U and T Visa Certification State Law Requirements: Review, Comparison, and Trends (December 31, 2024) [pdf]

This article reviews and charts the provisions of each of the U and T visa certification laws that have been passed by state legislatures in twenty states. State U and T visa statutes are designed to encourage state and local agencies to sign U visa certifications and T visa endorsements statewide while fostering consistency and transparency in victim’s ability to access certifications. State U and T visa certification law provisions are broken down into topics. The section on each topic includes a brief overview of the topic, a bulleted list comparing the various ways state laws address the topic, and a chart with the text of the provisions in each states’ laws addressing that topic. The charts facilitate swift identification on trends and emerging issues related to each topic and will help advocates, attorneys, judges, and government agency staff quickly identify the U and T visa certification laws that apply in their states, in neighboring states, or other states to which a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, child abuse, elder abuse, or human trafficking is considering moving when fleeing an abusive home, workplace, or trafficker.