Immigration Evaluations in Houston, TX
Immigration evaluations for Houston clients, conducted online
Houston is one of the most linguistically diverse metro areas in the country, and a great deal of immigration work runs through it. Neema Counseling provides psychosocial and mental health evaluations for immigration cases here and across the rest of Texas.
Every evaluation is conducted online, by video. None take place at our Spring Branch office. That office, at 8215 Long Point Road, Suite 11, Houston, TX 77055, is where we see clients for counseling.
For a Houston case, video is often the only version that actually works. A two to three interviews do not fit around drives from Alief to Spring Branch at five in the afternoon, and do not fit around a twelve-hour shift at the Medical Center either. Online scheduling opens up hours that an office visit never could.
Schedule an immigration evaluation
What the report is for
An immigration evaluation is a written mental health assessment prepared by a licensed clinician and given to your attorney to use in your filing. Depending on the case, it may document the effect of abuse, of a qualifying crime, of trafficking, of persecution and fear of return, or of what separation from a family member would do to the relative who remains in the United States.
It is not legal advice and it is not a prediction. We do not tell you what a report will do for your case. What we can tell you is that the report will describe your situation accurately, in clinical terms, with the detail your attorney's filing calls for.
Neema writes evaluations for extreme hardship waivers, including I-601 and I-601A filings, VAWA petitions, U visa and T visa petitions, and asylum claims. Our main immigration evaluations page describes each case type in full.
Cost and turnaround
- Hardship waiver, U visa, VAWA and T visa evaluations: $750
- Asylum evaluations: $900
- Typical turnaround: three to five weeks, from scheduling through the finished report
- Expedited timelines may be available for an additional fee, subject to clinician availability
Pricing is published because attorneys and clients both need it before they can plan, and most providers make you ask. The fee is the same across Texas; there is no Houston rate.
The clinician's license, stated plainly
Neema's evaluators are Licensed Professional Counselors. What they produce is a psychosocial and mental health evaluation. Some cases instead call for formal psychological testing or expert testimony from a psychologist, and when that is what your attorney needs, we will point you toward a colleague who can do it.
We would rather lose the referral than send an attorney a document that is not the one their case required.
For Houston immigration attorneys
We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with you. What helps most is knowing any relevant details before the first interview: which qualifying relative, which hardship standard, which petition, and what your filing timeline is.
Documents can be sent ahead and reviewed as part of the evaluation. If a case needs family members interviewed as well as the petitioner, say so early, because it changes the number of sessions.
Counseling in Spring Branch and across Houston
Immigration stress does not stop when a filing goes in. For many families the waiting is the hardest stretch of the whole process.
Ongoing counseling is available in person at our Spring Branch office and online throughout Texas. Spanish-language counseling at Neema is currently offered online rather than in person in Houston. Two pieces we have written specifically for this city are worth reading if you are in the middle of it: how immigrants in Houston find support, stability, and counseling during the immigration process and hardship waiver evaluations in Houston: what to expect and how to prepare.
For counseling more generally, see Christian counseling in Houston, TX, or, if you are closer to the west side, therapy in Memorial, TX.
Faith, and the churches near us
Neema is a Christian practice, which in the room means Scripture is available to the conversation and your therapist will not ask you to leave your faith at the door. It does not mean a session is a Bible study, and it does not mean you have to be a Christian to work with us.
The churches our Houston clients name most often are all in Spring Branch: Bayou City Fellowship at its Spring Branch campus on Brittmoore, Christ Community Church in Sherwood Forest, and Sanctuary Church, which meets at Grace.
Español: también tenemos esta información en español, en nuestra página de evaluaciones de inmigración.
Get started
If your attorney has requested an evaluation, the next step is scheduling. Evaluations are conducted by video across Texas and Colorado, so your location in Houston does not affect availability.
Schedule an immigration evaluation, or contact our team if you are not yet sure which service your case needs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have my immigration evaluation at the Spring Branch office?
No. Immigration evaluations are conducted online only, by video, anywhere in Texas and Colorado. The Long Point Road office is for counseling appointments.
How much is an immigration evaluation in Houston?
$750 for hardship waiver, U visa, VAWA and T visa evaluations, and $900 for asylum evaluations. Pricing does not vary by city.
How quickly can I get the report?
Three to five weeks is typical, including scheduling, interviews, document review and writing. Expedited turnaround may be possible for an additional fee if your filing deadline requires it.
How many sessions is the evaluation?
Usually two meetings, occasionally three, depending on the case and whether family members are also interviewed.
Do I need an attorney first?
Yes, it is strongly recommended. The report is written to answer what your attorney's filing needs, and that direction is what makes it useful.
Who writes the evaluation?
Fabian Armenta, LPC, or Lauren Jones, LPC-S, both Licensed Professional Counselors at Neema Counseling. Evaluations in Spanish are conducted by Fabian. Lauren also works with Spanish-speaking clients, with Elvia Delgado, LPC-Associate, assisting with translation. If your case requires formal psychological testing or testimony from a psychologist, we will tell you before you schedule and refer you elsewhere.