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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>69859</law_id><section_number>9.1-1500</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="9.1">Commonwealth Public Safety</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="15">Certifications for Victims of Qualifying Criminal Activity</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Certification form</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">certification form</span> or declaration completed by a <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> that is required by federal immigration <span class="dictionary">law</span> certifying that a person is a <span class="dictionary">victim of <span class="dictionary">qualifying criminal activity</span></span>. Such form or declaration may include any information required (i) by 8 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;1184(p), including the current United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-918, Supplement B, or any successor form for purposes of obtaining a U visa, or (ii) by 8 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;1184(o), including the current United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-914, Supplement B, or any successor form for purposes of obtaining a T visa.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Certifying agency</span>&#x201D; means a state or local <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency, an attorney for the Commonwealth, the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>, or any other agency or department employing <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions" href="/9.1-101/">9.1-101</a> that has responsibility for the investigation or <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> of a <span class="dictionary">qualifying criminal activity</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Certifying official</span>&#x201D; means the head of the <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span>, a <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions" href="/9.1-101/">9.1-101</a>, or any person employed by a <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> in a supervisory role who has been specifically designated by the head of the <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> U nonimmigrant status certifications on behalf of that agency. A <span class="dictionary">certifying official</span> may act on behalf of his employing <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> or on behalf of another <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> through an agreement with the other <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span>. Each <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> shall designate at least one <span class="dictionary">certifying official</span> for its agency.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Qualifying criminal activity</span>&#x201D; means any activity, regardless of the stage of detection, investigation, or <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span>, designated in 8 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;1101(a)(15)(U)(iii), or in any implementing federal regulations, supplementary information, guidance, and instructions.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Victim of <span class="dictionary">qualifying criminal activity</span></span>&#x201D; means a person described in 8 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;1101(a)(15)(U)(i)(III), in the definition of &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">victim of a severe form of trafficking</span>&#x201D; in 22 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;7102(11), or in any implementing federal regulations, supplementary information, guidance, and instructions.</p></section></text><history>2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 468.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
