Humanitarian Paths: U Visas & T Visas, Visas for Victims of Crimes or Human Trafficking

Services > Humanitarian Paths: U Visas & T Visas, Visas for Victims of Crimes or Human Trafficking

T visa benefits

If you or your family members are survivors of human trafficking, which could have been sex trafficking or labor trafficking, you may be eligible for a T visa. The trafficking must have happened at least in part inside the United States. A T visa provides nonimmigrant lawful status and authorizes you to work in the United States while your application is pending and for up to four years after approval.

As an individual T-visa applicant, you may be able to include certain family members, such as your spouse and children, and in some cases parents and unmarried minor siblings, depending on your age and circumstances. When applying for a T visa, you can also request that the U.S. government forgive (“waive”) many past immigration violations and in some circumstances even criminal issues that resulted from the trafficking.

A T visa also offers a path to U.S. citizenship. T-visa holders can generally apply for lawful permanent residence after three years in T-visa status, or in many cases earlier, if the trafficking investigation is complete.

We make sure you fulfill all the essential requirements for a T visa

A central part of the T-visa process is showing that you are a victim of a severe form of trafficking, that you are physically present in the U.S. because of the trafficking, and that you would suffer extreme hardship if you were forced to return to your home country. In most cases, adult applicants must also show they have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the trafficking, although children are exempt and certain exceptions apply.

Unlike the U visa, the T visa does not require a law-enforcement certification form, but documentation of the trafficking and your cooperation (when required) is still very important. We guide you through presenting the strongest evidence to meet these requirements.

U visa benefits

If you or your family members were a victim of certain serious crimes that occurred in the United States, you may be eligible for a U visa. A U visa gives you nonimmigrant lawful status and authorizes you to work in the United States while your application is pending a final decision and for up to four years after approval.

You as an individual applicant of a U visa can include certain family members in your application, such as a spouse and children. If you apply for a U visa, at the same time you can often apply for the U.S. government to forgive (“waive”) past immigration violations and even criminal convictions.

Generally, a U visa offers a path to U.S. citizenship. A U visa holder can normally apply to become a lawful permanent resident after holding U visa status for three years.

We make sure you fulfill all the essential requirements for a U visa

One crucial component of the U visa process is demonstrating that you, the applicant, were and still are helpful to the investigation and prosecution of the crime. A designated official at the appropriate law enforcement agency, such as a police department or district attorney’s office, must sign a form stating that you were helpful to the investigation or prosecution.

It is extremely rewarding for our staff at Stouffer Law to help clients and families turn a traumatic event into something positive: stabilizing their legal status in the United States. In our office, we celebrate every time a client’s T or U visa has been approved. It brings us a lot of joy sharing the good news with our clients and knowing that a transformation has taken place beyond the legal status.