Are You An Immigrant Who Is Trying To Prove Your Case To Stay In The US?
Has extreme hardship in your home country forced you to leave in hopes of a better life in the US?
Have you experienced trauma due to violence, displacement, or other difficulties that have surrounded your journey?
Perhaps you’ve experienced domestic violence or some form of abuse and need to remove yourself from your current environment for safety and stability.
Maybe you are in danger of persecution if you return to your home country and are seeking political asylum.
An immigration evaluation can provide psychological evidence of the harm that staying in your home country would cause and an accurate description of the state of your mental health. They can prove extreme hardship or the emotional impact of being the victim of a crime, which can be used in court to support an immigration petition. This evaluation document is statistically proven to help immigrants achieve a successful court case.
Making The Decision To Come To The US For Your Safety And Security Is Incredibly Stressful
Moving to the US as an immigrant fleeing hardship can be filled with fear, uncertainty, and even trauma. Once you arrive in the US and try to find your footing, figuring out how to make your case for staying here can fill you with even more distress.
Additionally, you are in a new culture, and the shock of those differences from your home country can feel overwhelming. You might feel conflicted and even homesick despite being happy about your choice to leave.
These conflicting feelings probably cause you acute and persistent stress. Or maybe you feel hopeless and sad, which could lead to both an anxiety disorder and clinical depression. You might also experience discrimination and prejudice in your new community of residence, in addition to housing instability and language barriers on top of everything else.
While making a new life in the US comes with challenges, an immigration evaluation can provide the documentation needed to prove your case to remain in the US so you can finally settle in and find stability.
Psychological Evaluations Provide Strong Evidence In Court
Experiencing trauma and mental health issues as an immigrant is completely understandable, given the hardship and stress they’ve likely gone through, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Proof of mental health distress and extreme hardship with the help of a psychological evaluation is used as part of the evidence for why the US allows immigrants the right to stay.
The Executive Office of Immigration Review reports that 937,611 pending asylum applications were in Immigration Court in 2023. (1) Additionally, The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received 32,413 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) cases in 2022, however, only 25 percent of VAWA cases were approved. (2)
Finally, the Center for Minority Public Health reported that 89 percent of cases that included a psychological evaluation as evidence had asylum granted, which is 50 percent greater than those that did not. (3)
Simply put, a psychological evaluation for asylum, VAWA, and special circumstance visa seekers can change the outcome of their case.
Trauma Can Make It Hard To Trust Others
People face hurdles that might make their journey more complicated without the help of a counselor or trusted ally. Language barriers and cultural gaps are already difficult to navigate, but on an interpersonal level, immigrants who have experienced trauma may find it difficult to trust others.
This is a typical survival response that comes from a place of trauma. It’s important to find a clinician for immigration cases who understands them and can assure them that they are safe to share their story. Luckily, at Pinkerton Psychotherapy, we have a bilingual Spanish-speaking counselor who can relate to you on a cultural level, and give you the peace of mind to know that you are in safe hands.
Our Immigration Evaluation Services Can Help You Stay In The US
A psychological evaluation helps the court understand what has happened to you and why you deserve to have a place in the United States.
You can apply for and be granted the following:
- U Visa – for victims of a serious crime
- T Visa – for victims of human trafficking
- Asylum – for victims of violence who are forced to flee their country as a political refugee
- VAWA (Spousal Abuse) – for victims of domestic violence
- Extreme Hardship – to prove that deportation would cause extreme hardship to family members
- Cancellation of Removal – to petition for cancellation of a deportation order
Pinkerton Psychotherapy can create this report for you with the aid of a bilingual counselor. The process involves you sharing the details of your story and what brought you to the US. Your counselor will create the document, which will explain the mental, physical, and or emotional toll of your story.
An Overview Of The Evaluation Process
We will meet for 2 to 4 hours total, broken up into a few sessions. During this time, we will complete a detailed history, including your behavioral, emotional, and cognitive symptoms and circumstances. Then, we will utilize psychological tests if needed, and explain all details and diagnoses recorded so you understand everything clearly.
You may bring any supporting documentation (i.e., police reports, medical reports, legal documents, etc.) to help us understand your circumstances.
The report will be completed in about four weeks after the interview portion is completed. An expedited report can be requested for an additional fee. The final report will be 8-20 pages, depending on the type of evaluation needed. The report is where you will see the results of your psychological evaluation.
We Will Try To Make This As Stress-Free As Possible
We hope to gain your trust and build rapport with you because we understand that trusting others is so hard right now.
When you reach out to start the evaluation process, our initial meeting will cover topics and details at your own pace. The trained clinician will collaborate with you to create a cohesive narrative of the hardship you’ve been through.
Please remember that your story matters. It’s not “what’s wrong with you,” it’s “what has happened to you.” Your story is worth telling, and with the help of a therapist and an immigration evaluation to support your case, you don’t have to live in constant fear.
You May Still Have Concerns About Our Immigration Evaluation Services…
I am concerned about the cost of this service.
An immigration evaluation is a common service and assessment that can provide immense help in your case, so it is well worth the investment in your future. We do offer sliding scale services on a case-by-case basis, which can be discussed directly with our office.
I don’t know if I can do this because it is too painful to talk about what I have been through.
It is very, very common to be afraid to share traumatizing details about your life. What we can promise you is that your counselor will work to gain your trust and create a safe place within our appointments where you feel you can share. Your counselor will ask open-ended questions that are very mindful of your boundaries and needs, and will encourage communication but not in a way that feels demanding.
After the evaluation process, you’ll have the option to continue counseling or not. We can help connect you with additional resources and community-based groups if you cannot afford additional therapy at our practice.
When will I find out the outcome of my case?
The Immigration Court determines the timing of the outcome, which varies from case to case. While your case is in question, you will be allowed to remain in the US, but we understand how this waiting period can lead to fear and disillusionment. It is normal for these cases to take a long time to resolve, but that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with yours. It is important to try to reframe this waiting period to focus on stabilizing yourself and your family.
Let’s Get Your Immigration Evaluation Started Today
Please contact us through our online form, or by calling us at (713) 800-6999. Reaching out and getting a psychological evaluation done can dramatically improve the outcome of your immigration court case and we look forward to helping you and your future.