If you are coming to the United States to work or study, we are confident that you will have a pleasant and rewarding stay. If you should encounter any problems, however, know that you have rights and can get help. The pamphlet linked below informs you of your rights as a nonimmigrant visa holder in certain employment- and education-based categories. The U.S. government created this pamphlet at the prompting of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (Public Law 110-457), which reaffirms and strengthens the U.S. government’s commitment to fight human trafficking and labor abuses.
Before your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad, it is important that you take the time to read this pamphlet carefully. In doing so, you will learn about your rights and protections in the United States, as well as resources available to you if help is needed.
You will not be denied a visa or be punished by the U.S. government because you have exercised your rights under U.S. Laws. To the contrary, the U.S. government wants all temporary workers and employers to operate according to the laws of the United States, and encourages you to report any violations. If your recruiter, crewleader, supervisor, or employer tells you that you will be denied a visa for exercising your legal rights, it is not true. Please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to report this type of abuse or visit www.traffickingresourcecenter.org.
The Department has also prepared an informational video in response to section 1206 of the Violence against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (Pub. L. 113-4). The video complements the Wilberforce Pamphlet.
