Petition for U Nonimmigrant

Draft

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

OMB No. 1615-0000; Expires 00/00/00

Not For Production

Instructions for Form I-918,
Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status

Instructions
Please read these instructions carefully to properly complete this form. If you need more space to complete an answer, use a
separate sheet(s) of paper. Write your name and Alien Registration Number (A #), if any, at the top of each sheet of paper
and indicate the part and number of the item to which the answer refers.

What Is the Purpose of This Form.
You should use Form I-918 to request temporary immigration
benefits if you are a victim of certain qualifying criminal
activity. If you received interim relief prior to publication of
regulations regarding these benefits, you should use Form
I-918.

12. Peonage;
13. Involuntary servitude;
14. Slave trade;
15. Kidnapping;
16. Abduction;
17. Unlawful criminal restraint;
18. False imprisonment;

Who May File This Form I-918.
Form I-918 should be filed by you, the victim, and may
include qualifying family members. It can also be used at a
later date to file for qualifying family members not included
on the original petition.
1. Principal Petitioner. You must demonstrate all of the
following:
A. You are a victim of criminal activity designated in
section 101(a)(15)(U) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (the Act). Such activity is defined as
being the victim of one or more of the following or any
similar activity in violation of Federal, State or local
criminal law:
1. Rape;
2. Torture;
3. Trafficking;
4. Incest;
5. Domestic violence;
6. Sexual assault;
7. Abusive sexual contact;
8. Prostitution;
9. Sexual exploitation;
10. Female genital mutilation;
11. Being held hostage;

19. Blackmail;
20. Extortion;
21. Manslaughter;
22. Murder;
23. Felonious assault;
24. Witness tampering;
25. Obstruction of justice;
26. Perjury; or
27. Attempt, conspiracy or solicitation to commit any
of the above.
B. You have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse
as a result of having been a victim of qualifying
criminal activity;
C. You possess information concerning the qualifying
criminal activity of which you were a victim;
D. A Federal, State or local government official
investigating or prosecuting a qualifying criminal
activity certifies (using Supplement B of this petition)
that you have been, you are being or you are likely to
be helpful to the official in the investigation or
prosecution of the criminal act of which you are a
victim; and
E. The criminal activity of which you are a victim
violated the laws of the United States or occurred in the
United States (including Indian country and military
installations) or the territories and possessions of the
United States.
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1. Principal Petitioner filing for a qualifying family member,
or currently holding U-1 status and filing for a qualifying
family member. You must also demonstrate that:
A. If you are under the age of 21 years, qualifying family
members for whom you are filing are your:
1. Spouse;
2. Unmarried child(ren) under the age of 21;
3. Parent(s);
4. Unmarried siblings under the age of 18.
B. If you are over the age of 21 years, qualifying family
members for whom you are filing are your:
1. Spouse;
2. Unmarried child(ren) under the age of 21.

General Instructions.
Step 1. Fill Out the Form I-918, I-918, Supplement A
and I-918, Supplement B
1. Type or print legibly in black ink.
2. If extra space is needed to complete any item, attach a
continuation sheet, indicate the item number, and date and
sign each sheet.
3. Answer all questions fully and accurately. State that an
item is not applicable with "N/A." If the answer is none,
write "none."

Completing Form I-918.
This form is divided into Parts 1 through 8. The following
information should help you fill out the form.
You, as the principal petitioner, must file a Form I-918 for
yourself. You must also file a Form 918, Supplement B, U
Nonimmigrant Status Certification that has been completed
and signed by a certifying official. The Form I-918,
Supplement B, must be submitted with the original Form
I-918 petition package. If it is not attached, your Form I-918
may be denied.
Part 1 - Information about you. (Person filing this petition
as a victim of qualifying criminal activity.)
A. Family Name (Last name) - Give your legal name. If
you have two last names, include both and use a
hyphen (-) between the names, if appropriate.

