Human Trafficking Victims May Be Eligible For a T Visa
In 2020, a U.S. Human Trafficking hotline received more than 10,000 reports of human trafficking in the United States. Many of the victims of those reports fear that if they turn in their abusers, they will be deported. Fortunately, those victims may be eligible to obtain residency in the U.S. with a T Visa, via the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act.
The Florida immigration lawyers at Bassey Immigration Law Center encourage victims of human trafficking to contact them or to reach out to immigrant social organizations for assistance. Human trafficking will not end unless victims and active immigration appeals lawyers, like the attorneys at our firm, continue to expose this heinous activity and the criminals that perpetrate it.
When is a human trafficking immigrant eligible to apply for a T Visa?
Under the applicable law, a trafficked immigrant must satisfy four conditions to be eligible for a T Visa:
- Must have been forced into sex or labor to pay off debt bonds to the services that brought them to the United States
- Must be willing and able to cooperate with reasonable requests for assistance from immigration and other legal authorities
- Must be physically present in the United States or one of its territories as a result of being unlawfully trafficked into the country
- Would suffer unusual or severe harm or hardship if he or she is deported to a home country.
A trafficking victim will need to provide a clear, concise description of his or her circumstances to qualify for a T Visa. An experienced immigration lawyer is that victim’s best hope.
What benefits does a trafficked immigrant receive from a T Visa?
Non-U.S. citizens will receive valid immigrant status and will be allowed to remain in the United States legally and without fear of deportation when they receive a T Visa. A trafficking victim may also become eligible for permanent U.S. residence after he or she has been in the United States continuously for at least three years, during which time that person has been cooperating with anti-human trafficking authorities.
Further, the family members of an applicant for a T Visa may be eligible for derivative T nonimmigrant status. This option might be available for a trafficking victim’s spouse, unmarried minor children, parents, and unmarried siblings.
Ask Bassey Immigration Law Center About Your Eligibility for a T Visa
Bassey Immigration Law Center is committed to helping non-U.S. citizens who are victims of human trafficking in Florida and throughout the United States get away from their oppressors and to establish legitimate residency here. We understand the fear that keeps undocumented immigrants from reporting trafficking crimes, and we do everything we can within the boundaries of the law to protect our clients from further abuse and improper deportations.
Please fill out our online form, call, or visit our immigration attorneys in our Clearwater or Tampa offices. We are ready to answer to your questions and provide confidential assistance with a T Visa application. Your opportunity to get away from human trafficking begins when you contact our firm.
