Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
VAWA evaluations are used in cases when an individual immigrates to the United States (often under a fiancée visa) and marries an American citizen. It can happen that this relationship becomes abusive, with the American citizen as the abuser and the immigrant spouse as the victim. Often, the abuser will threaten the victim with deportation to keep her/him silent about the abuse. When this happens, the victim can leave their abuser and petition US Immigration to be allowed to stay in the United States and eventually receive a Green Card (permanent resident status) by proving that they are being abused by their American husband/wife.
All psychological evaluations include an assessment of abuse and trauma, as these are risk factors for emotional hardship and it helps to establish the severity and longstanding nature of the mental health issues. A history of trauma and/or pre-existing mental health conditions helps document that the person has mental health vulnerabilities that are not related to the immigration problems. At Queens Psychotherapy LCSW P.C., we are guided by case-law and legal standards and work with our clients to identify hardships within numerous categories (i.e., finances, housing, medical needs, academic issues, suicide risk, country conditions, etc.). Then, we assess the impact that these hardships have on emotional and social adjustment. |