ACCESS
→MEMBERS log in here: https://www.icwclaw.org/icwc-u-visa-certifier-cp-database.
U Visa Certifiers: National List of Designated Certifiers for Form I-918 Supplement B
U Visa Travel:
Fingerprinting/Biometrics Abroad
Visas: NIV + IV
The Nonimmigrant Visa through an approved I-918 petition
The Immigrant Visa through an approved I-929
Border Entries via CBP: learn about successful entries without a visa
EOIR for Us in Removal: List of all Federal Immigration Courts with tips for U applicants in removal
Referrals to Service Providers: Advocates in the U.S. and Abroad
Join more than 1,300 advocates nationwide on the ICWC U Visa Certifier & CP Collaborative Database (formerly hosted on the Zoho platform). All members gain access to the entire database through the membership year (January 15th – January 15th). The beauty of this resource is that all members can simultaneously edit and view the information. Due to the collaborative nature, the information is only as accurate as its participating members make it.
The purpose of the U Visa Certifiers section is to pool our knowledge on not only who the certifying officers are and where to send the requests, but the most updated policies and practices, nationwide. We want this work to be efficient for us and not overwhelming for law enforcement. The goal is to update information on every state and federal agency, whether they do or don’t sign certifications.
The purpose of the U Visa Travel sections is to facilitate overcoming the challenges and complications of the U.S. consulates and embassies, as they evolve with their practices on (1) our clients petitioning for U Nonimmigrant status who need to get fingerprints for their biometrics abroad, (2) our clients with an approved I-918/A petition need a U Nonimmigrant Visa to enter or re-enter the U.S. (3) our clients attempting to obtain admission to the U.S. on U status through a border crossing with Customs and Border Protection, and (4) our clients with approved I-929 petitions who need to enter on an Immigrant Visa. While you may already know how the process should work, each consulate and embassy continues to maintain its own policies and procedures.
The purpose of the EOIR for Us in Removal section is to share information on the policies and practices at the Immigration Courts nationwide, relating to U visa applicants in various stages: from filing the 918, to placement on the waitlist, to those with U Nonimmigrant status, to those filing for their adjustment of status. Immigration Judges are regularly granting motions to administratively close, dismiss, or terminate for respondents in the U visa process, but the when and how varies. The goal is to pool our knowledge on what’s happening on the ground at each court, as related to those with pending or approved U visa applications, so that our clients can resolve their removal issues more efficiently.
We are also keeping a list of Referrals to Service Providers for members to share details on intake procedures for cross-referring U visa cases. Finally, members may share service providers abroad who may be able to assist clients while they are outside the U.S.
WHO CAN JOIN
The ICWC U Visa Certifier & CP Collaborative Database is open to advocates who are regularly assisting clients with U visa cases.
When you request to join, you will confirm your position with your office or organization.
ICWC recommends that short-term volunteers (e.g. one-semester law clerks, interns, or Pro Bono attorneys taking their first U visa case) either (a) create one email account for all short-term people at your location and a staff member request I add that account as a new member (e.g. ICWCvolunteers@gmail.com) or (b) provide your short-term people with the limited information they need from the database. The staff member may provide any necessary updates to the database on the intern/volunteer’s behalf.
RULES FOR PARTICIPATION
In exchange for access to view and edit the ICWC U Visa Certifier and CP Collaborative Database, all members agree to the following:
Use the database as a Non-Profit or Pro-Bono member only if you are primarily working on U visa cases through a Non-Profit (at free or low-fee rates) or as a pro-bono (free rate). The Non-Profit organization must be a registered 501(c)(3), which will include most law school clinics. If you are using this resource to primarily serve U visa clients through a for-profit, private practice setting, you will select your membership type as a Private Practice member.
Use the information from the database only for yourself and your in-house colleagues or pro bono attorneys working directly with your office on your U visa cases.
Do NOT share your username/password for the database with those not listed in item 2, above.
Notify us at uvisadatabasesupport@icwclaw.org if you make or notice errors that you are unable to correct yourself.
Do not request that ICWC add and/or edit content to the database. Due to the collaborative nature, the information is only as accurate as its participating members make it.
