What T status is
T nonimmigrant status, commonly called a T visa, is a temporary immigration benefit. It lets certain victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons remain in the United States for an initial period of up to 4 years. One of the conditions is that they complied with any reasonable request for assistance from law enforcement in the detection, investigation or prosecution of human trafficking, or qualify for an exemption or exception. Certain eligible family members can receive T status too, and T nonimmigrants are eligible for employment authorization and certain federal and state benefits and services.[1]
Under federal law, a severe form of trafficking in persons is
- Sex trafficking: someone recruits, harbors, transports, provides, solicits, patronizes or obtains a person for a commercial sex act, where the act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or the person induced to perform it is under 18.[1]
- Labor trafficking: someone recruits, harbors, transports, provides or obtains a person for labor or services using force, fraud or coercion, for the purpose of involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery.[1]
| Symbol | Who it covers |
|---|---|
| T1 | Victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons (the principal) |
| T2 | Spouse of a T1 |
| T3 | Child of a T1 |
| T4 | Parent of a T1 under 21; or parent of a T1 of any age who faces present danger of retaliation |
| T5 | Unmarried sibling under 18 of a T1 under 21; or unmarried sibling under 18 of a T1 of any age who faces present danger of retaliation |
| T6 | Adult or minor child of a derivative beneficiary of a T1 (any age), where the child faces a present danger of retaliation because of the T1's escape from trafficking or cooperation with law enforcement |
Who qualifies
You may be eligible if you
- Are or were a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons.[1]
- Are physically present in the United States, American Samoa, the CNMI or at a port of entry because you were trafficked. This includes being allowed into the United States to take part in investigative or judicial processes connected with the trafficking.[1,7]
- Complied with any reasonable request for assistance from law enforcement in a federal, state or local investigation or prosecution of the trafficking, or in the investigation of a crime where trafficking was at least one central reason for committing it. You may not need to show this if you were under 18 when at least 1 of the acts of trafficking occurred, or if you are unable to cooperate because of physical or psychological trauma.[1,2]
- Would suffer extreme hardship involving unusual and severe harm if you were removed from the United States.[1]
- Are admissible to the United States. If you are not, you may be eligible for a waiver of certain grounds of inadmissibility, which you request on Form I-192, Application for Advance Permission to Enter as a Nonimmigrant. The public charge ground of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA 212(a)(4)) does not apply to T applicants.[1,2]
By law, no more than 5,000 people per fiscal year can receive T status as principal applicants. The limit does not apply to family members who receive derivative status.[2,3]
What to file
What goes with Form I-914
- Form I-914 with a personal statement describing the trafficking you are or were subjected to.[1]
- Evidence that you complied with any reasonable request for assistance from law enforcement, or that an exemption or exception applies. You may submit Form I-914, Supplement B, Declaration for Trafficking Victim, which is for law enforcement to complete, or other evidence instead of it or in addition to it, such as records of your communication with law enforcement, trial transcripts, court documents, police reports, news articles or affidavits.[1]
- Evidence for the other requirements: that you are or have been a victim of a severe form of trafficking, that you are in the United States, American Samoa, the CNMI or at a port of entry because you were trafficked, and that removal would cause you extreme hardship involving unusual and severe harm. If you are inadmissible, include Form I-192.[8]
- For each family member on Supplement A, credible documentation of the relationship, and Form I-192 for any family member who is inadmissible. For a parent, an unmarried sibling under 18 or a child of a derivative family member who faces a present danger of retaliation, you should also include a description of the danger and how it is linked to your escape or your cooperation with law enforcement, documentation of any previous grant of advance parole to that family member, and any other credible evidence of the danger.[8]
Safety and confidentiality
Fees
| What you file | Fee |
|---|---|
| Form I-914, Application for T Nonimmigrant Status | $0 |
| Form I-914, Supplement A (family member) | $0 |
| Form I-914, Supplement B (law enforcement declaration) | $0 |
| Form I-192, waiver of inadmissibility, as an applicant for T status (including derivatives) | $0 |
| Form I-765, work permit (initial, renewal or replacement) under (a)(16) T-1, (c)(25) T-2 to T-6, (c)(40) bona fide T applicant, or (c)(9) T nonimmigrant adjusting status | $0 |
| Form I-539, extension of T status | $0 |
| Form I-131, travel and parole documents, for a person seeking or granted T status or adjustment under INA 245(l) | $0 USCIS fee (see the parole fee note below) |
| Form I-485, green card as a T nonimmigrant under INA 245(l) | $0 |
| Form I-601, waiver of grounds of inadmissibility, as a person seeking or granted T status | $0 |
| Form I-290B, appeal or motion, as a person seeking or granted T status (only for a benefit request filed before adjusting status, or for Form I-485 and an associated ancillary form) | $0 |
Separate from USCIS filing fees, Form G-1055 says that each time you seek parole at a port of entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will require a fee under Public Law 119-21 (Pub. L. 119-21), unless CBP determines that you qualify for an exception, and you cannot request a fee waiver for fees required by that law. For Form I-131, G-1055 lists "$0, plus Immigration Parole Fee for certain approvals." Whether the parole fee applies when you return on advance parole depends on your facts; an immigration attorney can check before you travel.[4]
