Victims of Human Trafficking (T-Visa)

T-Visa Applications

Navigating T-Visa Applications with Expertise and Compassion

At Siletskaya Immigration Law Firm, we specialize in preparing and submitting T-Visa applications for victims of human trafficking. Attorney Khristina Siletskaya, along with her team of experienced and compassionate paralegals, is dedicated to guiding you through every step of the process, ensuring your application is handled with the utmost care and precision.

Who Qualifies for a T-Visa?

To qualify for a T-Visa, you must have been a victim of human trafficking, a severe and illegal practice involving the exploitation of individuals through various coercive means. Human trafficking includes, but is not limited to, the following forms:

1. Forced Labor:
   • Coercion and Intimidation: You may have been compelled to work under duress, where you were threatened with harm, legal consequences, or deportation if you refused or attempted to leave.
   • Exploitation of Vulnerability: Traffickers may exploit your vulnerabilities, such as economic hardship or immigration status, to force you into labor. This can involve working long hours with little or no pay, being denied overtime wages, or being subjected to harsh working conditions.
2. Sexual Exploitation:
   • Forced Prostitution or Other Sexual Services: This includes being coerced or deceived into engaging in sex acts against your will. You may have been manipulated into a situation where you are forced to provide sexual services against your will.
   • Sexual Servitude: Situations where you are forced to perform sexual acts, often under threats of violence, blackmail, or severe emotional distress, qualify as sexual exploitation.
3. Other Forms of Coercion:
   • Debt Bondage: You might have been forced to work to repay a debt (such as for your trip to the U.S.) under conditions that make it impossible to ever clear the debt, often with the trafficker controlling the terms and amount of repayment.
   • Involuntary Domestic Servitude: This includes being forced to work within a household, performing domestic duties under threat or manipulation, often with restricted freedom, no compensation, and harsh living conditions.
   • Manipulation and Deception: Traffickers may lure victims with false promises of employment, education, or a better life, only to exploit them through deceit and coercion once they are under their control.
   • Isolation and Control: You may have been kept isolated from family, friends, and support networks, and controlled through physical confinement, psychological manipulation, or threats to ensure compliance and prevent escape.

Common Behaviors Qualifying as Trafficking

Human trafficking can manifest in various forms. Common behaviors that may qualify as trafficking include:

• Forced Labor: This includes being compelled to work long hours without overtime pay, even if the initial wage seems fair. Forcing individuals to perform extra tasks without additional compensation, under threat of firing, also constitutes trafficking.
• Misrepresentation of Job Conditions: Traffickers may lie about the conditions of employment, such as offering certain pay and hours but then making you work more for less pay or deducting from your wages without consent.
• Intimidation and Coercion: Threats and intimidation to ensure compliance with job demands, even when you’re well-paid, can qualify as trafficking.
• Domestic Trafficking: In domestic settings, trafficking can occur when individuals are coerced into performing labor or services without fair compensation or freedom. This can include situations where one partner or family member uses control, threats, or manipulation to exploit another.
• Family Exploitation: Trafficking can also occur within families, where a family member treats you as a domestic servant or “Cinderella”, exploiting your labor and withholding basic rights or freedoms.

Important Aspects of T-Visa Applications

• Protection and Confidentiality: Your safety and privacy are our top priorities. We handle all information with the highest level of confidentiality.
• Comprehensive Assistance: From preparing to filing your T-Visa application, we manage all aspects to ensure that your documentation is accurate and complete.
• Alternative Strategies: Understanding that every case is unique, we use alternative strategies to build a robust case, even if you lack certain documents.
• Additional Benefits: A T-Visa not only offers protection but can also lead to permanent residency and provides access to additional support services, such as free psychological counseling.

Each form of trafficking involves a severe abuse of power and control, resulting in significant harm and exploitation. Understanding these conditions is crucial for recognizing trafficking and qualifying for a T-Visa, which provides protection and legal avenues for victims to escape their circumstances and seek justice.