MUNI-PHILADELPHIA COUNTYlocal legislationIN MAYOR'S OFFICE

New City Process for U-Visa and T-Visa Certifications

Original title: Amending Title 21 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled “Miscellaneous” to add a Chapter entitled “U-Visa and T-Visa Certifications,” providing for a process for Certifying Agencies, including timely responses to requests, confidentiality of requests, guidelines for the grant or denial of a request, and other procedures, all under certain terms and conditions.

June 11, 2026

immigration public safety city code human services

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The Frame

What this does

This legislation creates a standardized, mandatory timeline and procedure for city agencies to process certifications required for victims of certain crimes to apply for federal immigration relief.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Crime victims seeking immigration relief

The bill establishes the timeline and standards for how their certification requests are processed by city agencies.

City Certifying Agencies

These agencies must now follow specific, codified procedures and timelines when handling certification requests.

What changed

Last recorded activity June 11, 2026.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This bill establishes a formal process for Philadelphia city agencies to handle requests for and certifications. It sets requirements for timely responses, confidentiality, and clear guidelines for how these requests are approved or denied.

Key Facts

The bill adds a new chapter to Title 21 of the Philadelphia Code regarding U-Visa and T-Visa certifications.
It mandates that city agencies must establish a formal process for responding to certification requests.
The legislation requires agencies to provide timely responses to applicants.
The bill establishes confidentiality protections for individuals requesting certifications.
The bill creates specific guidelines for the criteria used to grant or deny a certification request.
The bill was introduced on April 9, 2026.
The bill is currently pending in the Mayor's Office.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are U-Visas and T-Visas?

These are federal immigration benefits for victims of certain crimes () or victims of human trafficking () who assist law enforcement or government officials in investigations.

Does this bill change who is eligible for a visa?

No, this bill regulates the internal process for how Philadelphia city agencies handle the certification paperwork required for these federal applications.

Why It Matters

This legislation creates a standardized, mandatory timeline and procedure for city agencies to process certifications required for victims of certain crimes to apply for federal immigration relief.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Codification of Discretionary Processes

The bill moves the handling of visa certifications from potentially informal agency practices to a codified, mandatory city-wide process.

Philadelphia City Council

Connected Entities

organizationPhiladelphia City Council“Legislative body responsible for the Philadelphia Code.”Map →

organizationCommittee on Public Health and Human Services“The committee overseeing the bill's review.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

webapi.legistar.com

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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