After you file
Form I-765 with your I-914 (recommended)
USCIS strongly encourages filing Form I-765 under category (c)(40) together with your I-914. If you wait to file the I-765, it takes longer to process.[1]
Bona fide determination
For applications filed on or after Aug. 28, 2024 by applicants and eligible family members in the United States, USCIS generally makes a bona fide determination. If your application is deemed bona fide, you can be considered for deferred action and a work permit under (c)(40); if you did not file an I-765, USCIS notifies you and invites you to file one. Family members do not receive deferred action and a work permit until you, the principal applicant, do.[1]
Decision
If USCIS grants T-1 status, it issues your work permit at the same time, generated from the information in your I-914. T status is generally granted for 4 years.[1]
Family members abroad
When USCIS approves Supplement A for a family member outside the United States, it notifies you on Form I-797, Notice of Action, and sends the approved form to the Kentucky Consular Center. Your family member then contacts the consular section to schedule a visa interview; T visas can be processed at any U.S. consulate or embassy that issues nonimmigrant visas.[2]
Benefits and services
With T status you are eligible for several federally funded benefits and services. Before you have T status, a trafficking victim may also qualify if the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) has granted Continued Presence, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has provided a letter of certification or eligibility. Child victims do not need to be certified; the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) issues them a letter stating their eligibility.[1,2]
Continued Presence is separate from T status. CCHT may grant it for an initial period of 2 years to give trafficking victims immediate temporary relief from removal. Victims must meet certain requirements, only a federal law enforcement agency (such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI) may request it, and people granted it can apply for a work permit and for federal services and benefits.[1]
Family members (T-2 to T-6)
| Your situation | Family members you may apply for |
|---|---|
| You were under 21 when you filed | Spouse; unmarried children under 21; parents; unmarried siblings under 18 |
| You were 21 or older when you filed | Spouse; unmarried children under 21 |
| Any age, if the family member is in present danger of retaliation because of your escape from trafficking or your cooperation with law enforcement | Parents; unmarried siblings under 18; children of any age or marital status of family members granted derivative T status (T-6) |
You may file Supplement A with your I-914, while it is pending, or while you are in T status. A family member cannot receive derivative status until you have been granted T-1 status, and no derivative T visa can be issued if your T-1 status has been revoked or has expired, or after you have become a permanent resident. After you become a permanent resident, a family member can no longer be admitted in T status for the first time.[1,2,5]
Age protections: if you were under 21 when you filed and turn 21 before USCIS decides your I-914, your parents and siblings stay eligible, and a sibling who turns 18 before USCIS decides your I-914 stays eligible as long as they remain unmarried. If you were 21 or older when you filed, a child who was under 21 when you filed stays eligible after turning 21. A child must be unmarried when your application and the child's are filed and decided, and on the date any visa is issued.[2,3]
Green card (adjustment of status)
As a T-1, you may be eligible for a green card if you
- Were lawfully admitted to the United States as a T-1 and still hold T-1 status when you apply.[5]
- Have been continuously physically present in the United States for at least 3 years since your admission as a T-1, or for a continuous period during an investigation or prosecution of the trafficking that the Attorney General has determined is complete, whichever period is shorter.[5,9]
- Have been a person of good moral character from your first admission as a T-1 until USCIS decides your I-485.[5]
- Meet one of these: you complied with any reasonable request for assistance in the investigation or prosecution from your first admission as a T-1 until the decision; you would suffer extreme hardship involving unusual and severe harm if removed; you were under 18 when at least 1 act of trafficking occurred; or, when you were granted T-1 status, you established that you could not cooperate because of physical or psychological trauma.[5]
- Are admissible to the United States as a permanent resident, or USCIS has waived the grounds of inadmissibility that apply to you.[5]
A single absence of more than 90 days, or absences adding up to more than 180 days, break continuous physical presence, unless the absence was necessary to assist in the investigation or prosecution, or an official involved in it certifies that the absence was justified for another reason. If you apply before you have 3 years of continuous physical presence, USCIS rejects the I-485 unless you submit a certification from the U.S. Attorney General that the investigation or prosecution occurred and is complete.[5]
Family members in T-2 to T-6 status may be eligible for green cards if they were admitted in that status and still hold it; your I-485 is pending, is filed together with theirs, or was already approved and they were first admitted in derivative T status before you became a permanent resident; you meet all the requirements; and they are admissible or have a waiver. They do not need to meet the continuous physical presence and good moral character requirements. USCIS cannot approve their applications before yours, and a denial of yours automatically denies theirs.[5,9]
The number of T-1 principals who can become permanent residents each fiscal year is capped by statute. Eligible applicants who are not granted adjustment solely because of that limit are placed on a waiting list, with priority by the date the application was properly filed, oldest first.[9]
