AAO T Visa Cases Update as of August 14, 2026
Since our July 27 update, CAST has added another group of AAO T visa opinions to the database. Most of the newly posted cases were, once again, dismissals involving signature defects, rather than substantive T visa eligibility determinations.
On the substantive T visa side, we have now analyzed 24 appeals adjudicated since November 2025. This is an ongoing cumulative count and excludes invalid-signature dismissals and T adjustment or derivative cases.
22 dismissed, 2 remanded, 0 granted
- 15 turned on severe form of trafficking
- 5 turned on physical presence
- 2 turned on extreme hardship
- 2 turned on inadmissibility issues
As always, this is not a statement of agreement with the AAO—just an outline of what the AAO has found so far.
Read moreWhat T Visa Processing Looks Like Now
USCIS reports that 80% of Form I-914 (T visa) cases are currently completed within 32 months, based on the agency’s live Case Processing Times tool.[i] The agency’s own historical data shows the median T-1 case took 28.4 months in fiscal year 2026, through May 31, 2026, up from 14.9 months just two fiscal years earlier.[ii]
Those numbers describe the T visas in general. For an individual applicant, they raise the question of what this means for their individual cases.
Using USCIS’s own published statistics, it is possible to build a data-based estimate for any filing period. Applying that method to a case filed in January 2025, for example, finds that at the pace USCIS is adjudicating T-1 cases right now, that case is not projected to reach a decision until on the order of 2042, a total wait of roughly 17 years from filing to decision.
This post explains where that number comes from and how anyone can check it.
[i] USCIS Case Processing Times tool, egov.uscis.gov/processing-times, Form I-914, Service Center Operations (SCOPS), accessed August 12, 2026.
[ii] USCIS Historical National Median Processing Time table, egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/historic-pt, accessed August 12, 2026.
AAO T Visa Decisions Involving Smuggling and Border Cases
This post shares several insights from AAO T visa opinions involving smuggling and border-related fact patterns. The review draws from decisions in our database issued from 2007 through June 2026 and highlights recurring themes in how the agency analyzes whether conduct occurring during a smuggling operation also constitutes trafficking.
Read moreWhat AAO T Visa Opinions Show Over Time (as of July 29, 2026)
CAST reviewed 1,440 nonprecedent Administrative Appeals Office opinions issued between 2006 and June 2026. The dataset includes both Form I-914 T nonimmigrant status cases and applications to adjust status based on T status.
Read moreT Visa Applications: Trends and Projections
In recent years, the number of T visa applications filed by victims of trafficking has seen a dramatic increase. This rise underscores both the growing awareness of the T visa program and the increasing need for protections afforded under this visa category. However, this influx of applications has also had a noticeable effect on the rate at which cases are adjudicated, raising important questions about the system’s capacity to handle the rising demand while maintaining robust protections for survivors.
Read more