8 U.S.C. § 1375b

Current through P.L. 118-107 (published on www.congress.gov on 11/21/2024)

Section 1375b - Protections for domestic workers and other nonimmigrants

(a) Information pamphlet and video for consular waiting rooms

(1) Development and distribution

The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Labor, shall develop an information pamphlet and video on legal rights and resources for aliens applying for employment- or education-based nonimmigrant visas. The video shall be distributed and shown in consular waiting rooms in embassies and consulates appropriate to the circumstances that are determined to have the greatest concentration of employment or education-based non-immigrant visa applicants, and where sufficient video facilities exist in waiting or other rooms where applicants wait or convene. The Secretary of State is authorized to augment video facilities in such consulates or embassies in order to fulfill the purposes of this section.

(2) Consultation

In developing the information pamphlet under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult with nongovernmental organizations with expertise on the legal rights of workers and victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons.

(b) Contents

The information pamphlet and video developed under subsection (a) shall include information concerning items such as-

(1) the nonimmigrant visa application processes, including information about the portability of employment;

(2) the legal rights of employment or education-based nonimmigrant visa holders under Federal immigration, labor, and employment law;

(3) the illegality of slavery, peonage, trafficking in persons, sexual assault, extortion, blackmail, and worker exploitation in the United States;

(4) the legal rights of immigrant victims of trafficking in persons and worker exploitation, including-

(A) the right of access to immigrant and labor rights groups;

(B) the right to seek redress in United States courts;

(C) the right to report abuse without retaliation;

(D) the right of the nonimmigrant to relinquish possession of his or her passport to his or her employer;

(E) the requirement of an employment contract between the employer and the nonimmigrant; and

(F) an explanation of the rights and protections included in the contract described in subparagraph (E); and

(5) information about nongovernmental organizations that provide services for victims of trafficking in persons and worker exploitation, including-

(A) anti-trafficking in persons telephone hotlines operated by the Federal Government;

(B) the Operation Rescue and Restore hotline; and

(C) a general description of the types of victims services available for individuals subject to trafficking in persons or worker exploitation.

(c) Translation

(1) In general

To best serve the language groups having the greatest concentration of employment-based nonimmigrant visas, the Secretary of State shall translate the information pamphlet and produce or dub the video developed under subsection (a) into all relevant foreign languages, to be determined by the Secretary based on the languages spoken by the greatest concentrations of employment- or education-based nonimmigrant visa applicants.

(2) Revision

Every 2 years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall determine the specific languages into which the information pamphlet will be translated and the video produced or dubbed based on the languages spoken by the greatest concentrations of employment- or education-based nonimmigrant visa applicants.

(d) Availability and distribution

(1) Posting on Federal websites

The information pamphlet and video developed under subsection (a) shall be posted on the websites of the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and all United States consular posts processing applications for employment- or education-based nonimmigrant visas.

(2) Other distribution

The information pamphlet and video developed under subsection (a) shall be made available to any-

(A) government agency;

(B) nongovernmental advocacy organization; or

(C) foreign labor broker doing business in the United States.

(3) Deadline for pamphlet development and distribution

Not later than 180 days after December 23, 2008, the Secretary of State shall distribute and make available the information pamphlet developed under subsection (a) in all the languages referred to in subsection (c).

(4) Deadline for video development and distribution

Not later than 1 year after March 7, 2013, the Secretary of State shall make available the video developed under subsection (a) produced or dubbed in all the languages referred to in subsection (c).

(e) Responsibilities of consular officers of the Department of State

(1) Interviews

A consular officer conducting an interview of an alien for an employment-based nonimmigrant visa shall-

(A)

(i) confirm that the alien has received, read, and understood the contents of the pamphlet described in subsections (a) and (b); and

(ii) if the alien has not received, read, or understood the contents of the pamphlet described in subsections (a) and (b), distribute and orally disclose to the alien the information described in paragraphs (2) and (3) in a language that the alien understands; and

(B) offer to answer any questions the alien may have regarding the contents of the pamphlet described in subsections (a) and (b).