A T-based green card is also a discretionary decision: you have to show that USCIS should exercise its discretion in your favor. If there are negative factors in your case, you can submit evidence of positive factors (mitigating equities) to offset them. You are not eligible if your T status has been revoked.[9]
Common mistakes
- Sending an unsigned form or mixing pages from different editions. USCIS rejects and returns any unsigned form, and may reject a form if pages are missing or come from a different edition.[8]
- Leaving the United States while your T-based I-485 is pending without advance parole. The application is then deemed abandoned and denied. Advance parole protects it only if you are not in exclusion, deportation or removal proceedings, USCIS granted advance parole for the absence, and you were inspected and paroled when you returned.[9]
- A family member filing Form I-765 while still living outside the United States. Family members cannot receive a work permit until they are lawfully admitted to the United States, and USCIS says not to file Form I-765 while living abroad.[1]
Recent policy changes
Recent policy changes
Official- Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for InflationOct 1, 2026 · Federal Register (federalregister.gov API) · Not yet reviewed
- Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for InflationOct 1, 2026 · Federal Register (federalregister.gov API) · Not yet reviewed
- Fiscal Year 2027 Inflation Adjustment to H.R. 1 Immigration FeesOct 1, 2026 · Federal Register (federalregister.gov API) · Not yet reviewed
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment-Based Immigrant Visa, Fifth Preference (EB-5) Fee RuleSep 30, 2026 · Federal Register (federalregister.gov API) · Status: Final rule · Not yet reviewed
- USCIS Announces FY 2027 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related FeesSep 30, 2026 · USCIS alerts RSS feed · Not yet reviewed
Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa
Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa
Answers come from our sourced database and your own timeline, sorted into fact, public data, inference and unknown. No AI model is used in this version, so questions outside what we cover get an honest "not covered".
Questions people ask
Do I need a law enforcement agency to sign Supplement B?
No. Supplement B is one way to show that you are a victim and complied with reasonable requests from law enforcement, but you may submit other evidence instead of it or in addition to it. By law, statements from state and local law enforcement officials that you complied with reasonable requests in investigating or prosecuting crimes where severe forms of trafficking appear to have been involved must be considered.[1,3]
Can I apply from outside the United States?
Not as the principal applicant: you must be physically present in the United States, American Samoa, the CNMI or at a port of entry because you were trafficked, and consulates do not issue T-1 visas. You file Supplement A for family members with USCIS in the United States; once it is approved, family members abroad can apply for a derivative T visa at a U.S. consulate, and you do not need to attend their interview.[1,2]
What happens when my 4 years run out?
T status can be extended beyond 4 years in certain situations, for example when a law enforcement official certifies that your presence is needed for the investigation or prosecution, or when DHS determines that exceptional circumstances warrant it; you request the extension on Form I-539. T status is also automatically extended while a timely filed I-485 is pending. If you neither apply for a green card nor receive an extension, T-1 status ends when its validity period ends.[1,2,3]
Can I travel abroad after I get T status?
If you were granted T status in the United States, you must file Form I-131 and get an advance parole document before you leave in order to return in T status. Family members in T-2 to T-6 status can instead apply for a T visa from the Department of State and seek admission at a designated port of entry. If you return any other way, you do not resume T status and may have to apply again if certain requirements are not met. If you had more than 180 days of unlawful presence before getting T status, leaving may trigger the unlawful presence bar (there are exceptions to it); USCIS accepts a waiver request on Form I-192 for it only after you have left and are seeking to return.[2]
Could a U visa fit my situation instead?
Possibly. Victims of human trafficking may also be eligible for U nonimmigrant status (U visa). It is for victims of certain qualifying criminal activity who suffered substantial mental or physical abuse because of it and have a certification from law enforcement or another certifying official that they have been, are being or are likely to be helpful in the case. Which status fits depends on your facts; an immigration attorney can compare the two for your case.[1,2]
Related categories
Content last reviewed: Oct 18, 2026 · General information, not legal advice.
Sources
- 1.Victims of Human Trafficking: T Nonimmigrant Status - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 2.9 FAM 402.6 WITNESSES, INFORMANTS AND VICTIMS – S, T, AND U VISASU.S. Department of State (Foreign Affairs Manual) · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 3.8 U.S.C. 1184 (INA 214) - Admission of nonimmigrantsU.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel · Statute · Checked Sep 27, 2026
- 4.Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 12, 2026
- 5.Green Card for a Victim of Trafficking (T Nonimmigrant) - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 6.22 CFR 41.12eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 7.8 U.S.C. 1101 (INA 101) - Definitions, incl. 101(a)(15)(E), (H), (L), 101(a)(44), 101(a)(45)U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel · Statute · Checked Sep 27, 2026
- 8.I-914, Application for T Nonimmigrant Status - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 9.8 CFR 245.23eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026