US Publishes Green Card Eligibility Criteria for Victims of Human Forced Labour in 2026
- The US government published official eligibility requirements for forced labour victims holding T-1 nonimmigrant status to apply for a Green Card
- Applicants must meet several conditions, including continuous physical presence in the US for a given number of years
- The USCIS criteria include special provisions for minors and individuals who could not cooperate with law enforcement due to trauma
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The United States government has outlined the conditions under which victims of human traffick!ng may qualify for permanent residency.
This is set to provide a formal pathway for one of the most vulnerable groups in the country's immigration system.
Source: UGC
US Green Card requirement for forced victims
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), individuals admitted to the country under T-1 nonimmigrant status, a visa category specifically designed for survivors, may be eligible to apply for a Green Card under a defined set of criteria.
- To be considered eligible, an applicant must have been lawfully admitted as a T-1 nonimmigrant and must still hold that status at the time of applying.
- They are also required to have maintained continuous physical presence in the United States for at least three years, or for the full duration of a law enforcement investigation or prosecution related to their traffick!ng case, whichever period is shorter.
- Beyond the residency requirement, applicants must demonstrate good moral character and show that they complied with any reasonable requests from law enforcement during investigations.
- Those who cannot meet the law enforcement cooperation requirement due to physical or psychological trauma resulting from their experience may still qualify, as the criteria include an exception for such circumstances.
- USCIS also requires that applicants face extreme hardship involving unusual and severe harm if they were removed from the United States.
Special Green Card provisions for minors
The eligibility framework includes specific accommodations for child victims. Individuals who were under 18 years of age at the time they were trafficked are not held to the same law enforcement cooperation standard as adults, acknowledging the particular vulnerability of minors caught in such traumatising situations.
The criteria reflect the broader intent of the T visa programme, which was created to encourage traffick!ng victims to assist authorities in identifying and prosecuting traffickers, while also offering those individuals a means of rebuilding their lives in the US. A Green Card grants lawful permanent residency, offering greater stability and access to opportunities compared to the temporary protections of the T-1 status alone.
Required steps after US Green Card
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the US government has outlined top actions new permanent residents must take after receiving their Green Card.
Conditional permanent residents holding a 2-year Green Card face a critical deadline to file a petition before their card expires.
Source: Legit.ng