B. Given Name (First name) - Give your full first name,
do not use "nicknames." (Example: If your name is
Albert, do not use Al.)
C. Other Names Used - Provide all the names you have
used, including maiden name if applicable, married
names, nicknames, etc.
D. Home Address - Give your physical street address.
This must include a street number and name or a rural
route number. Do not put a post office box (P.O. Box)
number here.
E. Safe Mailing Address - Give your mailing address, if
different from your home address. If you do not feel
secure in receiving correspondence regarding this
petition at your home address, provide a "safe mailing
address" in this space. This address may be a post
office box, the address of a friend, your attorney, a
community based organization that is helping you, or
any other address where you can safely and punctually
receive mail.
F. Home Telephone Number - Give the phone number
with area code. If you live outside the United States,
give the country and city code.
G. Safe Daytime Telephone Number - If you do not feel
secure in receiving telephone calls regarding this
petition at your home telephone number, provide a
"safe telephone number" in this space. This number
may be for a friend, your attorney, a community-based
organization that is helping you, or any other number
where you can safely and punctually receive a call or a
message.
H. E-Mail Address - This is optional. If you do not have
an email address or feel that your email address is not
secure, write "None."
I. A Number - This is your USCIS (former INS) file
number. If you do not have an A number or do not
know it, leave this blank.
J. U.S. Social Security Number - If you do not have a
Social Security number, leave this blank.
K. Gender and Marital Status - Check the appropriate
box for each.
L. Date of Birth - Use eight numbers to show your date
of birth (example: May 1, 1979, should be written
05/01/1979).
M. Country of Birth - Give the name of the country
where you were born. Include the city, state or
province, and country.
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N. Country of Citizenship - Give the name of the
country where you are a citizen. This is not necessarily
the country where you were born.
O. Passport Number - Give the number of the passport
used to enter the United States, if applicable.

Part 7 - Signature of person preparing form, if other

than petitioner.

If you, the petitioner, did not fill out the Form I-918, the
preparer must also sign, date and give his or her address.

P. Place of Issuance - Give the location where your
passport was issued.

Completing Form 918, Supplement A Petition for
Qualifying Family Member of U-1 Recipient.

Q. Date of Issue - Give the date when your passport was
issued.

If you are filing for a qualifying family member, you must
complete a Form I-918, Supplement A, Petition for Qualifying
Family Member of U-1 Recipient. Form I-918, Supplement
A, must be submitted for each family member for whom you
are filing.

R. Place of Last Entry Into the U.S. - Give the place
where you last entered the United States, regardless of
whether that entry was legal or illegal.

T. Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Document, # - If you
are physically present in the United States, give the
number on Form I-94 issued at the time of entry.

A Form I-918, Supplement A, may be filed concurrently with
the principal petitioner's initial Form I-918 or at any time
thereafter. However, any Form I-918, Supplement A,
submitted subsequently must have the appropriate boxes
checked in Part 1, and must be accompanied by a copy of the
principal petitioner's Form I-918. Evidence submitted with
the original petition, however, need not be resubmitted.

U. Current Immigration Status - Give your current
status, regardless of how you entered the United States
(visitor, student, entry without inspection, etc.)

Part 1 - Family member(s) relationship to you
(the principal).

S. Date of Last Entry Into the U.S. - Give the date you
last entered the United States, regardless of whether
that entry was legal or illegal.

Part 2 - Additional Information.
You must answer each question. If you answer "Yes" to
any of the questions, explain on a separate sheet(s) of
paper.
Part 3 - Processing Information.
You must answer each question. If you answer "Yes" to
any of the questions, explain on a separate sheet(s) of
paper.
Part 4 - Information about spouse and/or children.
Even if you are not petitioning to bring your family member
to the United States, you must provide the requested
information about your spouse and children, if any.
Part 5 - Filing on behalf of family members.
Complete this question to indicate whether you are
petitioning for one or more qualifying family members at
this time. See Section B below for information on
completing a petition on behalf of your qualifying family
member.
Part 6 - Attestation, release and signature.
You, the petitioner, must sign and date the form. If you do
not sign the form, the petition will be returned as
incomplete.

