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IS YOUR IMMIGRATION CASE IN NEED OF AN EVALUATION ?​​

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Immigration is a topic that has piqued interest in our country for years and will for years to come. With Immigration, comes immigration law and immigration evaluations. Immigration evaluations are clinical assessments that a licensed mental health professional can provide as a professional service for persons who are navigating through immigration proceedings. Immigration evaluations can be helpful to many individuals that have experienced hardships. Your clinical professional can assist you with writing an immigration evaluation to highlight the specific hardships that one has experienced related to their case. The most common immigration evaluation cases include

 

• Asylum Cases: According to the US citizens and Imigration services, eligible persons include individuals who have fled from their home country and are currently in the United States or its borders. The person who would qualify for asylum cases has a well founded fear of persecution upon returning to their home country due to their involvement with a targeted social group that could be dangerous including:

 

1. Race/ethnicity

2. Nationality

3. Religious beliefs

4. Sexual orientation

5. Political views

6. Individuals fleeing gang violence 

 

• Extreme Hardship Waivers: Identifying unique factors contributing to a client’s psychological distress.

 

Some of the factors relevant to extreme hardship waivers can include:

 

1. Severe psychological distress

2. Violent country conditions

3. Client or family member having medical or psychiatric conditions 

4. Child learning disorders or developmental delays 

5. Negative financial impacts

6. Loss of career or retirement benefits

7. Risk of suicide or Homicide 

 

• VAWA Cases (Violence Against Women Act): According to the US citizens and Imigration services, VAWA cases provides protection to non citizen spouses and children who have suffered from battery or extreme cruelty by a United States Citizen or permanent resident of the United States. 

 

The violence against women act allows immigrants that are victims of domestic violence to recieve a green card independent of their abusive citizen spouses. 

 

Factors relevant for VAWA evaluations include:

 

1. Any individual regardless of their gender who has experienced domestic violence or are currently being abused by a United States citizen or permanent resident. Violence can be committed by: 

   1. US citizen spouses 

   2. US citizen parents

   3. US citizen son or daughter 

   4. Permanent US resident 

 

• U Visa Cases: According to the Us citizens and Imigration services, U Visa cases pertain to an immigrant who is a victim of a crime that has suffered from severe mental and/or physical abuse. Individuals who would like to be involved in a U Visa case typically helpl with law enforcement or government officials to investigate or prosecute criminal activity that they have experienced.

 

Common qualifying crimes but not limited to include: Trafficking, abduction, blackmail, domestic violence, extortion, false imprisonment, murder, incest, slave trades, torture, and prostitution. 

 

• T Visa Cases: According to the US citizens and Imigration services, T visa cases pertain to immigrants who have suffered and are victims of human trafficking and/or labor trafficking. Individuals who would like to be involved in a T Visa case typically help law enforcement or government officials to investigate or prosecute criminal activity that they have experienced.

 

What to Expect to Receive an Evaluation 

 

For an Immigration Evaluation, you should expect to meet in person or virtually with your clinician for at least 2-3 sessions to gather the information needed to create your documentation to be submitted to your lawyer. The assessment completed by your clinician will be a thorough assessment approximately 12-15 pages in length that could take around 3-4 weeks to be completed.