What trafficking can look like
Trafficking often disguises itself as severe domestic violence: being trapped in a home, forced to work without pay, controlled or abused when expectations are not met.
Other times a smuggling arrangement becomes trafficking — someone forced to work for the smugglers, loading or unloading shipments at the border, to pay off a debt that never shrinks.
Employers can traffic their own workers too: forcing them to work without pay or in dangerous conditions, moving them between locations, keeping them held overnight.
How a T Visa case is built
Every trafficking case requires an enormous amount of work to determine whether what happened meets the legal definition. The evidence must be truthful and sufficient: your own account, and whatever record exists of the control, the conditions and the harm. Our team does this work with you, carefully and confidentially.
When a T Visa is the right tool
Victims of trafficking may also qualify for other protections, including U Visas when a member of law enforcement has been involved and a certification is possible. U Visas tend to take much longer than T Visas, so we have to decide whether the U Visa is really the better option, or whether we should file both applications. The consultation establishes which route fits the facts, and what each one requires.
This page is general information about federal immigration law and is not legal advice about your situation. Timelines are set by USCIS and change.