Check the appropriate box.
Part 2 - Information about you.
A. Family Name (Last name) - Give your legal name. If
you have two last names, include both and use a
hyphen (-) between the names, if appropriate.
B. Given Name (First name) - Give your full first name,
do not use "nicknames." (Example: If your name is
Albert, do not use Al.)
C. Date of Birth - Use eight numbers to show your date
of birth (example: May 1, 1979, should be written
05/01/1979).
D. A Number - This is your USCIS (former INS) file
number.
E. Status of your Form I-918, Petition for U
Nonimmigrant Status - Check the appropriate box.
Part 3 - Information about your qualifying family member
(the derivitave).
A. Family Name (Last name) - Give his or her legal
name. If he or she has two last names, include both
and use a hyphen (-) between the names, if appropriate.
B. Given Name (First name) - Give your full first name,
do not use "nicknames." (Example: If your name is
Albert, do not use Al.)
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C. Other Names Used - Provide all the names he or she
has used, including maiden name, if applicable,
married names, nicknames, etc.
D. Date of Birth - Use eight numbers to show his or her
date of birth (example: May 1, 1979, should be written
05/01/1979).
E. Country of Birth - Give the name of the country
where he or she was born. Include the city, state or
province, and country.
F. Country of Citizenship - Give the name of the country
where he or she is a citizen. This is not necessarily the
country where he or she was born.
G. Intended Address in the United States - Give his or
her intended physical street address. This must include
a street number and name or a rural route number. Do
not put a post office box (P.O. Box) number here.
H. Safe Mailing Address - Give his or her mailing
address, if different from his or her intended home
address. If he or she does not feel secure in receiving
correspondence regarding this petition at his or her
home address, provide a "safe mailing address" in this
space. This address may be a post office box, the
address of a friend, your/his or her attorney, a
community based organization, or any other address
where he or she can safely and punctually receive mail.
I. A Number - This is his or her USCIS (former INS) file
number. If he or she does not have an A number or you
do not know it leave this blank.
J. U.S. Social Security Number - If he or she does not
have a U.S. Social Security number, leave this blank.
K. Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Document Number If physically present in the United States, give the
number on I-94 issued at the time of entry.
L. Home Telephone Number - Give the telephone
number with area code where he or she lives and can
be reached during the day.
M. Safe Daytime Telephone # - If he or she does not feel
secure receiving telephone calls regarding this petition
at his or her home, provide a “safe telephone number”
in this space. This number may be for a friend, his or
her attorney, a community-based organization, or any
other number where he or she can safely and
punctually receive a call or a message.
N. Gender and Marital Status - Check the appropriate
box for each.

Part 4 - Additional information about your qualifying
family member.
A. Numbers 1 through 7 - Give all the requested
information.
B. Numbers 8 through 26 - A response must be given for
each question.
Part 5 - Attestation, release and signature.
You, the petitioner, must sign and date the form. If you do
not sign the form, your petition will be returned as
incomplete.
If the family member for whom you are filing is in the
United States, he or she must sign and date the form. If
her or she does not sign or date the form, the Form I-918,
Supplement A, will be returned as incomplete.
Part 6 - Signature of person preparing form, if other than
petitioner.
If you, the petitioner, did not fill out the Form I-918,
Supplement A, the preparer must also sign, date and give
his or her address.

Completing Form I-918, Supplement B
U Nonimmigrant Status Certificaton.
A Form I-918, Supplement B, U Nonimmigrant Status
Certification, must be filed concurrently with your (the principal
petitioner) initial Form I-918. This certification is required; if
you fail to submit a properly completed certification with
your Form I-918, the petition may be denied.
This supplement must be completed by the certifying official
of the agency conducting an investigation or prosecution of
the qualifying criminal activity of which you are a victim. It
must have been signed within the six months immediately
preceding the submission of the petition package and the
signature on the Form I-918, Supplement B, must be original.

