VAWA Evaluation for Self-Petitioners
A VAWA evaluation is a psychosocial evaluation written to support a self-petition under the Violence Against Women Act. It documents the abuse you experienced from a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or adult child, and the effect that abuse has had on your mental health and your life. At Neema Counseling, a Licensed Professional Counselor conducts the evaluation over secure video, wherever you are in Texas or Colorado. The fee is $750 and the finished report usually takes three to five weeks. VAWA protects men as well as women.
Why a VAWA case often includes a mental health evaluation
A VAWA self-petition (Form I-360) lets a person who was abused by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member apply for immigration status on their own, without that family member's knowledge or cooperation. The petitioner has to show that they were subjected to battery or extreme cruelty. Extreme cruelty covers far more than physical violence: threats, humiliation, isolation, control over money and movement, threats to call immigration, and taking or hiding documents all count.
Much of that abuse leaves no police report and no hospital record. A written psychosocial evaluation is one of the ways an attorney documents it. The evaluator listens to the whole history, records it carefully, and describes the emotional and mental health effects with clinical detail. For many petitioners the evaluation is the most complete account of the abuse that exists in the file.
Whether your petition needs an evaluation, and what it should address, is your attorney's call; Neema writes the clinical report. Please have an attorney in place before you schedule.
Who a VAWA evaluation is for
- A spouse or former spouse of an abusive U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, including a parent whose child was abused by that spouse
- A child of an abusive U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident parent
- A parent of an abusive adult U.S. citizen son or daughter
If your attorney is pursuing a different form of VAWA relief, such as cancellation of removal, they can tell us what the evaluation needs to address. Which form of relief fits your situation is a question for your attorney, and we are glad to coordinate with them.
What the evaluation documents
Across two video meetings, sometimes three, the evaluator builds a careful record of:
- The relationship and its history. How it began, how it changed, and what the pattern of control and abuse looked like over time.
- The abuse itself. Physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, financial, and immigration-related abuse, described in your own words and in your own order.
- Your mental health now. Symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, fear, and any other effects, and how they show up in daily life.
- The effect on your children, if you have them, and on your ability to work, study, and maintain relationships.
- Your safety and your supports. Where you are living, who you rely on, and what has helped.
- Your strengths. Evaluations are not only a record of harm. They also document resilience, and attorneys find that useful.
The report is objective. It describes what the evaluator heard and observed, with clinical reasoning, and it does not argue the legal case or promise an outcome.
Safety, privacy, and pace
Every Neema immigration evaluation is conducted by secure video, so you choose where you are when you talk with us. Nothing about the evaluation requires your abuser's participation or knowledge; the evaluation is between you and your evaluator, and the report is written for your attorney's use in your case. Federal VAWA confidentiality rules also limit what immigration agencies can do with information that comes from the abuser.
Talking through abuse is hard. Your evaluator goes at your pace, can pause when you need a break, and does not push you to describe anything in more detail than the evaluation requires. If you need to stop and continue another day, that is fine.
Cost and timeline
The fee for a VAWA evaluation is $750, which includes the interviews, any document review, and the written report. Plan on three to five weeks from your first call to the finished report; the interviews go quickly and the writing takes the time. When a filing date is close, ask about an expedited report, which carries an additional fee and depends on which clinicians have room. Note that the free 15-minute consultation Neema offers for counseling is not available for evaluations.
Who performs the evaluation
Neema's immigration evaluations are conducted by Licensed Professional Counselors, and they are psychosocial and mental health evaluations. If your attorney needs formal psychological testing or expert testimony from a psychologist, we will refer you to a colleague who provides it, rather than take a case we are not the right fit for. Attorneys tend to find that clarity useful.
Counseling after the evaluation
The evaluation is a one-time assessment, not treatment. Telling the story for the evaluation can stir things up, and some people want ongoing support afterward. Neema offers immigration counseling and trauma therapy in English and Spanish, in person in Austin and Houston and online across Texas and Colorado. Counseling is separate from the evaluation and does not affect it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a police report or a protective order to get a VAWA evaluation?
No. Many VAWA petitions rest on abuse that was never reported. The evaluation documents your account and its effects regardless of whether other records exist. Your attorney will advise you on what other evidence to gather.
Will my spouse or family member find out about the evaluation?
Not from us. The evaluation does not involve them, and the report is written for your attorney's use in your case.
Can I come to an office for the evaluation?
No. Neema does immigration evaluations only by video, anywhere in Texas or Colorado, which lets you choose a private place where you feel safe to talk.
How much does a VAWA evaluation cost, and how long does it take?
The fee is $750. Most reports are finished within three to five weeks of scheduling; a faster turnaround is sometimes possible for an additional fee if a clinician has availability.
Can I do the evaluation in Spanish?
Yes. Fabian Armenta, LPC, conducts VAWA evaluations in Spanish, so the whole evaluation can be done in Spanish with no interpreter present. Lauren Jones, LPC-S, also works with Spanish-speaking clients, with Elvia Delgado, LPC-Associate, assisting with translation. Tell us which you would prefer when you contact us.
What if I am a man?
VAWA applies to abused spouses, children, and parents of any gender. The evaluation process is the same.
Does the evaluation guarantee my petition will be approved?
No. USCIS makes the decision, and the evaluation is one part of a larger file. What a careful, honest evaluation does is give your attorney a complete clinical record of what you went through and what it has cost you.
Schedule a VAWA evaluation
When your attorney has asked for a VAWA evaluation, schedule an immigration evaluation with Neema Counseling. We meet you by video from anywhere in Texas or Colorado; the fee is $750 and most reports are ready in three to five weeks. If your attorney has not yet said which evaluation your case needs, our extreme hardship evaluation page covers I-601 and I-601A waivers. We also have pages for clients in Austin and Houston.
If you would like to read about the interviews before you call, see what to expect from an immigration evaluation.