The virtues of the U visa are showcased in a recent New York Times article. The U visa is a newly available visa and is meant to protect immigrant victims of violent crime who cooperate with law enforcement. The article showcases the U visa’s use in domestic violence situations. The U visa has been on the books for almost ten years but bureaucratic delays caused it to be unavailable until 2008. In that year only a few U visa applications were approved. However, in 2009 5,825 U visas were approved.