Step 2. General requirements
Required Initial Evidence to Support Petition for
U Nonimmigrant Status.
The following initial evidence must be included with Form
I-918.
For petitioners who requested and received initial relief,
USCIS will consider the evidence submitted by the petitioner
in conjunction with his or her request for interim relief as part
of the petition package. Such petitioners may file additional
evidence with the Form I-918 to supplement the evidence
submitted to request interim relief, if they choose.
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General Instructions. One document may be used to
demonstrate more than one element of your claim.
A. Form I-918 Supplement B, U Nonimmigrant Status
Certification. You must submit a properly and timely
executed Supplement B certification with your
petition. However, petitioners who requested and
received U interim relief, are not required to file
Supplement B.
This certification will be given significant weight as
evidence demonstrating that you are a victim; that you
possess information about the criminal activity; that the
criminal activity violated the laws of the United States
or occurred in the United States (including Indian
country and military installations) or the territories and
possessions of the United States; and that you are likely
to be, are being, or have been helpful in the
investigation or prosecution of the qualifying criminal
activity of which you are a victim. You also must
provide any additional relevant evidence to help meet
these eligibility requirements.
B. Evidence You Are the Victim of Qualifying
Criminal Activity. You must demonstrate you have
suffered direct and proximate harm as a result of the
commission of qualifying criminal activity. You must
include with your petition evidence establishing you
are a victim of qualifying criminal activity. You may
use Form I-918, Supplement B to help establish this
eligibility requirement, but you should also include
with your petition any additional evidence you want
USCIS to consider. A non-exhaustive list of the types
of evidence you may submit includes, but is not limited
to:
1. Trial transcripts;
2. Court documents;
3. Police reports;
4. News articles;
5. Affidavits;
6. Orders of protection.
C. Evidence You Have Suffered Substantial Physical
or Mental Abuse. You must present credible evidence
that demonstrates you suffered substantial physical or
mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of
qualifying criminal activity. You may use Form I-918
Supplement B to help establish this eligibility
requirement, but you should also include with your
petition any additional evidence you want USCIS to
consider.

The evidence must show the nature and severity of the
abuse you suffered. Factors USCIS will consider to
determine whether the abuse is substantial include:
1. The nature of the injury inflicted;
2. The severity of the perpetrator's conduct;
3. The severity of the harm you suffered;
4. The duration of the infliction of the harm; and
5. The extent to which there is permanent or serious
harm to your appearance, health, or physical or
mental soundness.
No single factor is a prerequisite to establish that the
abuse suffered was substantial, nor does the existence of
one or more of the factors automatically create a
presumption that the abuse was substantial. If the
criminal activity caused the aggravation of a pre-existing
physical or mental injury, that aggravation will be
considered in evaluating whether the harm constitutes
substantial physical or mental abuse. If the criminal
activity involved a series of acts or occurred repeatedly
over a period of time, please document the pattern of
abuse. USCIS will consider the abuse in its totality -- a
series of acts taken together may be considered to have
caused substantial physical or mental abuse even where
no single act alone rises to that level.
You are encouraged to provide and document all
credible evidence, particularly when documenting a
pattern of abuse. A non-exhaustive list of suggested
forms of evidence includes, but is not limited to:
1. Reports and/or affidavits from judges and other
court officials, medical personnel, school officials,
clergy, social workers and other social service
personnel;
2. Orders of protection and related legal documents;
3. Photos of your visible injuries supported by
affidavits;
4. Affidavits from witnesses, acquaintances or family
members who have personal knowledge of the facts
regarding the criminal activity.
D. Evidence You Possess Information Concerning
Qualifying Criminal Activity. You must submit
evidence demonstrating you possess information
concerning the qualifying criminal activity of which
you were a victim. You must demonstrate that you
have knowledge of details concerning the criminal
activity that would assist in the investigation or
prosecution of that criminal activity.
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You may use Form I-918 Supplement B to help
establish this eligibility requirement, but you should
also include with your petition any additional evidence
you want USCIS to consider. Additional evidence to
establish you possess information about the qualifying
criminal activity may include, but is not limited to,
reports and affidavits from police, judges, and other
court officials.
In cases where the petitioner is a child under 16 years
of age or is incapacitated or incompetent, this
requirement can be satisfied by the parent, guardian, or
next friend submitting the evidence on behalf of the
petitioner. Evidence to meet this eligibility
requirement must include documents establishing the
age, incapacity, or incompetence of the victim.
Examples of such evidence include, but are not limited
to: birth certificate of the petitioner, court documents
demonstrating recognition of an individual as the
petitioner's “next friend,” medical records, or reports of
licensed medical professionals demonstrating the
incapacity or incompetence of the petitioner.
E. Evidence of Helpfulness. You must submit evidence
demonstrating that you have been, are being, or are
likely to be helpful to a certifying official in the
investigation or prosecution of the qualifying criminal
activity of which you are a victim.
You must submit Form I-918 Supplement B to help
establish this eligibility requirement, but you should
also include with your petition any additional evidence
you want USCIS to consider. Examples of such
evidence include, but are not limited to:
1. Trial transcripts;
2. Court documents;
3. Police reports;
4. News articles;
5. Copies of reimbursement forms for travel to and
from court;
6. Affidavits of other witnesses or officials.
In cases where the petitioner is a child under 16 years
of age or is incapacitated or incompetent, this
requirement can be satisfied by the parent, guardian, or
next friend submitting the evidence on behalf of the
petitioner. Evidence to meet this eligibility
requirement must include documents establishing the
age, incapacity, or incompetence of the victim.

