Pennsylvania T Visa Attorney

Providing Compassionate and Knowledgeable Legal Representation to Victims of Human Trafficking Seeking Immigration Relief

Human trafficking is a serious crime involving stealing the fundamental freedoms and rights of innocent individuals for personal and financial gain. Victims of human trafficking are commonly exploited for labor, sex acts, and other services demanded of them against their will. Human trafficking occurs across the world, and can also impact people crossing U.S. borders, as well as those coming and going from Pennsylvania. If you or a family member has been victimized by human trafficking and suffered severe harm as a result, there may be options to obtain immigration relief via the United States’ humanitarian relief laws. One such method for securing support from the U.S. government is for human trafficking victims to begin the immigration process of seeking a T visa.

T visas allow human trafficking victims who have suffered extreme mental or physical abuse at the hands of their captors to seek legal status in the United States with a T non-immigrant visa status. The pursuit of a T visa through various immigration proceedings can be complex, however, and applicants are strongly encouraged to seek professional legal services from experienced immigration attorneys.

At our Pennsylvania-based law firm, we represent clients with compassion, constant communication, and a commitment to excellence. With our dedicated legal counsel, we will explore all options, including thinking outside the box, to help foreign nationals who have been victimized by human trafficking pursue favorable outcomes and support from the U.S. government.

To learn more about T visas and to determine your eligibility to apply, please get in touch with our law office to request an in-depth case review today.

Have You Been the Victim of Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is sometimes referred to as ‘the trafficking of persons.’ This serious criminal offense usually involves traffickers using force to overpower innocent victims for financial gain. In some cases, however, human traffickers may not need to use force at all and can trick victims with the promise of a better life or other fraudulent incentives. In most human trafficking cases, victims are subject to extreme physical or psychological trauma, and many are victims of sexual assaults, forced servitude, and other horrific acts.

Human traffickers often control their victims to such an extent that they cannot easily leave their positions of servitude. In many human trafficking cases, the criminals accomplish this through threats of violence against the victim or their family members, the theft of the victim’s passports, finances, and other identification, as well as the potential of forcibly locking a victim away behind closed doors.

If you or a loved one has suffered extreme hardship at the hands of your abusers or captors, contact our immigration and nationality law firm to discuss your case in more detail and learn your options for seeking humanitarian relief.

What is Considered Labor or Sex Trafficking?

Human trafficking is the term that refers to the situation where an innocent person is exploited for sex or other kinds of services against their will under the threat of serious bodily or financial harm.

Labor trafficking and sex trafficking are among the most common types of human trafficking. USCIS defines labor trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, harboring, and obtaining of innocent people for labor or services through the use of force, coercion, or fraud for the purposes of debt bondage, involuntary servitude, or slavery. U.S. immigration laws define sex trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, provision, or harboring of people for commercial sex acts where the acts are induced by force, fraud, or coercion. There can be different definitions for sex trafficking involving victims under the age of 18.

Examples of forced exploitation include the following:

• Agricultural work under extreme conditions and with unpaid labor
• Businesses, such as massage salons and nail salons, where workers are isolated or unpaid
• Domestic work, such as housekeeping or caregiving, when trapped in a private residence
• Factories and processing plants where employees are locked behind doors and not allowed to leave
• Restaurants and cleaning services where workers are forced to perform their duties without pay
• And more

What is T Nonimmigrant Status?

A T visa is a type of humanitarian relief that serves to combat human trafficking and provide support for victims of trafficking and their families so that they can legally stay in the United States and pursue a pathway to lawful permanent residency or citizenship. The T visa was created as part of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. 5,000 T visas are granted annually to victims of human trafficking, provided that those victims meet strict criteria, such as cooperation with law enforcement agencies in the investigation or prosecution of a crime.

To successfully acquire a T visa from the U.S. immigration system, an applicant must meet several strict criteria. If you do not meet these requirements, your application may be denied, at which point it may be necessary to consider an immigration appeal. Regardless of your stage in the T visa application process, it is strongly recommended that you seek professional legal guidance to assist you through the various proceedings and represent you in immigration court.

Contact our law firm to learn more about the benefits of retaining our immigration services to represent your interests.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for T Visa Applicants?

To be eligible for a T visa, applicants must meet specific requirements, including the following:

• The T visa applicant must have been either a victim of human trafficking or smuggling
• The victim must be physically present within the United States, American Samoa, or at a lawful port of entry at the time of their application.
• Applicants must assist law enforcement personnel and respond to all reasonable requests to help with criminal investigations and prosecutions of the human trafficking perpetrators.
• T visa applicants must be considered admissible to the United States in accordance with the country’s immigration laws. In situations where an applicant is deemed inadmissible, an attorney may be able to seek a waiver.
• It must be proven that the applicant would suffer extreme hardship if they were forced to leave the United States and return to their home countries.

What Evidence and Supporting Documentation May Be Necessary to Prove Your T Visa Immigration Case?

Various pieces of evidence and documents must be submitted to successfully acquire a T visa and enjoy the benefits of its legal status.

Among the most vital pieces of evidence is proof of your identity, such as a birth certificate or an active passport. The United States government understands that some human trafficking victims may not have access to these documents, so there are certain exceptions to this rule.

There must be explicit confirmation that the victim was trafficked against their will, which often involves providing accurate testimony about what occurred.

Applicants must provide reasonable assistance to law enforcement agencies in the investigation or prosecution of human trafficking crimes. Evidence of their cooperation is often required in these cases.

Additionally, the applicant must demonstrate a fear of extreme hardship that would occur if they were forced to return to their country of origin after being removed from the United States.

How Can Our Pennsylvania Immigration Lawyer Assist You in Obtaining a T Visa Status?

Due to the importance of obtaining a T visa, it is strongly recommended that you seek the professional legal representation of experienced attorneys well-versed in these practice areas. Our firm, led by immigration attorney Mahsa Mohkamkar, has extensive experience representing clients in various immigration legal matters, including those seeking humanitarian aid after being victims of human trafficking.

Among the many benefits of retaining our legal services are the following:

• Carefully evaluating your eligibility for a T visa
• Gathering evidence and organizing all necessary supporting documentation to support your case
• Completing and filing all necessary forms and submitting them to the appropriate authorities
• Assisting you in preparing for necessary interviews or depositions with immigration officials
• Steadfast advocacy for your legal rights throughout the immigration process
• If you have family members who also need humanitarian relief, we can submit a family-based immigration petition on their behalf
• Upon receiving your T visa, we can assist you through the legal proceedings of seeking lawful permanent residency (green card holders) in the United States

Contact Our Immigration Law Office to Request a Consultation with Our Pennsylvania T Visa Lawyer Today

T visa holders are afforded numerous benefits, including the right to legally reside in the United States and employment authorization. For help obtaining a T visa, we must encourage you to speak with our experienced immigration attorney about your case in more detail. Depending on your unique circumstances, you may qualify for other forms of humanitarian relief, such as a U visa. Whether you are seeking a U or T visa, please contact our law office to discuss your case in an in-depth, no obligation evaluation with the attorney and her legal team.

You may reach us at (610) 686-3949.