S – “Snitch” Visas

The S visas were created for individuals who fall out of valid non-immigrant status who agree to cooperate with federal or state law enforcement agencies in the U.S. as a witness to aid in investigation and prosecution of a criminal enterprise or terrorist organization, and who are deemed by the Attorney General to be critical and reliable witnesses or informants. Application for S visa classification must be made on behalf of the witness directly by the interested federal or state law enforcement agency. S visa requests must be approved at the seat-of-government level, and the witness must sign a statement agreeing to the terms of S visa status. **Law enforcement agencies have an unfortunate track record of making promises, using the S beneficiary’s testimony to support a prosecution, then allowing the beneficiary to be placed in removal proceedings and deported anyway.

If you have any questions about obtaining an S visa, contact Karin Wolman!