Examples of such documentation include, but are not
limited to: birth certificate of the petitioner, court
documents demonstrating recognition of an individual
as the petitioner's “next friend,” medical records, or
reports of licensed medical professionals demonstrating
the incapacity or incompetence of the petitioner.
F. Evidence Criminal Activity is Qualifying and
Violated U.S. Law or Occurred in the United States.
You must submit evidence that the criminal activity of
which you were a victim is included in the list of
criminal activity included in these instructions, and that
the criminal activity violated a U.S. federal law that
provides for extraterritorial jurisdiction or occurred in
the United States (including in Indian country and
military installations) or the territories and possessions
of the United States.
You must submit Form I-918 Supplement B to help
establish this eligibility requirement, but you should
also include with your petition any additional evidence
you want USCIS to consider. An example of such
additional evidence includes, but is not limited to, a
copy of the statutory provision(s) showing the elements
of the offense or factual information about the criminal
activity demonstrating that it is similar to a crime
contained the list of qualifying criminal activity
contained in these instructions. If the criminal activity
occurred outside the United States, the additional
evidence may include a copy of the statutory provision
(s) providing for the extraterritorial jurisdiction, and
documentation showing that the criminal activity
violated Federal law and is prosecutable in a Federal
court.
G. Personal Statement. You must provide a personal
narrative statement. This statement should describe
the qualifying criminal activity of which you were a
victim and must include the following information:
1. The nature of the criminal activity;
2. When the criminal activity occurred;
3. Who was responsible;
4. The events surrounding the criminal activity;
5. How the criminal activity came to be investigated or
prosecuted; and
6. What substantial physical and/or mental abuse you
suffered as a result of having been the victim of the
criminal activity.