Allow ICWC up to one week to respond to either your request for membership or technical assistance.
HOW TO JOIN
Request to join the database, from your work email account. Please email, uvisadatabasesupport@icwclaw.org with the following information:
If you do not have a domain name in your email address that is the same as the office where you work, include proof of your employment (e.g. a link to your information on the office webpage or attach a letter signed by your supervisor).
Indicate in your email, Membership type: Non-Profit, Pro-Bono, or Private Practice
Free to Non-Profit and Pro-Bono members
For Private Practice Members: Make Payment Before Requesting Database Access (see how below)
Include in your email the following:
Member’s name*
Member’s email*
Name of member’s organization, firm, solo practice, or law school clinic*
Member’s title/position at the office or organization given above*
City and State where the member works on U visas*
*Include your email signature in your email where possible, which will usually have most (if not all) of the information requested above in 1-5.
$100 Fee
The fee for private practice membership is a tax deductible $100 per year, starting January 15th each year. The fee is prorated down to $50 if you join after July 15th.
You may pay by credit card, check, or money order.
For credit card payments, click the “Donate Now” button on the top right of the screen.
In the “Designation” box, write: ICWC U Visa Database.
Then email the information requested above with the date of your online payment.
Write out check or money order payments to: ICWC.
Send by mail with the information requested above to the following address: ICWC, Attn: ICWC U Visa Database, 1254 Market St. 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA 94102.
ICWC’s administration of this resource is only supported by the generous contributions of private practice members. This private practice fee helps support the annual subscription fee paid to Caspio for hosting the database and the administrative cost for ICWC staff. In addition to adding new members and removing old members, ICWC moderates the database, provides assistance to users unfamiliar with the software, monitors glitches and typos, provides outreach to potential contributors and members, and regularly maintains archives in the case of major glitches and typos over time.
HOW TO USE - THE COLLABORATION
The ICWC U Visa Certifier and CP Collaborative Database is now hosted on ICWC’s website (we previously used a host called Zoho).
As the name suggests, this is a Collaboration. Edit the database as often as you have new information.
Go to the Toolbar to Select the Category of Information you’d like to Access:
U Visa Certifying Officers
Consulates: Fingerprints + U Visa
Consulates: I-929
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
EOIR: Us in Removal
Referrals
Find the Search Options below the Toolbar
Enter any key words (e.g. for “City” of a Certifier, type in “San Francisco”)
Then click the grey SEARCH bar
Then you’ll see a list of entries, in summary view, from your search
Below the grey SEARCH bar, if you do NOT conduct a search, you’ll find the full list of entries, in summary view, in alphabetical order
View and Edit
To View an entry
Go to the far right and Click: “View Details”
Click BACK when you are done
If you decide to edit while viewing, then click UPDATE when you are done
To Edit an entry
Go to the far right and Click: “View Details”
Edit the relevant outdated cells
TIP 1: if the cell is more like a comment than flat information like names of certifiers or a new fax number, then also ADD in parenthesis at the end of your comment, your (1) Name and (2) Date.
TIP 2: add the most current information at the top of the box, and leave historical information if you believe it might still be useful.
Then click UPDATE when you are done
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Find → Training and Instructions for U Visa Practitioners (including consular processing and humanitarian parole) from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC):
“The U Visa: Obtaining Status for Immigrant Victims of Crime,” 6th Edition, co-authored by ICWC staff, http://www.ilrc.org/publications/the-u-visa
Watch the 90 minute ILRC recorded webinars- https://www.ilrc.org/recordings, especially:
Technical Assistance on Legal Issues
ICWC is not financially supported by any grant to provide technical assistance or training. For that reason, our sliding scale client fees go almost exclusively to providing high quality direct legal services to immigrant crime survivors, with no waitlist. As a result, ICWC unfortunately does not have the resources to regularly provide free technical assistance to attorneys. As often as we can, we do respond to unanswered technical assistance questions on the local and national VAWA listserves, including ASISTA experts. ICWC recommends you seek technical assistance on your case inquiries with our partners at the ILRC, ASISTA, or CLINIC!
Thank you in advance for your collaboration on this project!