The Department of State has issued a cable publication summarizing
changes made to the T and U visa categories. In March 2013, the U.S.
Congress enacted a number of changes to the William Wilberforce Violence
Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). These changes affect eligibility for the T
and U visas.
T visas are reserved for individuals who are victims of trafficking,
including labor and sex trafficking. These recent changes have expanded
eligibility to include certain extended family members of the applicant
who face present danger of retaliation.
U visas are reserved for victims of qualifying crimes such as domestic
abuse or sexual assault, who may have suffered substantial physical or
mental abuse. Unmarried children for whom the principal applicant filed a
petition before they turned 21 will now remain eligible for the visa
after they turn 21. This age-out provision is retroactive.
