T1 visa symbol meaning.

What T1 means in 22 CFR 41.12

Section 41.12 of Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations is titled “Classification symbols”. It opens: “A nonimmigrant visa issued to an applicant within one of the classes described in this section shall bear an appropriate visa symbol to show its classification. The symbol shall be inserted in the space provided on the visa.” Table 1 to that section then lists each symbol with its class and the section of law. The row for T1 is:

The statute behind the symbol

The “section of law” column points to the Immigration and Nationality Act. Most rows cite INA 101(a)(15), codified at 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15), the definition of “immigrant”, which lists the classes of nonimmigrant aliens by letter and begins: “The term “immigrant” means every alien except an alien who is within one of the following classes of nonimmigrant aliens”.

The T1 row cites INA 101(a)(15)(T)(i). Clause (i) is a long list of conditions that the Secretary of Homeland Security (and, for one item, in consultation with the Attorney General) determines. Two of them read:

“is or has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons, as defined in section 7102 of title 22”

Source: INA 101(a)(15)(T)(i)(I)

“is physically present in the United States, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or at a port of entry thereto, on account of such trafficking”

Source: INA 101(a)(15)(T)(i)(II)

Reading the T1 row against its neighbours

The T1 symbol is for the principal person. The table then lists T2 (Spouse of T1), T3 (Child of T1), T4 (Parent of a T1 under 21 years of age, or of a T1 of any age who faces present danger of retaliation), T5 (Unmarried Sibling under 18 years of age, with the same two situations) and T6 (Adult or Minor Child of a Derivative Beneficiary of a T1 of any age who faces present danger of retaliation). T2 to T6 all cite clause (ii).

Clause (i) begins “subject to section 1184(o) of this title”. It also lists further conditions about assistance with an investigation or prosecution and about hardship upon removal. This page has quoted only two of the conditions and has not tried to summarise the rest, because the full wording matters and a summary could mislead.

A symbol is a label for a class of visa. It does not tell anyone what to do if they believe they are a victim of trafficking. For help of that kind, a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited non-profit legal organization can advise on the facts. This page cites only the text of the regulation and the statute.

What this page does not tell you

A visa symbol is a label. Table 1 says what each class is called and where the classification comes from in law. It says nothing about who qualifies, what evidence is needed, how long anyone may stay, whether work is allowed or what an application costs. Those answers sit in other regulations and in agency guidance and they change, so use the lookup above to read the label and then take the question to the State Department’s visa pages (travel.state.gov, which blocked automated reading on November 2, 2026, so we have not cited its contents) or a licensed immigration attorney.

For other codes seen on immigration paperwork, see the EAD category code lookup, which covers a different code set, and the I-94 number format checker.

• U1 visa symbol meaning: U1, the symbol for victims of criminal activity, which sits next to T in Table 1.

Sources

Sources opened and read November 2, 2026.

• eCFR: 22 CFR 41.12 Classification symbols, Table 1 (current text; last amended 2023-09-12 per the eCFR version history) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR renderer API, the same section as machine-readable text (read November 2, 2026)
• Cornell Legal Information Institute: 8 U.S.C. 1101, definitions, subsection (a)(15) (read November 2, 2026)