"\u0040type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Humanitarian & other", "item": "https://visatypes.com/humanitarian-visas"}, {"\u0040type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "U-1", "item": "https://visatypes.com/visa/u"}]}, {"\u0040context": "https://schema.org", "\u0040type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{"\u0040type": "Question", "name": "Does it cost anything to file for a U visa?", "acceptedAnswer": {"\u0040type": "Answer", "text": "No USCIS fees apply. According to USCIS, U petitioners and U nonimmigrants are fee exempt for all forms through adjustment of status, including Forms I-918, I-192, I-765 and I-485. Family members applying for a visa at a consulate abroad pay the State Department’s visa application (MRV) fee."}}, {"\u0040type": "Question", "name": "Can a U petitioner work while waiting?", "acceptedAnswer": {"\u0040type": "Answer", "text": "Possibly. If USCIS finds the petition bona fide and decides to exercise discretion favorably, it grants deferred action and an EAD valid for 4 years. Petitioners placed on the waiting list also receive deferred action or parole and can request work authorization. Both decisions are discretionary."}}, {"\u0040type": "Question", "name": "What if the police refuse to sign Supplement B?", "acceptedAnswer": {"\u0040type": "Answer", "text": "A signed Form I-918 Supplement B is required initial evidence, and USCIS cannot grant U status without it. Certifying officials decide for themselves whether to sign."}}, {"\u0040type": "Question", "name": "Does a U petition stop removal?", "acceptedAnswer": {"\u0040type": "Answer", "text": "Filing alone does not. Deferred action granted through a bona fide determination or the waiting list is temporary, and USCIS can terminate it. Under 8 CFR 214.14, a petitioner with a final removal order may still file, and ICE may consider a stay of removal."}}, {"\u0040type": "Question", "name": "Why does approval take so long?", "acceptedAnswer": {"\u0040type": "Answer", "text": "The law allows only 10,000 principal approvals per fiscal year, and USCIS has reached that cap every year since FY 2010. Final approvals move in filing-date order."}}]}]</script> <script>(function(){var l=[].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.vt-toc a'));if(!l.length||!window.IntersectionObserver)return;var m={};l.forEach(function(a){m[a.getAttribute('href').slice(1)]=a});var cur=null;function on(id){if(cur)cur.classList.remove('on');cur=m[id];if(cur)cur.classList.add('on')}on(l[0].getAttribute('href').slice(1));var io=new IntersectionObserver(function(es){es.forEach(function(x){if(x.isIntersecting)on(x.target.id)})},{rootMargin:'0px 0px -70% 0px'});Object.keys(m).forEach(function(id){var el=document.getElementById(id);el&&io.observe(el)})})();</script>