Thank you for your kind words!

Thank you! We're happy it's helpful!

Thank you so much!

Contact us today for easy processing of paperwork and travel documents. trafalgatravelinc@gmail.com

Hello, We have received one of the four year work permits for one client who was a participant in our federal law suit against USCIS. Other than that, we are still waiting but hope to begin seeing many of these EADs being issued by the end of the summer. Given that the policy was announced in June of 2021, we feel that August or September would be a reasonable time frame for them to ramp up the new processes. At least we hope that’s what will happen!

Hi, thank you so much! Yes, you will need to file Form I-765 under category (c)(14) along with each Form I-918.

Mr. Aguilar, We have a client with a similar situation - we are preparing to go to federal court to force USCIS to correct the problem. I am so sorry you’re dealing with this too. USCIS does not do a good job of correcting its own mistakes and organizational failures in situations like yours, so often what we have seen is that a lawsuit (or threat of one) is required to get results.

Good question! Yes, an asylum applicant may also apply for a U visa.

Hello! While we cannot speak to your individual case without a confidential interview, we recommend that our clients file the Form I-765 under category (c)(14) so that they are eligible to receive a work permit under the Bona Fide Determination. Hope that helps!

Hi did you receive work permit yet because I am form April 2017 and still waiting please let me know thank you

Hi, Christina, we always make this request on behalf of our clients, so I assume that your attorney will do the same for you. Feel free to reach out with other questions!

Hello, Anniesa, I know the various work permit categories can be very confusing. If you were my client, I would recommend re-filing the I-765 under category (a)(20) with a fee or a request for a fee waiver. I think it is best to have it adjudicated at the same time that the U visa is approved (although that may be several years in the future).

Hello, Patrycja, So glad to hear that the video is helpful. In my experience, traffic tickets like the one you mention here do not lead to serious consequences in immigration cases. They are not considered serious criminal matters unless alcohol or drugs were involved. For driving without a license or something like that, so long as you take care of the fine or get the ticket dismissed, it should not affect your Bona Fide Determination.

@@jenniferwalkergates5745 Jennifer ! Thank you so much for rapid response . Hopefully all will be fine . All the best for you !

Hi, Javier, We have begun receiving bona fide determination work permits for clients whose cases were filed in 2016. We hope to see more of these begin to be issued soon. In general, you should qualify for this work permit if you do not have serious criminal history or extremely negative immigration history.

Have you also filed I-765, or first you are waiting to receive BONAFIDE?

Hello, Syed, In cases like this, one is able to apply for a U visa - however, it is ultimately unlikely to be approved unless the certification indicates that cooperation is on-going and remains available. If the certifying agency is not willing to change the notation on the certification, then in our experience, USCIS will not approve the U visa.

Hello, Congratulations on receiving your 4-year EAD. Unfortunately, the approval of U visas still lags behind. Recently, we have received U visa approvals for clients who filed in February of 2016. I hope that helps!

Hi abhilash did you received u visa approval or still waiting...?

Hi, Tara, The government fees and legal fees for a case can vary a great deal depending on a number of factors, but we would be happy to meet with you, analyze your case, and give you a quote. We provide zero interest payment plans for most of our clients so that we are able to help as many families and individuals as possible. We have received the bona fide EAD for one client who was participating in our federal law suit, but aside from that, we have yet to see any others. We hope to begin seeing them soon - if not, we intend to initiate another round of litigation early in 2022. Regarding travel, I do not believe that travel will be automatically authorized by the bona fide EADs; a request for advance parole will be required for travel. Finally, we have had clients who continued to work on and renew H-1Bs while their U visas were pending, so I would not anticipate a problem with that. I hope that helps! If you would like an in-depth, confidential consultation, please feel free to schedule with us at walkergatesvela.as.me/WGV.

Hello, It is possible to get a U visa with an expired passport, though it may require filing an additional request for a waiver of the passport requirement.

Hello, The policy manual updates indicate that first-time work permits will not have a filing fee. The Form I-192 waiver is not required to receive a Bona Fide EAD, according to the policy manual, but will be required to be approved for the U visa if you have any grounds of inadmissibility in your case. I hope that makes sense.

@@jenniferwalkergates5745 i got my i765 rejected for not including payment or waiver. 😞 i filed under category c14

@@missayti Hello, Category c-9 is the filing category for persons who are applying for adjustment of status. If you are seeking an EAD under the category for U visa applicants, you would need to file under either A-19 or C-14. In our office, we always file for principal applicants under C-14 because it provides some additional clarity about where the client is in their U visa process. I hope that helps!

@@jenniferwalkergates5745 sorry I edited my response earlier. I filed under c14 as suggested but got rejected due to not providing payment or waiver. Filing u visa date was january 2019

@@missayti Hi, Guneshnuri, According to USCIS policy, no fees are required for the first filing of the I-765 under category c-14. In order to properly assess why your filing was rejected, and whether USCIS rejected your application in error, we would need to have an individualized, confidential consultation to review all of your documentation. Please feel free to reach out and schedule with us if we may be of assistance.

