The T-visa (or T nonimmigrant status) was created in 2000 (Trafficking Victims Protection Act) for victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons. T-visa offers immigration relief PLUS access to benefits typically reserved for refugees.

Official USCIS Fee (effective 2024-04-01)

Verified source: Federal Register 2024-01427

Fee: FREE

FREE — T-visa has no fee. Fee waiver automatic for trafficking victims.

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⚠️ USCIS fees can change. Verify the current fee before filing at:

Critical: T-visa is for trafficking victims

Severe forms of trafficking include:

  • Sex trafficking — commercial sex through force, fraud, or coercion (OR any commercial sex with a minor)
  • Labor trafficking — recruitment, harboring, transport, provision, or obtaining a person for labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion

NOT the same as smuggling. Trafficking = the trafficker exploits you AFTER you’re brought to a destination. Smuggling = trafficker just transports you.

Eligibility (4 requirements)

You must show:

  1. You are a victim of severe trafficking (sex or labor as defined above)
  2. You are physically present in the US, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, or port of entry as a result of trafficking
  3. You comply with reasonable requests from law enforcement (interviewing, testifying) — UNLESS exempt due to age (under 18) or trauma
  4. You would suffer extreme hardship involving unusual and severe harm if removed from US

The process

1. Get help BEFORE filing

  • Call National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
  • Contact a Tahirih Justice Center or other trafficking-experienced legal services
  • They help with intake, evidence gathering, applications

2. File Form I-914

  • Form I-914 (Application for T Nonimmigrant Status)
  • Form I-914 Supplement A: for derivative family members
  • Form I-914 Supplement B: declaration from law enforcement (if you have one — strengthens case but not required)
  • Fee: FREE (fee waiver automatic for T-visa)

3. Wait for adjudication

  • Current processing: 12-30 months
  • 5,000 T-visas per year cap (rarely reached)
  • Pre-decision protections: while pending, generally protected from deportation; EAD eligible

4. T-visa approval

  • 4-year validity
  • Employment authorization included
  • Can travel internationally (with advance parole for returning)

5. After 3 years (or earlier if investigation/prosecution concluded)

  • Apply for green card via Form I-485
  • $1,440 fee

Derivative beneficiaries

If you’re the principal T-visa applicant, your family can also qualify:

If you’re 21 or older:

  • Spouse
  • Unmarried children under 21

If you’re under 21:

  • Spouse
  • Unmarried children under 21
  • Parents
  • Unmarried siblings under 18

Special protection: Can include family members in or outside US, and family members in foreseeable danger from the trafficker.

Evidence

  • Personal statement of trafficking experience
  • Identity documents
  • Country conditions reports
  • Medical records of injuries/abuse
  • Reports to police or human trafficking hotline
  • Letters/statements from caseworkers, social workers
  • Evidence of trafficker’s control (locked rooms, withheld documents, threats)

Benefits for T-visa holders

T-visa holders are eligible for same benefits as refugees:

  • Medicaid + SNAP
  • Cash assistance
  • Housing assistance
  • Educational services
  • ORR (Office of Refugee Resettlement) benefits

What to AVOID

  • Discussing case with trafficker or anyone connected
  • Trying to repay smuggling fees (entrapment)
  • Returning to country of origin while case pending
  • Communicating with trafficker on social media

Resources

  • USCIS T-visa: uscis.gov/i-914
  • National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 (24/7, multilingual)
  • Polaris Project: polarisproject.org — anti-trafficking org
  • Tahirih Justice Center: tahirih.org — immigrant women victims of violence/trafficking
  • CAST LA: castla.org — Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking

Last verified: 2026-05-25.

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General procedural information based on official sources. Not personalized legal advice.