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When the petitioner is under the age of 16,
incapacitated, or incompetent, a parent, guardian, or
next friend may submit a statement in lieu of the
petitioner that contains as much information
surrounding the criminal activity and physical and/or
mental abuse as possible.
H. Waiver of Ground(s) of Inadmissibility. To be
eligible for U nonimmigrant status, you must be
admissible to the United States. If you or your
qualifying family member(s) answered "Yes" to one of
the questions in Part 3 of the Form I-918 or Form I-918,
Supplement A, you or your qualifying family
member(s) may be inadmissible.
If you and/or your qualifying family member(s) is or
becomes inadmissible for conduct that occurs while the
petition for U nonimmigrant status is pending, you and/
or your family member(s) will not be eligible for U
nonimmigrant status unless the ground of
inadmissibility is waived by USCIS.
Petitioners seeking a waiver of inadmissibility must
submit a Form I-192, Application for Advance
Permission to Enter as a Nonimmigrant (Pursuant to
Section 212(d)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act). A separate fee must be filed with Form I-192.
Form I-192 should be filed concurrently with Form
I-918. USCIS, in its discretion, will decide eligibility
for the waiver.
Form I-918, Supplement A, and Evidence to Establish
Derivative U Nonimmigrant Status.
You must include:
1. A completed Form I-918, Supplement A, Petition for
Immediate Family Member of U-1 Recipient, for each
qualifying family member you want included on your
petition.
2. Credible documentation of the claimed relationship.
Documents acceptable for this purpose are as follows:
If you are filing for your:
A. Husband or Wife - Submit a copy of your marriage
certificate issued by a civil authority.
If either you or your spouse were married before, you
must submit documents to show all previous marriages
were legally terminated. (Example: a divorce decree
or death certificate.)

B. Child and you are the mother - Submit a copy of the
child's birth certificate showing your name and the
name of the child issued by a civil authority.
C. Child and you are the father - Submit a copy of the
child's birth certificate issued by a civil authority
showing both parents' names. If the child was born out
of wedlock give proof that a parent/child relationship
exists or existed. (Example: the child's birth certificate
showing your name and evidence that you have
financially supported the child. In some cases, a blood
test may be necessary. )
D. Mother - Submit a copy of your birth certificate issued
by a civil authority, showing your name and your
mother's name.
E. Father - Submit a copy of your birth certificate
showing the names of both parents. Also give a copy
of your parents' marriage certificate establishing that
your father was married to your mother before you
were born, and copies of documents showing that any
prior marriages of either your father or mother were
legally terminated. If you are filing for a stepparent or
adoptive parent, or if you are filing for your father and
were not legitimated before your 18th birthday, also
see C, G and H.
F. Brother or sister - Submit a copy of your birth
certificate and a copy of your brother's or sister's birth
certificate showing that you have at least one common
parent. If you and your brother or sister have a
common father but different mothers, submit copies of
the marriage certificates of the father to each mother
and copies of documents showing that any prior
marriages of either your father or mothers were legally
terminated. If you and your brother or sister are
related through adoption or through a stepparent, or if
you have a common father and either of you were not
legitimated before your 18th birthday, see also G and
H.
G. Stepparent/stepchild - If your petition is based on a
stepparent-stepchild relationship, you must file your
petition with a copy of the marriage certificate of the
stepparent to the child's natural parent showing that the
marriage occurred before the child's 18th birthday, and
copies of documents showing that any prior marriages
were legally terminated.

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H. Adoptive parent or adopted child- If you and the
person you are filing for are related by adoption, you
must submit a copy of the adoption decree(s) showing
that the adoption took place before the child became 16
years old. If you adopted the sibling of a child you
already adopted, you must submit a copy of the
adoption decree(s) showing that the adoption of the
sibling occured before that child's 18th birthday. In
either case, you must also submit copies of evidence
that each child was in the legal custody of and resided
with the parent(s) who adopted him or her for at least
two years before or after the adoption. Legal custody
may only be granted by a court or recognized
government entity and is usually granted at the time the
adoption is finalized. However, if legal custody is
granted by a court or recognized government agency
prior to the adoption, that time may count to fulfill the
two-year legal custody requirement.
I. Your unmarried sibling under age 18 - Submit a
certified copy of your birth certificate and a copy of
your brother's or sister's birth certificate showing that
you have at least one common parent.
Unavailable Documents. If a required document is not
available, you may give USCIS the following instead.
NOTE: USCIS may require a statement from the appropriate
civil authority certifying that the necessary document is
unavailable.
1. Church record: A certificate under the seal where the
baptism, dedication or comparable rite occurred within
two months after the birth, showing the date and place of
the child's birth, date of the religious ceremony and the
names of the child's parents.
2. Census records: State or federal census records showing
the names place of birth and date of birth or age of the
person listed.
3. School record: A letter from the authority of the school
attended (preferably the first school) showing dates of
admission to the school, child's date and place of birth and
the names and birthplaces of both parents if shown in the
school records.
4. Affidavits: Written statements sworn to or affirmed by two
persons who were living at the time and who have personal
knowledge of the event you are trying to prove. (Example:
the date and place of birth, marriage, divorce or death.)
The person making the affidavit need not be a citizen of the
United States. Each affidavit should contain the following:
A. The relationship, if any, between you and the affiant;

