Is immigration relief available for child victims of trafficking?
If the victim was born outside the United States and does not have immigration status, she or he may be eligible for a number of different forms of relief from removal. Once identified as a victim of trafficking by law enforcement, she or he may be granted continued presence, a temporary legal status, by the Department of Homeland Security. She or he might be eligible for the T visa, which allows victims of severe forms of trafficking to remain in the United States if they can demonstrate that they would suffer extreme hardship upon removal. Children do not have to cooperate with the prosecution in order to be granted a T visa. Recipients of T visas are eligible for work authorization and may adjust their status to lawful permanent residents after three years. An immigration attorney may also explore other forms of immigration relief that may be appropriate for a child victim of trafficking, including the U-visa, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, political asylum or a self-petition un
