VAWA is the acronym for the Violence Against Women Act, which was passed by Congress in 1994. Among other things, VAWA created special provisions in United States immigration law to protect battered noncitizens. These provisions were updated in 2000 by the Battered Immigrant Women's Protection Act.
U visas are available for those individuals who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of a qualifying criminal activity such as: rape, torture, trafficking, incest, domestic violence, sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, prostitution, slave trade, kidnapping, etc.
T visas are available to persons who have been subject to severe trafficking - meaning the use of force, fraud or coercion for sex trafficking and/or involuntary servitude or slavery; and who are physically in the U.S. and who the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security agree have complied with a request by Federal/State/Local Law enforcement authorities to assist in the investigation or prosecution of such trafficking cases. They need to also show that they will suffer extreme hardship upon removal from the U.S.
The Q-1 international cultural exchange program provides practical training, employment and the sharing of the history, culture, and traditions of the participant's home country in the United States. This visa enables individuals to participate in exchange visitor programs in the United States.
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On December 21, 2000 the President signed into law significant new immigration legislation, effective April 1, 2001. The Legal Immigration and Family Equity (LIFE) Act and amendments have effectively created new categories of nonimmigrant visas, including three V Visas, the K-3 Visa and the K-4 Visa. Extremely helpful for second preference beneficiaries and spouses of U.S. citizens, these visas will help ease the immigration process for thousands of individuals, and reunite families separated for long periods of time during the process of immigration.
A fiancé (e) of an American citizen who will be entering the U.S. solely to marry that American citizen should apply for a K-1 Visa. The marriage should take place within 90 days of entering the U.S. Minor children of the fiancées can apply for a K-2 status and enter the U.S. The K-1 Visa enables one to apply for conditional permanent resident status.
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The J-1 visa is designed to provide educational and cultural exchange programs, and to promote the sharing of individuals, knowledge and skills in education, arts and sciences. This visa enables people to participate in exchange visitor programs in the United States. Participants in this visa include students, trainees involved in on-the-job training, teachers engaged in research and teaching and international visitors interested in traveling, researching, consulting and demonstrating specific knowledge.
The I Visa is a vital tool in a global system, where news and cultures are shared and dispatched across national lines. The I Visa is available to media employees including reporters, freelance journalists and film crew members; mainstream filmmakers are not eligible for this status. I visas are available to persons only to work for a foreign media outlet, or a U.S.-based subsidiary of a foreign media company.
The E2 Treaty Investor:
Crewmen serving in good faith for normal operations aboard vessels may apply for the D Visa. This classification includes musicians, stewards, technicians and chefs. This visa is specifically issued to a crewperson who serves aboard a fishing vessel with a home port or base of operation in the U.S. You should plan to land in and depart from Guam as a part of your crew duties.
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