The Role of Law Enforcement and Other Certifying Officials in the T and U Visa Process
U visa · I-918 Supplement B · certification · helpfulness
Source reviewed 2026-10-01The police signature is necessary in the ordinary U-visa case. It is not the whole immigration case.
Victim of a Crime in the U.S.: What the U-Visa Certification Does and Does Not Prove
How Form I-918 Supplement B works, who may certify, what “helpful” means, and why certification does not itself grant U nonimmigrant status.
Direct answer
Short answer
A U-visa petition generally requires a Form I-918 Supplement B signed by an authorized certifying official confirming qualifying criminal activity and the victim’s helpfulness, current helpfulness, or likely future helpfulness. USCIS makes the immigration eligibility decision. A certification supports the petition but does not itself grant status or guarantee approval.
On this page
Certification is one gate, not a government promise of a visa
The certifying agency speaks to the qualifying criminal activity and helpfulness within its authority. USCIS separately evaluates victim status, substantial physical or mental abuse, admissibility or waiver issues, and the complete petition.
Police are not the only possible certifying authority
Federal U-visa rules and USCIS guidance recognize designated officials from law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors, judges, and certain other authorities responsible for detection, investigation, prosecution, conviction, or sentencing of qualifying criminal activity.
The case does not always require a conviction of the offender
USCIS guidance explains that certification may be based on past, current, or likely future helpfulness and is not tied to one particular stage of the criminal case.
Build the harm and cooperation record while the facts are fresh
Reports, medical and counseling records, photographs, messages, court records, witness information, certification correspondence, and proof of cooperation can matter in the immigration filing.
Questions people actually ask
Frequently asked questions
Does the perpetrator have to be convicted before a U-visa certification can be signed?
No universal conviction requirement appears in the USCIS certification framework. The certifying authority evaluates qualifying activity and helpfulness within its jurisdiction.
Does a signed Supplement B guarantee U status?
No. USCIS decides the immigration petition and can examine all statutory and discretionary requirements.
Can a certification be based on future helpfulness?
USCIS guidance states that the certification can address past, present, or likely future helpfulness.
Authority and current-source review
Official sources supporting this page
These links identify primary or official materials used to control material legal and procedural statements. They are not a substitute for advice about a particular matter.
Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status
U nonimmigrant status · qualifying criminal activity · substantial abuse · certification
Source reviewed 2026-10-01The next useful move
Old files, current rules, one clean strategy
Bring the old petition, labor certification, criminal disposition, N-400 history, police report, certification request, employment record, or asylum timeline that actually drives the question. The legal category should come from the record, not the rumor.
Important legal and service limitations
General U.S. immigration information only. This page is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not guarantee eligibility, approval, admission, permanent residence, relief, or any other result.