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U-Visa
U-VISA I-918, Petition for Nonimmigrant Status Certification
Administered by the Department of Homeland Security, a U-Visa allows immigration protection for victims of qualifying crimes and their qualifying family members (as appropriate), who are helpful to law enforcement in the detention, investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. This is a temporary visa that can be valid up to four years, and in some cases may be extended.
U-Visa’s are not automatic and can only be granted if the appropriate paperwork is sent to Homeland Security via the law enforcement agency where the criminal activity occurred.
If the incident(s) occurred within the jurisdiction of the King County Sheriff’s Office, then applicants submit their completed I-918 documents for certification. The certifying official is Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall.
In order to certify a petition, the petitioner should submit evidence, attached to their petition, of their cooperation with law enforcement. Sheriff’s deputies or detectives involved must concur that a U-Visa applicant has both cooperated with law enforcement and will cooperate in any subsequent prosecution before Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall certifies the application.
Email requests to KCSOUvisa@kingcounty.gov for research and processing. The file will then be forwarded to Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall for final authorization/signature of certification.
Per RCW 7.98.020, King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) will process and respond to all request within 90 days unless the victim is in federal immigration removal proceedings, in which case KCSO will execute the certification no later than 14 days after the request is received.
For more information on the process and forms required, please visit https://www.uscis.gov/I-918.