How to File Form I-918: Certification, Evidence, and Filing Steps

To file Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status, you mail a signed petition, a law enforcement certification on Supplement B, a personal statement, and supporting evidence to the USCIS lockbox that serves your state. There is no filing fee. The certification is the document that makes or breaks the filing, and it has to be signed by a qualifying government official within six months of the date you mail everything in.

Get the Law Enforcement Certification First

Form I-918, Supplement B — the U Nonimmigrant Status Certification — is the single most important piece of the package. USCIS will deny a petition filed without it.¹ You do not complete Supplement B yourself. A certifying official signs it, confirming you were the victim of a qualifying crime and that you have been, are being, or are likely to be helpful in the investigation or prosecution.

A certifying official can be the head of a qualifying agency, a designated supervisor, or a federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial judge. Judges sign directly and cannot delegate the authority to court staff.² The list of qualifying agencies goes beyond police and prosecutors: child and adult protective services, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and federal or state departments of labor can also certify.³

No agency is required to sign. The decision is entirely discretionary.² If one agency refuses, you may approach a different qualifying agency involved in the case — a prosecutor’s office rather than the police department, for example. This is the step where petitions most often stall, and it is where an immigration attorney or victim advocate tends to make the biggest practical difference.

Once signed, Supplement B is valid for six months. File the complete petition inside that window, or you will need a fresh certification.⁴

Build the Evidence Packet

Beyond the form and the certification, USCIS expects a documentary record that establishes each eligibility element. A thin filing risks denial for insufficient evidence.

Personal Statement

Write a detailed statement describing the crime, how it affected you, and how you have cooperated or are willing to cooperate with law enforcement. This narrative is one of the four items USCIS reviews during its initial bona fide determination, so it is essential, not optional.⁵ Cover what happened, when and where, who was involved, what injuries or harm you suffered, and every contact you have had with police, prosecutors, or other agencies about the case.

Proof of Substantial Physical or Mental Abuse

USCIS evaluates substantial abuse case by case, weighing severity, duration, and physical or psychological harm. There is no bright-line test. Stronger petitions include evidence from more than one source:

Medical records documenting injuries, treatment, or diagnoses tied to the crime.
Psychological evaluations describing PTSD, depression, anxiety, or other harm. These carry particular weight because they speak directly to the substantial-abuse standard.
Sworn affidavits from social workers, counselors, teachers, clergy, or others who saw the impact on your life.
Police reports, protective orders, and any court records from related proceedings.
Photographs of injuries, property damage, or other physical evidence.

Identity and Background Documents

Include a passport, birth certificate, or national identity card. The petition itself asks for your full name and any aliases, date of birth, current address, complete immigration history including entries and exits, and employment history. You must also disclose any arrests or convictions. If any of those trigger a ground of inadmissibility, you need to file Form I-192 with the petition to request a waiver.⁶

Translations

Any foreign-language document must be filed with a complete English translation. Federal regulations require the translator to certify in writing that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the source language into English.⁷ Include the translator’s name, signature, address, and the date. Notarization is not required.

Form I-192 if You Are Inadmissible

Many U visa petitioners have prior immigration violations or criminal issues that would ordinarily bar a visa. Under INA section 212(d)(14), you can request a waiver of nearly any ground of inadmissibility. The only exceptions are participation in Nazi persecution, genocide, torture, or extrajudicial killing. USCIS must find that the waiver serves the public or national interest, and it weighs negative factors against humanitarian considerations. File Form I-192 at the same time as your I-918 so both can be decided together.

Supplement A for Qualifying Relatives

You can extend U protections to family by filing Form I-918, Supplement A for each relative. Who qualifies depends on your age when USCIS receives the petition:¹

Under 21: spouse, unmarried children under 21, parents, and unmarried siblings under 18.
21 or older: spouse and unmarried children under 21.

Each Supplement A needs the relative’s full name, date of birth, relationship to you, current location, immigration history, and proof of the relationship such as a marriage or birth certificate. A relative who is in the United States and inadmissible may need a separate I-192.⁸ Under VAWA 2013 protections, a child or sibling who ages out while the principal petition is pending keeps their qualifying age locked in as of the filing date.

Where to Mail the Petition

Form I-918 is filed by mail at a USCIS lockbox. The correct lockbox depends on where you live. As of 2026, there are four:⁵

Chicago Lockbox: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Dallas Lockbox: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.
Elgin Lockbox: Florida.
Phoenix Lockbox: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, U.S. territories, and filers outside the United States.