(2) Legal rights

The consular officer shall disclose to the alien-

(A) the legal rights of employment-based nonimmigrants under Federal immigration, labor, and employment laws;

(B) the illegality of slavery, peonage, trafficking in persons, sexual assault, extortion, blackmail, and worker exploitation in the United States; and

(C) the legal rights of immigrant victims of trafficking in persons, worker exploitation, and other related crimes, including-

(i) the right of access to immigrant and labor rights groups;

(ii) the right to seek redress in United States courts; and

(iii) the right to report abuse without retaliation.

(3) Victim services

In carrying out the disclosure requirement under this subsection, the consular officer shall disclose to the alien the availability of services for victims of human trafficking and worker exploitation in the United States, including victim services complaint hotlines.

(f) Definitions

In this section:

(1) Employment- or education-based nonimmigrant visa

The term "employment- or education-based nonimmigrant visa" means-

(A) a nonimmigrant visa issued under subparagraph (A)(iii), (G)(v), (H), or (J) of section 1101(a)(15) of this title; and

(B) any nonimmigrant visa issued to a personal or domestic servant who is accompanying or following to join an employer.

(2) Severe forms of trafficking in persons

The term "severe forms of trafficking in persons" has the meaning given the term in section 7102 of title 22.

(3) Secretary

The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of State.

(4) Abusing and exploiting

The term "abusing and exploiting" means any conduct which would constitute a violation of section 1466A, 1589, 1591, 1592, 2251, or 2251A of title 18.

8 U.S.C. § 1375b

Pub. L. 110-457, title II, §202, Dec. 23, 2008, 122 Stat. 5055; Pub. L. 113-4, title XII, §12061206,, 127 Stat. 140.

EDITORIAL NOTES

CODIFICATIONSection was enacted as part of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, and not as part of the Immigration and Nationality Act which comprises this chapter.

AMENDMENTS2013-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113-4, §1206(1)(A), inserted "and video for consular waiting rooms" after "Information pamphlet" in heading.Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113-4, §1206(1)(B), inserted "and video" after "information pamphlet" and inserted at end "The video shall be distributed and shown in consular waiting rooms in embassies and consulates appropriate to the circumstances that are determined to have the greatest concentration of employment or education-based non-immigrant visa applicants, and where sufficient video facilities exist in waiting or other rooms where applicants wait or convene. The Secretary of State is authorized to augment video facilities in such consulates or embassies in order to fulfill the purposes of this section."Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113-4, §1206(2), inserted "and video" after "information pamphlet" in introductory provisions.Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 113-4, §1206(3)(A), inserted "and produce or dub the video" after "information pamphlet". Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 113-4, §1206(3)(B), inserted "and the video produced or dubbed" after "translated".Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 113-4, §1206(4)(A), inserted "and video" after "information pamphlet".Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 113-4, §1206(4)(B), inserted "and video" after "information pamphlet" in introductory provisions.Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 113-4, §1206(4)(C), added par. (4).

Attorney General: The term "Attorney General" means the Attorney General of the United States.
State: The term "State" includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
alien: The term "alien" means any person not a citizen or national of the United States.
consular officer: The term "consular officer" means any consular, diplomatic, or other officer or employee of the United States designated under regulations prescribed under authority contained in this chapter, for the purpose of issuing immigrant or nonimmigrant visas or, when used in subchapter III, for the purpose of adjudicating nationality.
immigrant visa: The term "immigrant visa" means an immigrant visa required by this chapter and properly issued by a consular officer at his office outside of the United States to an eligible immigrant under the provisions of this chapter.
nonimmigrant visa: The term "nonimmigrant visa" means a visa properly issued to an alien as an eligible nonimmigrant by a competent officer as provided in this chapter.
organization: The term "organization" means, but is not limited to, an organization, corporation, company, partnership, association, trust, foundation or fund; and includes a group of persons, whether or not incorporated, permanently or temporarily associated together with joint action on any subject or subjects.
passport: The term "passport" means any travel document issued by competent authority showing the bearer's origin, identity, and nationality if any, which is valid for the admission of the bearer into a foreign country.