U Visas Benefit Safety for All

When you read about a company busted for violence or discrimination in the workplace, what image is conjured in your imagination of the whistle-blower?  Do you think of an undercover reporter or activist?  If so, you may be interested to learn that oftentimes when the government becomes involved in trying to bring justice to a place of work, it’s because an immigrant worker has chosen to help bring justice to other workers.

People who have fallen victim to physical or mental abuse while they are in this country are sometimes able to get help from the government.  Sometimes it comes in the form of a U visa.  These visas help survivors of abuse remain in the United States for up to four years and may eventually apply for permanent residency.  U visas are issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

“I am pleased that the department’s Wage and Hour Division has developed protocols and can begin completing U visa certifications for immigrants who are victims of crimes and willing to cooperate with law enforcement,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “Because many wage and hour investigations take place in industries using vulnerable workers in abusive situations, the Wage and Hour Division is often the first federal agency to make contact with these workers and detect criminal activity in the workplace, which it may then refer to the appropriate authorities.”

Among the types of abuse that many immigrants face that would be considered as valid reasons to apply for the U visa are involuntary servitude, peonage, trafficking, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.