USCIS states that anyone can apply for humanitarian visas, and there is no specific emergency or humanitarian purpose that is required for an individual to be eligible. Still, these visas are typically only granted to those applicants who have a clear emergency or medical need to enter the U.S. Humanitarian visas are granted on a case-by-case basis as the USCIS reviews the applications.
In addition to being allowed to enter the United States for clearly emergent reasons, there are other Humanitarian categories:
- VAWA for victims of abuse (either from a spouse or an adult U.S. citizen child)
- U Visas for victims of certain crimes
- T Visas for victims of human trafficking
When you are granted these categories of humanitarian visas, your family members can also receive these visas.
The US Department of Labor is currently cooperating with USCIS to grant deferred action to persons who report labor/work violations. You may be eligible for a work permit as a result of your reporting and cooperation with DOL investigations.