S Visa (Witnesses Informants)

The S visa is a nonimmigrant visa category for individuals who have been identified by a law enforcement agency as having valuable information about criminal activity, and who are willing to provide this information to the agency. The S visa is designed to encourage noncitizens to come forward with information about crimes and to assist law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of those crimes.

To be eligible for an S visa, an individual must have reliable information about a crime and be willing to provide that information to a law enforcement agency. The individual must also be able to demonstrate that they are in danger because of their knowledge of the crime, and that they are willing to assist in the investigation or prosecution of the crime.

Individuals with S visas are granted temporary permission to remain in the United States for the duration of the investigation or prosecution of the crime. They may also be permitted to work in the United States while they are in the country on an S visa.

S visas are typically issued for a period of one year, but they can be renewed as long as the investigation or prosecution of the crime is ongoing. Once the investigation or prosecution is complete, individuals with S visas must leave the United States or apply for a different type of visa to remain in the country.

While the S visa provides a way for noncitizens to assist law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prosecution of crimes, it is important to keep in mind that individuals with S visas are not immune from prosecution for their own crimes. They can still be charged with crimes and face deportation if they are convicted of a crime while in the United States on an S visa.