Immigration Psychological Evaluations
What is an Evaluation?
An Immigration Psychological Evaluation is a psychological assessment used to help immigration courts determine whether an individual will be able to remain lawfully in the United States.
The following are some situations that may require a psychological Evaluation:
Hardship Waiver In an extreme psychological hardship case, a citizen or resident of the United States applies for the immigration waiver because the deportation of a family member will cause extreme hardship for themselves or their family. It is important to remember their deportation will cause more hardship to others (family, spouse, children, or parents) rather than to the individual that may be deported.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides for immigration benefits to men and women who have been physically and/or mentally abused by their U.S. citizen spouse. If an individual is undocumented, married to a U.S. citizen, and they are victims of domestic abuse, they may be eligible for permanent residency in the U.S. A mental health evaluation will help establish the psychological impact that the verbal, physical, or sexual abuse had on the individual.
U-Visa or T-Visa. A U-Visa may be granted to an undocumented individual living in the U.S. if the individual can demonstrate that they have experienced substantial mental or physical abuse due to being a victim of a serious crime that occurred in the U.S. A T-Visa can be granted to victims of human trafficking and their immediate families if they agree to assist law enforcement in testifying against their perpetrators. It is not uncommon for victims to develop a depressive disorder or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A psychological evaluation can help establish how the crime mentally impacted an individual. In order to be eligible for a T-Visa, an individual must demonstrate that they will endure unusual or severe harm if they were deported from the U.S.
What to Expect During a Mental Health Evaluation
This process can be difficult and anxiety-provoking, especially for someone that has never met with a Mental Health Professional.
Our counselors are culturally-sensitive and will work to ease any anxieties and answer any questions during this process. We offer our services in English, Spanish, Russian and American ASL.
A typical immigration evaluation includes:
An interview with you for a minimum of four hours in multiple sessions. The interview will help us understand important psychological, medical, and social background information, and your current level of cognitive and psychological functioning.
Consultation with your attorney to determine the type of waiver that will be best suited for your case.
A review of medical, psychological, and other supporting documents that help us have a better understanding of your psychological and emotional functioning.
If necessary, we will administer psychological tests and questionnaires to help us figure out specific areas where you are having psychological difficulty.
After we complete the evaluation, we will write a comprehensive report that integrates our findings and give it to your attorney.
Cost: $750 per individual (multiple sessions)