B. Full information concerning the event; and
C. Complete details concerning how the person acquired
knowledge of the event.
NOTE: In a case where you or your relative's name has
changed from what is shown on the supporting document,
submit the legal document authorizing such name change.
(Example: marriage certificate, adoption decree, court
order, etc.)

Translations. Any document containing foreign language
submitted to the Service shall be accompanied by a full
English language translation which the translator has certified
as complete and accurate, and by the translator's certification
that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign
language into English.
Copies. Unless specifically required that an original

document be filed with an application or petition, an ordinary
legible photocopy may be submitted. Original documents
submitted when not required will remain a part of the record,
even if the submission was not required.

Where To File.
Mail your complete petition package to the following address:
USCIS - Vermont Service Center
75 Lower Welden Street
St. Albans, VT 05479-0001

What Is the Filing Fee.
There is no filing fee for Form I-918.

However, a biometric fee of $80.00 is required when filing
this Form I-918. After you submit Form I-918, USCIS will
notify you about when and where to go for biometric services.
Use the following guidelines when you prepare your check or
money order for the biometric services fee:
1. The check or money order must be drawn on a bank or
other financial institution located in the United States
and must be payable in U.S. currency; and
2. Make the check or money order payable to U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, unless:
A. If you live in Guam and are filing your petition
there, make it payable to Treasurer, Guam.

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Not For Production
B. If you live in the U.S. Virgin Islands and are filing
your petition there, make it payable to
Commissioner of Finance of the Virgin Islands.
NOTE: Please spell out U.S. Department of Homeland
Security; do not use the initials "USDHS" or "DHS."
Notice to Those Making Payment by Check. If you send us
a check, it will be converted into an electronic funds transfer
(EFT). This means we will copy your check and use the
account information on it to electronically debit your account
for the amount of the check. The debit from your account will
usually take 24 hours, and will be shown on your regular
account statement.
You will not receive your original check back. We will
destroy your original check, but we will keep a copy of it. If
the EFT cannot be processed for technical reasons, you
authorize us to process the copy in place of your original
check. If the EFT cannot be completed because of insufficient
funds, we may try to make the transfer up to two times.
How to Check If the Fees Are Correct.
The form and biometric fees on this form are current as of the
edition date appearing in the lower right corner of this page.
However, because USCIS fees change periodically, you can
verify if the fees are correct by following one of the steps
below:
1. Visit our website at www.uscis.gov, select "Immigration
Forms" check the appropriate fee;
2. Review the Fee Schedule included in your form package, if
you called us to request the form; or
3. Telephone our National Customer Service Center at
1-800-375-5283 and ask for the fee information.
NOTE: Because Form I-918 requires payment of a biometric
service fee for USCIS to take your fingerprints, photograph or
signature, you can use the same procedure to to obtain the
correct biometric services fee.
Biometric Services Fee Waiver Request.
If you are unable to pay the biometric services fee, you may
submit a written request for a waiver of this fee.
USCIS will use the Poverty Guidelines published annually by
the Department of Health and Human Services as the basic
criteria in determining your eligibility for such a waiver.
The Poverty Guidelines will be used as a guide, but not as a
conclusive standard, in adjudicating a fee waiver request.

