What Is a T Visa for Sex Trafficking Victims? - Rajat Shankar

From Shankar & Associates PC - What Is a T Visa for Sex Trafficking Victims? explores how survivors of human trafficking can pursue safety, stability, and legal status in the United States through the T visa process. In this episode, immigration attorney Rajat (Raj) Shankar explains the protections created by the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, the eligibility standards under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and how survivors in New York, Nassau County, and Long Island may qualify for T nonimmigrant status.

Listeners will learn how USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) evaluates T visa petitions and what evidence may support an application. The discussion covers critical filing components such as Form I-914, Form I-914 Supplement B, Form I-765, and Form I-192, as well as the importance of personal statements, supporting documentation, and cooperation with law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.

The episode also explores the Bona Fide Determination (BFD) process introduced by DHS, which can allow survivors to receive deferred action and employment authorization while their T visa application is pending. Additional topics include derivative status through Form I-914 Supplement A, the pathway to permanent residence through Form I-485, and how survivors may eventually pursue U.S. citizenship after maintaining lawful status in the United States.

Finally, the podcast highlights resources available to survivors across New York, including the National Human Trafficking Hotline, The Safe Center LI, the Nassau County Human Trafficking Intervention Court, and statewide support coordinated by the New York State Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), and the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). The conversation also shares the story of Rajat (Raj) Shankar, a graduate of Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, who alongside Srinivas Jayashankar serves clients from the firm’s office in Plainview, New York, guiding individuals through complex immigration processes with clarity and dedication.

Shankar & Associates PC

518 Plainview Rd, Plainview, NY 11803, United States

(800) 461-1467

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