Each lockbox has separate addresses for USPS and courier delivery through FedEx, UPS, or DHL. Confirm the exact street address on the USCIS “Where to File” page for Form I-918 before mailing; addresses change periodically.⁹ Mark the outer envelope “Attn: 1367” so the package reaches the correct unit.

What It Costs

Nothing. There is no filing fee for Form I-918 or Supplement A, and no biometrics fee.¹⁰ Form I-192, if you need it, may carry a fee, but you can request a fee waiver on Form I-912 if you cannot afford it.¹¹

What Happens After You File

Receipt Notice and Biometrics

USCIS issues a receipt notice with a case number you can use to track the petition online. You will then be scheduled at an Application Support Center for fingerprints, a photograph, and a signature. USCIS uses these for background and security checks. Missing the biometrics appointment can lead to denial, so treat the notice as mandatory.¹

Bona Fide Determination

The 10,000 annual U-1 visa cap has been reached every year since fiscal year 2010. In June 2021 USCIS started a bona fide determination process to give eligible petitioners some relief while they wait. During BFD review, USCIS checks that Form I-918 was properly filed, that a properly completed Supplement B is included, that a personal statement describing the victimization is included, and that background and security checks based on your biometrics have cleared.⁵

If your petition passes BFD review and USCIS finds you merit a favorable exercise of discretion, you receive deferred action and can obtain an Employment Authorization Document valid for four years.¹² To get the work permit, file Form I-765 under eligibility category (c)(14).¹³ The BFD EAD does not renew automatically. When it expires, you file a new I-765 and USCIS re-evaluates.

The Wait

The BFD is not a visa approval. Final adjudication depends on a visa number becoming available under the annual cap. As of early fiscal year 2023, roughly 320,000 petitions were pending.¹⁴ With only 10,000 visas per year, waits are measured in years. USCIS processes petitions in filing-date order.⁵

Mistakes That Get Petitions Rejected

USCIS will reject or deny a filing for any of the following:¹

Missing Supplement B. This is the most common fatal defect.
Expired Supplement B — the certification is older than six months when USCIS receives it.
Unsigned petition or unsigned Supplement A.
Missed biometrics appointment.
A ground of inadmissibility with no Form I-192 waiver request.
False or misleading information, which may also affect other immigration benefits.
Failure to respond to a request for additional evidence.

Most of these are procedural. Check every signature, date, and page before mailing.

After the Petition Is Approved

Your obligation to cooperate with law enforcement does not end at filing or at approval. It continues throughout your time in U status and into any later green card application.³ If you unreasonably refuse to help when asked, the certifying agency can notify USCIS and disavow the certification, which can trigger revocation of status or denial of a green card. USCIS recognizes that trauma and safety can legitimately prevent cooperation at a given moment; consistently ignoring investigators or prosecutors is what counts as refusal.

If you move while your petition is pending or while you hold U status, you must notify USCIS within 10 days. U visa cases follow a special change-of-address process rather than the standard AR-11 filing.¹⁵

After three years of continuous physical presence in U nonimmigrant status, you can apply for lawful permanent residence on Form I-485 under INA section 245(m). Any single absence longer than 90 days, or absences totaling more than 180 days, breaks continuity unless the trip was to assist with the investigation or prosecution or a certifying official confirms it was otherwise justified.¹⁶ Derivatives in U-2, U-3, U-4, or U-5 status can also adjust after meeting their own three-year requirement.¹⁷

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status and Supplement A
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Supplement B, U Nonimmigrant Status Certification
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. U Visa Law Enforcement Resource Guide
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Supplement B, U Nonimmigrant Status Certification
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-192, Application for Advance Permission to Enter as a Nonimmigrant
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eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2 – Submission and Adjudication of Benefit Requests
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 3 Part C Chapter 2 – Eligibility Requirements for U Nonimmigrant Status
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Lockbox and Service Center Filing Location Updates
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status and Supplement AG-1055 Fee Schedule
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 3 Part B Chapter 6 – Bona Fide Determinations
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765, Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Number of Form I-918 Petitions for U Nonimmigrant Status
15
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card
16
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1255 – Adjustment of Status of Nonimmigrant to That of Person Admitted for Permanent Residence
17
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for a Victim of a Crime (U Nonimmigrant)