Trafficking
By Maria Lazzarino
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December 12, 2025
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed HR-1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), which significantly impacts immigrant survivors of human trafficking. The law imposes new filing fees for immigration benefits, motions, and appeals before USCIS and EOIR, establishes additional financial penalties for certain immigration violations, and eliminates eligibility for a range of federal public benefits for many immigrants who were previously considered “qualified,” including trafficking survivors. This Practice Alert reviews these fee and penalty changes, explains the new restrictions on public benefits, and outlines the impact on trafficking survivors seeking T visas and other forms of humanitarian relief, offering guidance for practitioners on how to mitigate the law’s potential harms.
By Maria Lazzarino
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August 29, 2024
On August 15, 2024, USCIS held a stakeholder engagement on the T Visa Final Rule, which is in effect as of August 28, 2024. These are our notes from that engagement. USCIS will also post a transcript to their electronic reading room . ASISTA will monitor the implementation of and compliance with these changes. If your clients experience problems or if any questions arise, please consider letting us know via a technical assistance appointment.
By Maria Lazzarino
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July 19, 2024
In July 2024, ASISTA and partners joined an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the case of Bouarfa v. Mayorkas. The case centers on the judicial reviewability of DHS’s revocation authority in the family-based immigration context, and the brief aims to highlight how any decision on such reviewability could also impact justice for survivors who are seeking or were granted U, T, or VAWA-based relief. Click here access the amicus brief. Bouarfa v. Mayorkas
By Maria Lazzarino
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January 25, 2024
This practice pointer synthesizes the current recommendations for using USCIS “hotline emails” for customer service inquiries on cases protected by 8 USC § 1367 privacy requirements, i.e., survivor-based relief applications.
By Maria Lazzarino
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December 21, 2023
On September 8, 2023, USCIS published a revision of Form I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status greatly expanding the number and type of questions for applicants to complete. On November 7, 2023, ASISTA submitted a comment emphasizing the impact of these form changes on beneficiaries of survivor-based relief.
By Maria Lazzarino
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March 10, 2023
On February 14, 2023 ASISTA and collaborators AILA, ICWC, CAST, and ILRC delivered a letter to USCIS raising concerns about the unavailability of biometrics appointments for U and T visa petitioners and their derivatives abroad, and the negative consequences resulting from their inability to complete application requirements, including prolonged family separation and even unfair denials of otherwise meritorious applications. Click here to access the letter.
By Maria Lazzarino
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December 7, 2021
ASISTA and CAST developed this advisory to highlight significant changes to the T visa section of the USCIS Policy Manual that went into effect on October 20, 2021. Changes include: Additional guidance on the intersections between trafficking/domestic violence and trafficking/smuggling; Physical presence on account of trafficking; Extended work authorization when filing a timely I-485 under INA 245(l); and Guidance on waivers of inadmissibility under INA 212(d)(3) and (d)(13).
By Maria Lazzarino
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July 7, 2020
When a petitioner files multiple interrelated forms for one case, such as a U visa, the denial of one form generally leads to the denial of all ancillary forms as well. In this practice pointer , we will address how many Form I-290Bs to file in this scenario, whether derivatives need to file their own Form I-290B, and pitfalls in completing the Form I-290B.
Recent Posts
By Maria Lazzarino
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April 28, 2026
This Practice Pointer synthesizes current recommendations for using USCIS customer service options for survivor-based relief applications. It also discusses how to supplement pending survivor-based petitions via mail, with the hotlines as a backup paper trail. As noted throughout, the information is accurate up to the publication date, but should always be cross-checked with information on USCIS’s website and Policy Manual for the most up-to-date government provisos. This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-23-GK-05161-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.
By Maria Lazzarino
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April 28, 2026
On December 22, 2025, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) released an update to its Policy Manual relating to confidentiality protections located at 8 USC § 1367 (“1367 protections”). This Policy Alert will review the changes introduced by the policy update and provide initial guidance to practitioners filing cases affected by them. ASISTA will provide further guidance through training and written resources as warranted, and members are encouraged to request technical assistance for any individual case questions.
By Maria Lazzarino
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April 24, 2026
ASISTA is aware that the USCIS “Contact Us” page does not include information about which hotline address should be contacted for U cases with receipt numbers that start with IOE. After reaching out to USCIS, until the Contact Us page is updated to reflect their “final determination,” practitioners inquiring about U cases with receipt numbers starting with IOE should reach out to the VSC 918/914 hotline. See this Practice Alert for more information.
By Maria Lazzarino
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December 12, 2025
This Practice Alert summarizes USCIS’s new extreme vetting policies, including broad adjudication holds, re-review of previously approved cases, and heightened discretionary scrutiny, and explains their serious implications for immigrant survivors seeking safety and stability. It also provides practical guidance for practitioners on preparing clients for the impact of these measures and on developing case strategies and potential legal challenges.
By Maria Lazzarino
•
December 12, 2025
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed HR-1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), which significantly impacts immigrant survivors of human trafficking. The law imposes new filing fees for immigration benefits, motions, and appeals before USCIS and EOIR, establishes additional financial penalties for certain immigration violations, and eliminates eligibility for a range of federal public benefits for many immigrants who were previously considered “qualified,” including trafficking survivors. This Practice Alert reviews these fee and penalty changes, explains the new restrictions on public benefits, and outlines the impact on trafficking survivors seeking T visas and other forms of humanitarian relief, offering guidance for practitioners on how to mitigate the law’s potential harms.