What Is a T Visa?

Human trafficking happens when people are recruited, transported or held through force, fraud or coercion for labor or commercial sex. The T visa protects survivors and encourages them to help bring traffickers to justice.

Who qualifies

You must (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(T); USCIS):

• Be or have been a victim of a severe form of trafficking: sex trafficking, or labor trafficking through force, fraud or coercion for involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery. Any commercial sex involving a person under 18 is sex trafficking.
• Be physically present in the US, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, or at a port of entry on account of the trafficking
• Comply with reasonable requests from law enforcement for help, unless you were under 18 when victimized or are unable to cooperate because of physical or psychological trauma
• Show you would suffer extreme hardship involving unusual and severe harm if removed

Applying

• File Form I-914; there is no filing fee.
• A law enforcement declaration (Supplement B) is optional but helpful.
• Include a personal statement and evidence such as police reports, medical records, communications, and statements from service providers.
• Waivers of inadmissibility are available for many grounds, including those connected to the trafficking.

Annual cap

5,000 principal T visas are available each year. Historically, demand has been below the cap.

Family members

Certain relatives can be included, such as a spouse and children, and for victims under 21, parents and unmarried siblings under 18. Family members facing danger of retaliation may qualify in some cases.

Benefits

• Status for up to four years
• Work authorization
• Access to certain public benefits through federal anti-trafficking programs
• After three years in T status, or sooner if the investigation is complete, eligibility to apply for a green card

Getting help

If you or someone you know is being trafficked, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline or call 911 in an emergency. Trafficking survivors should work with an immigration lawyer or a nonprofit legal provider. If you were a victim of another serious crime, see U visas.

Sources

1. USCIS: Victims of human trafficking, T nonimmigrant status
2. USCIS: Form I-914, Application for T Nonimmigrant Status
3. Cornell Law School LII: 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(T)
4. National Human Trafficking Hotline