The increasing backlog of applications for U visas, which provide victims of crime with temporary legal status, has resulted in changes by the federal government. Approved applicants will now be able to wait for the issue of their visas in the US rather than having to return to their home countries in the meantime.
The U visa was created 16 years ago, by Congress, to update their Violence Against Women Act. This allowed the victims of serious crime to get four-year US visas enabling them to remain in the US, and encouraging them to report such crimes to law enforcement and assist with the investigation and prosecution of the criminals. Those who are given U visas can then put in applications to get a green card after three years.
There is a 10,000 yearly cap on U visas but the demand for them has far exceeded that figure. There is now a backlog of as many as 78,066 immigrants already approved for such a visa, but who have not yet received one.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services director, Leon Rodriguez, made an announcement two months ago, back in August, that the policy shift would begin in October, enabling those on the waiting list to be able to come to the US. More than 30,000 victims made applications for U visas in 2015, according to the US Customs and Immigration Services.