Healing in Community
Immigration Evaluations
What is an immigration evaluation?
An immigration evaluation is a psychological assessment conducted by a licensed clinician to explain the mental health state of an individual in an immigration case. These evaluations can be used as support in an immigration case by proving hardship or emotional impact of being a victim of crime.
What are the benefits of obtaining an immigration evaluation?
Immigration evaluations create a measurable difference in the outcome of cases. A study of over 2,584 immigration cases between 2008 and 2018 found that 82% of positive case outcomes had received mental health/medical evaluations.
Source: Impact of forensic medical evaluations on immigration relief grant rates and correlates of outcomes in the United States
Immigration evaluations offer an unbiased, comprehensive assessment of your mental health. They aim to demonstrate the impact of your lived experiences on your psychological and emotional well-being, which can be crucial evidence to support your case.
What types of immigration cases do you offer evaluations for and how do I know if I need an evaluation?
Hardship Waivers (I-601 or I-601A): To demonstrate how a qualifying relative (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) would be affected if separated from their family member.
VAWA (Violence Against Women Act): To demonstrate how the client has been psychologically affected by domestic violence by an abusive U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. (Applies to all genders.)
U Visas: To demonstrate that the client has suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of being a victim of certain crimes.
T Visas: To demonstrate how the client has been affected by human trafficking.
Asylum: To demonstrate how the client has been affected by a well-founded fear of persecution in their country of origin.
If you are unsure whether you need an immigration evaluation, consult with your immigration attorney.
How much does an immigration evaluation cost?
$900 for an evaluation with 2-3 weeks turnaround time. You will be charged a non-refundable deposit of $300 during your first session. This will go toward your total amount due. The remaining $600 is due before the final report is complete. I offer a payment plan option if needed.
$1200 for expedited evaluations. This fee must be paid in full during the first session. Most expedited evaluations are completed within 7-10 business days after the first session. No payment plans are available for this option.
All payments must be completed before the final evaluation report is released.
What is your experience with immigration and evaluations?
I have worked in the field of immigration since I was an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I provided administrative services at the International Student and Scholar Services office for seven years.
During graduate school, my Capstone project focused on newcomer Latina youth and fostering community and empowerment through art.
I specialize in trauma-informed psychotherapy within the immigrant and refugee community. At the start of my counseling career in 2017, I provided mental health services to newcomer students in Durham County and Chapel Hill/Carrboro Schools.
In 2017, I became an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, where I facilitated support groups for immigrant survivors of violence. In 2018, I worked as a bilingual outpatient therapist at a community mental health clinic in Durham, focusing on providing mental health access to the Latino immigrant community.
As a therapist in community mental health, I wrote letters of support for clients navigating immigration cases. This encouraged me to expand my skills to offer more beneficial services, such as immigration evaluations.
I have completed comprehensive training on immigration evaluations through the Immigration Evaluation Institute.
Information for new clients:
All evaluations are conducted virtually using a confidential, HIPAA-compliant video platform.
You will receive a link to your confidential client portal before your appointment. You will complete registration paperwork and brief assessments. You can use the portal to upload copies of documentation relevant to your case, including police reports or any previous medical or psychological evaluations you have received. Please have your attorney's contact information ready to complete a release of information form to facilitate communication if necessary.
Please arrive on time for your appointment. 15 minutes before the start of your appointment, you will receive a text message and email reminder with the link to join the video call.
On the day of your appointment, please ensure you are in a private space with a good internet connection and are the only person on the video call. Consider asking your attorney if they offer a space you can use to attend your appointment online.
Please bring identification on the day of your appointment.
The assessment will last approximately 2 hours. We may need to schedule an additional appointment time depending on your needs and circumstances.
Contact me using the form below to schedule a free consultation call for more information.