Hi, Marina, For U visas, a cooperative victim of domestic violence may qualify for benefits regardless of the perpetrator’s immigration status. The aggressor may be undocumented, or they may have a green card or U.S. citizenship - it doesn’t matter for purposes of the U visa. However, if you have been the victim of a perpetrator who is a U.S. citizen or green card holder, I would recommend analyzing your case for possible VAWA benefits, as these cases are not subject to an annual cap and so you may be able to receive benefits more quickly by applying for VAWA. Some individuals who are not formally married are able to receive VAWA benefits by demonstrating that the have a qualified “common law” marriage, so that is important to analyze if the perpetrator is a green card holder or U.S. citizen. Finally, in my experience, two months is not an unreasonably long time to wait for a DA’s office to finalize and sign an I-918 supplement B. Best of luck with your case and don’t hesitate to reach out with any additional questions.

@@jenniferwalkergates5745 Thank you so much, Jennifer! Big, big thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Hi, Mario, All U visas require that the victim suffer “substantial abuse” in order to be approved. This standard requires showing that the U visa petitioner suffered from impairment in their emotional or physical functioning as the result of the crime. Making this showing requires that the victim provide a detailed statement about how they were impacted by the crime - many of our clients share that, because of the crime against them, they suffer from impaired sleep, inability to relax or feel safe, fear of people who resemble the perpetrator, loss of work, loss of feeling safe in their homes, as well as other problems. There is no one factor that determines “substantial abuse,” so it is important to include as much information as possible. So long as the statement regarding substantial abuse is included with the initial application, in our experience, there should be no impediment to receiving the work permit and the bona fide determination while awaiting the U visa. If we can provide additional assistance or support, we would be honored to do so. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at jlw.law.

Hello, As far as we know, you will be able to receive a Bona Fide Determination as soon as your biometrics are taken. To date, we don’t have specific information about when the Bona Fide work permits will be issued, but hope to have that information within the next couple of weeks.

Jennifer Walker Gates thanks you

Hello, I’m sorry to hear this. The possibility of continuing with the U visa depends very much on the reason or reasons for the denial. If the basis for the denial pertains to a criminal record, in our experience, those are very difficult if not impossible to overcome. However, we have had success reopening and winning U visas for clients whose cases were denied for other reasons, such as a failure to respond to a request for evidence or a faulty determination that the client was not a victim of a qualifying crime, as well as other reasons. It is important to file your appeal or motion to reconsider the denial within 33 days of the decision, so time is of the essence. There are few exceptions to late-filed appeals or motions. If we can be of additional assistance, please schedule a consultation with us ASAP at jlw.as.me/schedule.

Hi, Rex, We’re not sure yet how soon recent applicants will be able to get their new EADs. We are currently receiving Bona Fide EADs for clients whose cases were filed in late 2016. We are hopeful that the pace of issuance will pick up in the coming months.

Hello, Daminda, Typically, we submit Form I-765 together with the U visa petition, but that is not required. USCIS will accept a Form I-765 after the initial U visa petition is already filed and pending.

Congratulations! That is such a long time to wait! Have you also received your 4-year work permit? Let us know if we can be helpful at all.

@@jenniferwalkergates5745 we just sent the application for the work permit

@@CheLios412 any news about work permit..have you got it ? Thanks

@Erma G I went to see my lawyer so file the permit but they are saying I have to pay immigration feed which is $499 I thought It was free the first time you file it.

@@CheLios412 that’s right. I was thinking it’s free but I paid it too. In case we do t need to they will do refund. Have you received your EAD for 4 years or you’re still waiting for it ?

Hello, Raju, Some people are able to travel outside the USA with the U visa, but you must get an appointment at a consulate before returning and get the U visa placed into your passport. It is important to ensure you don’t pass more than 90 days at a time, and 180 days in total outside the USA while you are in U status - otherwise, you lose the opportunity to qualify to apply for residency.

i am waiting your answer

Hello, We understand that the next step will be a review of the petition for a bona fide determination, meaning a review for completion and merit of favorable discretion. However, we do not know what the timeframe is for these determinations. We are hopeful that they will be issued soon.

@@jenniferwalkergates5745 thanks for answer me

Hello, I’m so glad you found the video helpful! At this time, we are still waiting for USCIS to issue clarification about their timeline, but we have received one bona fide work permit for a client who participated in our law suit against USCIS for their delay. Her case was filed in 2017. Because the new policy was announced just about one month ago, we hope to begin seeing these work permits being issued by the end of the summer/August. In our experience, working on OPT should not have any impact on the adjudication of a U visa petition. Individuals often file multiple processes that offer various types of benefits.

Hi, Kyla, If your question pertains to a work permit application, then yes, you can file while your U visa case is pending. If you have other questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

Hello Urja, please feel free to reach out at jennifer.wg@walkergatesvela.com , you can also schedule a consult with our team of lawyers through this link: walkergatesvela.as.me/WGV