Address Changes.
If you change your address and you have an application or
petition pending with USCIS, you may change your address
on-line at www.uscis.gov, click on "Change your address with
USCIS" and follow the prompts or by completing and mailing
Form AR-11, Alien's Change of Address Card, to:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address
P.O. Box 7134
London, KY 40742-7134
For commercial overnight or fast freight services only, mail
to:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address
1084-I South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744

Processing Information.
Any Form I-918 that is not signed will be rejected with a
notice that the Form I-918 is deficient. You may correct the
deficiency and resubmit the Form I-918. A petition is not
considered properly filed until accepted by USCIS.

Initial processing. Once a Form Form I-918 has been

accepted, it will be checked for completness, including
submission of the required initial evidence. If you do not
completely fill out the form, or file it without required initial
evidence, you will not establish a basis for eligibility and we
may deny your Form I-918.

Requests for more information or interview. We may

request more information or evidence, or we may request that
you appear at a USCIS office for an interview. We may also
request that you submit the originals of any copy. We will
return these originals when they are no longer required.

Employment Authorization. If your petition is approved,
you will be employment authorized incident to status and
USCIS will send you an Employment Authorization
Document as evidence of that authorization.

Derivative family members are also employment authorized
incident to status. If they wish to obtain an Employment
Authorization Document as evidence of authorization, a Form
I-765, Application for Employment Authorization Document,
with appropriate fee, may be filed concurrently with the Form
I-918 and Form I-918, Supplement A.
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Derivative family members living outside the United States
are not eligible to receive employment authorization until they
lawfully enter the United States. Do not file Form I-765 for a
derivative family member who is outside the United States.

Decision. The decision on a Form Form I-918 involves a
determination of whether you have established eligiblity for
the requested benefit. You will be notified of the decision in
writing.
Prohibition on Disclosure of Information. Information

concerning U nonimmigrant status petitioners is protected
against disclosure. Adverse determination of admissibility or
deportability cannot be made based on information obtained
from the perpetrator of substantial physical or mental abuse
and the criminal activity. The disclosure of information
relating to a pending or approved petition for U nonimmigrant
status is prohibited except in certain circumstances, such as to
investigative agencies who have a reason to know based on a
legitimate law enforcement purpose.

USCIS Forms and Information.
To order USCIS forms, call our toll-free number at 1-800870-3676. You can also get USCIS forms and information on
immigration laws, regulations and procedures by telephoning
our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or
visiting our internet website at www.uscis.gov.
As an altenative to waiting in line for assistance at your local
USCIS office, you can now schedule an appointment through
our internet-based system, InfoPass. To access the system,
visit our website. Use the InfoPass appointment scheduler and
follow the screen prompts to set up your appointment.
InfoPass generates an electronic appointment notice that
appears on the screen.

Privacy Act Notice.
We ask for the information on this form, and associated
evidence, to determine if you have established eligibility for
the immigration benefit for which you are filing. Our legal
right to ask for this information can be found in the
Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. We may
provide this information to other government agencies. Failure
to provide this information, and any requested evidence, may
delay a final decision or result in denial of your Form I-918.

Paperwork Reduction Act.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information
collection and a person is not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid
OMB control number. The public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated at five hours per
response, including the time for reviewing instructions,
completing and submitting the form. In addition, the
estimated average time to complete and file Supplement A of
this petition is one hour, 30 minutes per response. Finally, the
estimated average time to complete and file Supplement B of
this petition is 1 hour per response. Send comments regarding
this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden,
to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Regulatory
Management Division, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., 3rd
Floor, Suite 3008, Washington, DC 20529. OMB No.
XXXXXX. Do not mail your petition to this address.

Penalties.
If you knowingly and willfully falsify or conceal a material
fact or submit a false document with this Form I-918, we will
deny the Form I-918 and may deny any other immigration
benefit.
In addition, you will face severe penalties provided by law and
may be subject to criminal prosecution.

Form I-918 Instructions (Rev. 06/19/07) N Page 10