Form I-918: Guide to the Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is a regulatory body that deals with the issue of all other nationals wanting to enter the United States for any purpose whatsoever. They issue immigration status to whoever applies based on the category they applied in. As such, it deals with approving the applications of all immigrants in the United States. They have a category for every way you can apply for, and one of them is the I-918 form. This form is to be submitted if you are a victim of certain qualifying criminal activity.

What Is The Form I-918?

Form I-918 deals with the application for a U visa. This is a type of visa that lets you gain temporary immigrant status. This is only applicable if you are a victim of certain crimes investigated by law enforcement of the United States and can prove substantial damage as well. If that is the case, you may fill out the details regarding the crime and the applicant in the I -918 form and submit it to the USCIS for temporary immigrant status.

How To Complete The Form I-918?

All in all, there are a total of eight different parts in this form, and each part needs to be filled carefully. There are several questions in varying numbers in all different parts of this form, and all these questions need to be answered as thoroughly and accurately as possible to have the best chances of having your form approved.

Part 1: Information About You

This section is for your general information. It is to give your full name, phone number (both within and outside US), address to reach you, passport number, USCIS account number if you have it, social security number if you have that as well, date of birth, marital status, and current immigration status. All these are your basic demographic details to make sure you are reachable.

Part 2: Additional Information About You

This is the first section that determines whether or not your application must be accepted by the USCIS or have it denied. It has 12 questions in total, and the first five questions are the most important of them all. If your answer is no to any one of the first five questions, then your U visa application will be immediately denied, and you will have to find another way to apply for immigration in the United States. Questions 6 to 12 are less important but crucial for your application to go forward inside the organization. It is always good to talk to an attorney to decide on your answers from this section. False answers will result in action taken against you.

Part 3: Processing Information

This is a lengthy part, and your response in this directly results in your application being accepted or rejected. If you have to answer Yes to any of the below questions, then you may very well have your application denied unless you file another application called the I – 192, which is the application for advance permission to enter as a nonimmigrant. You should consult with your immigration attorney regarding this section.

Question 1 – 15 deals with your criminal history, if any. They ask about your moral character and any criminal activities such as past arrests, convictions, probation, rehabilitation, and more. Consult your attorney if you answer yes to any of them.

From 16 to 19 is regarding any previous deportation orders on you.

Then questions 20 to 29 ask about many other such issues that could be a black spot in your otherwise clean record. Regardless, always answer truthfully and if you must answer yes to any of them, then consult your attorney and decide what you should do. 

Part 4: Information About Your Spouse And/Or Children

If you are applying for the U visa on behalf of any of your eligible family members, then you should answer “yes” to question number 26 on the form and thereafter submit all necessary information about them.

Qualifying family members are spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents if you, as a principal petitioner, are an unmarried child under the age of 21 and siblings that are unmarried as well. Other family members cannot be considered on your behalf and will have to submit their applications separately.

Part 5: Petitioner’s Statement, Contact Information, Declaration, And Signature

This is typically the end of your application. With this section, all details related to you are submitted. In this section, you will provide all ways the USCIS can reach you for communication and declare that you have understood the form and all details therein and submitted your response most accurately. Then you will sign it and write the date as proof.

Part 6: Interpreter’s Contact Information, Certification, And Signature

If you don’t know English and struggle to understand this form as is, you can then use the services of a certified interpreter to do this job. There is no need to be worried as all forms are considered on the same merits. If you have used such an interpreter, then you need to have them fill out their details in this part of the form. This is because they might be contacted if there is any discrepancy in your submissions and are needed to clarify exactly what and how they translated the form.

Part 7: Contact Information, Declaration, And Signature Of The Person Preparing This Petition If Other Than The Petitioner

A lot of immigrants are uneducated, and even if they are, many of them do not know basic English. Some would want to have an expert do this so that there are no mistakes and ignorant faults. As such, Lawyers, Legal assistants, or any other qualified persons write this form on behalf of the petitioner. If you have used the services of such people, then you need to fill out their details in this part of the form

Part 8: Additional Information

Finally, in this section, you are allowed to write any additional information that you may find necessary for your application approval. Do not repeat what was earlier written, and only write that is relevant and requires that you mention in the application form.

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Final Thoughts

The application I-918 is used to applying for a U visa. It is a type of visa that grants you temporary nonimmigrant status if you are a victim of any crime that qualifies under the rules of USCIS. This application has eight parts, and each part deals with different information regarding you. The first part is your personal information and stuff that can identify you. The second part is for said criminal activities of which you are a victim. Then the third part is for information about you and your history with various relevant issues under this application. The fourth part, for family information, is if they are applying with you. 5, 6, and 7 parts are declarations by you, your attorney, and your interpreter, respectively, and finally, the eighth part is for any additional information.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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