I want help on an issue involving human trafficking.

Sometimes referred to as modern-day slavery, human trafficking occurs when there is forced labor, indentured servitude, or commercial sex exploitation, by means of force, fraud, or coercion.

The most targeted populations for trafficking are homeless and runaway youths. This includes immigrants smuggled into the U.S., or currently residing in the U.S., who are vulnerable to exploitation due to their undocumented status. Some survivors of human trafficking in the U.S. may be eligible for a type of humanitarian relief called a “T visa” if they meet certain requirements.

The United States upholds a humanitarian standard when weighing an immigrant’s reasons for fleeing her country for the U.S. The U.S. generally will not return a person to their home country or another country if doing so will bring immediate harm, torture, or death upon the person.

The government will consider factors such as:

1. Serious physical or mental illness of the applicant that necessitates medical or psychological attention not reasonably available in the foreign country;
2. The nature and extent of the physical and psychological consequences of severe forms of trafficking; and
3. The likelihood that the trafficker or another acting on behalf of the trafficker in a foreign country to which the applicant may be removed would severely harm the Applicant.  

Additionally, if a person came to the U.S. escaping any form of persecution that could otherwise qualify the applicant for asylum, the applicant needs only cite the past harm to show extreme hardship.

Typical timeline for getting a T Visa:

1. Report trafficking experience to LEA (Law Enforcement Agency)
2. Gather evidence 
3. Application 
4. Decision

The USCIS estimates that the processing time for adjudication of a T visa is approximately 8–12 months.

This time is separate from the time that it may take to report the trafficking experience, gather evidence, and prepare the application.

Talk to an experienced immigration attorney who understands this process in order to move the application along faster.