In addition to a number of other requirements, to qualify for deferred action a person must not be convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or multiple misdemeanors, and not pose a threat to public safety or national security.
Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) administers a database of information sourced from more than 700 advocates nationwide with helpful information about law enforcement agencies who certify victim helpfulness for U cases and consulates abroad who issue U visas. The database includes information on who the U certifying officers are and where to send the requests, as well as the most updated policies and practices, nationwide. The goal is to update information on every state and federal agency, whether they do or don’t sign certifications. The database also includes information about consulates’ and embassies’ practices in processing U visa cases. These are both critical resources to any organization or office with a U visa caseload.For more information on these and other U-related databases that ICWC administers, go to http://icwclaw.org/services-available/icwc-u-travel-and-certifier-database/. If you’re new to using Zoho databases (the platform for ICWC’s databases), watch the helpful video below.
SB 674 is a new California law that took effect on January 1, 2016. The goal of this law is to ensure that all immigrant crime victims in California have equal access to immigration status through the U visa.
This guide is designed to walk you through the document-gathering requirements under the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and its more recent revisions and updates. Though not a comprehensive explanation of the law or its requirements, it is instead a user-friendly resource to gathering the necesary documents for a VAWA self-petition.