Crime victims have easier route to US visas

June 01 2009 by Robbie Ragless

Victims of human trafficking and other serious crimes who have suffered emotionally or physically may soon be able to move to the US and gain permanent residency with more ease, under new US immigration department plans.

According to a set of recommendations laid out by US immigration and obtained by inquirer.net, US visa applicants who are applying for T or U visas may have their applications fast-tracked to enable them to live in the US safely.

Applicants for T and U US visas tend to be vulnerable people who have been victims of human trafficking (in the case of a T visa) or have been victims of other serious crime in their home country (U visas). U visas are reserved for crime victims who are willing to help police with investigations into a range of crimes.

The set of recommendations states that the department ‘recognises that T and U non-immigrant applicants are a vulnerable population and [the department] will continue to ensure that our policies and procedures are legally sound and reflect the humanitarian nature of, and law enforcement purposes for, the classification.’

The recommendations add, ‘the USCIS recognises the importance of the T and U non-immigrant visas and their roles in supporting both victims of trafficking and investigations of certain criminal activity.” Human trafficking numbers are expected to rise in the wake of the economic crisis.

The annual quota for T and U US visas set by the USCIS is 10,000 and this is forecast to be used in its entirety this year.

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