U Visa Qualifications
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Have you or your family member been the victim of a serious or violent crime? Did you report that crime to the police? If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you may qualify for a U Visa. The U Visa was created by Congress specifically to help undocumented immigrants who are the victims of certain serious crimes. An individual qualifies for a U Visa if he or she was the victim of a qualified crime, assisted law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime, and suffered substantial harm as a result of the crime. Some are the crimes that would qualify for a U Visa include but are not limited to: domestic battery, armed robbery, murder, kidnapping, or stalking.
I have filed hundreds of U Visas in my career as an immigration attorney, and yet, the largest obstacle in these cases remains the same – obtaining a signed I-918B certification form from law enforcement. The certification form is signed by law enforcement to verify that our client was a victim of a qualifying crime and cooperated with law enforcement. In years past, our office would frequently have to jump through some hurdles in order to obtain this signed form. Without the signed form, our clients could not continue their process to apply for the U Visa.
Thankfully, the Illinois legislature recently enacted the VOICES Act, a law that streamlines the certification process for all law enforcement agencies in Illinois. Prior to this law, law enforcement agencies in Illinois had no uniform standard to follow when responding to certification requests for U Visas. Many U Visa requests would receive blanket denials for reasons that were not within the law, and undermined the very purpose of the U Visa. The VOICES Act has empowered survivors of violence and other crimes to continue reporting those crimes to law enforcement, and continue to find protection under the U Visa laws. As the name of the law suggests, victims of crimes finally have a “voice” in Illinois to obtain immigration status, who otherwise may not be eligible for any other forms of relief.
The attorneys at Kriezelman, Burton and Associates are prepared to zealously advocate for you and your family. We have direct experience with several police departments and prosecutors’ offices in the Chicagoland area and can help you obtain a U Visa. Please call us at 312-332-2550 if you are interested in learning more.
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Highly recommend attorney Kevin Raica and attorney Agata Bigdanowicz. They were super helpful, responded on time, and won my case in record time. It took about a month and half in total for me to get my approval after filing!
Brittni Rivera and her team (Carina Lopez) are fantastic! They are responsive, efficient and beyond compassionate. Brittni Rivera and her team treated me with dignity and respect as they patiently answered all of my questions. They didn't move on without making sure I understood each step. Their work ethic was impressive. It felt like they were an extension of my personal team. I can't say enough to convey my gratitude…
I just want to say huge thank you to Mr. Kevin A. Raica. for everything he has done for me throughout my immigration case. When I first came to Kevin, he explained the SIJS process clearly and walked me through the steps. We first needed to get the guardianship court order before moving forward with the I-360, and he connected me with a trusted attorney to help with that part.…
I cannot find the words to express my gratitude to Brittni Rivera! She literally saved my family. We had been waiting seven years for what she accomplished in just three weeks. I was impressed by how accessible the office is—they always answer calls very quickly. A special thank you to paralegal Nataliia Melnyk. You are my heroes. Thank you.
Thank you all, I found this group to be a great service. Thank you all, blessings to you. especially Khiabett
We are incredibly grateful for the help and support we received from this office. From the very beginning, they understood the urgency of our situation and treated our case with real care, professionalism, and speed. They were extremely responsive, clear, and compassionate throughout the entire process. They moved quickly when timing was critical, kept us informed, and helped us navigate a very stressful immigration situation with confidence. Thanks to their…
Kevin Raica and his team handled my immigration application and i can other recommend them enough. They made a stressful process very easy. They are very knowledgeable in this area and helped us at every stage from beginning to end.
Brittni Rivera She is my Attorney from 2017 Thank you so, so much. This truly wouldn’t have been possible without you, Brittni. Can’t wait to file for the green cards.
We hoped and prayed for this day, not knowing if it would ever come. Deportations are incredibly scary and overwhelming. We wanted to give a very special thank you to Jennifer Peyton of Chicago for securing this victory for us! With Jennifer on our side we were able to get our loved one back. On behalf of our family, thank you. When we started this journey, we had hoped and…
Matthew Kriezelman, first of all, thank you very much; you and your team are the best immigration lawyers in Chicago. I had a great experience—your professionalism was outstanding, and you were always there whenever needed. I give you five stars for the wonderful work you and your team did. Thanks again.
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