Immigration Evaluations

Immigration Evaluations

“We help immigrants stay in the United States so that they can build a better life for themselves and their families.”

RYD specializes in providing exceptional detailed mental health reports for immigration cases applying for waivers and petitions including Asylum, U-Visa, T-Visa, Domestic Violence (VAWA), Extreme Hardship Cases, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). We conduct these specialized mental health evaluations and provide clinical reporting with very high rates of success. Our clinical licensed therapists have received advanced level training in complex trauma and pride in serving the many immigrants and their families in our communities, so that they can live a safe life in America, free of the detrimental, harmful effects caused by deportation.​

We value integrity and pride ourselves in putting our clients first, thoroughly evaluating each case individually.  We recognize that when you call us for an evaluation, you are in a difficult and vulnerable position. We work very hard to make you feel comfortable, and extend compassion and courtesy to each client

What is immigration and mental health evaluation?

A mental health evaluation is a conversation with a licensed mental health professional. We will talk about your history (where you come from, how and why you came to this country, and what your life is like now) as well as the state of your mental and emotional health as it relates to the reason for your immigration petition. Expect compassion, patience and all the support you need as we help you tell us more about you and what you’re going through. The report outlines in detail your personal (family, educational, medical, etc.) history, any mental health diagnoses and clinical interpretations that support your reason for your immigration petition. 

  1. The Immigration and Mental Health Evaluation process itself can last anywhere between 2-4 hours. Additional collateral interview sessions via audio, video or in-person may be needed.
  2. A comprehensive report, anywhere from 10-20 pages, is written to summarize the evaluation, findings and recommendations based on the specific needs of the individual’s case.

Why Work with Restoring your Destiny, LLC?

  1. Evaluations are conducted by an experienced mental health professional who has expertise in working with immigrants, immigration cases, and has training, certification and experience in both domestic violence and complex trauma.
  2. Certified Trauma Professional 
  3. Our expert works closely with your attorney and other collateral contacts. 
  4. Our expert is a mental health professional, who creates compelling and comprehensive reports and evaluations.
  5. Our report can be a powerful tool in proving the immigrants’ case in cancellation of removal proceedings related to extreme hardship cases, and for political asylum, U-Visa and VAWA petitions.
  6. Culturally sensitive de-stigmatization of symptoms and treatment recommendations, including clinical justification to defer and avoid deportation. (Our goal is to help our clients heal and stay in the United States of America safely)

The Types of Cases that Need Psychological Evaluations for Specific Immigration Petitions and Waivers

Extreme Hardship 

In an extreme hardship case, a citizen or resident of the United States applies for the immigration waiver because the deportation of a family member will cause extreme hardship for themselves or their family. 

The deportation will cause extreme hardship to the family (e.g. spouse, children, or parents) rather than to the individual that may be deported. The court considers extreme hardships to be unusual or beyond what would be normally expected from deportation. 

A few examples of situations that are considered “extreme” include: 

  1. A family member has a major medical issue and can’t safely travel abroad, making it necessary for the individual to remain in the U.S. to care for the family member. 
  2. An individual’s parents are aging and require the person to stay in the U.S. to care for them. 
  3. An individual is a primary breadwinner in the family and their deportation will cause extreme financial hardship for the family. 
  4. The individual’s children are far along in their education in the U.S. and are unable to speak, read, or write in the language of the foreign country. Leaving the U.S. might permanently prevent them from completing their education. 
  5. If one parent has to leave the U.S., it can cause the child that is left behind to develop separation anxiety. In some cases, young children who lack the emotional maturity to understand why a parent might have to leave the U.S. might also develop a depressive disorder. 

If the court finds that there will be extreme or exceptional hardship on the U.S. citizen or resident, the deportation order may be canceled and legal permanent residence granted. 

Asylum 

In asylum cases, the immigrant has been subjected to mistreatment and abuse in their country of origin due to situations such as their political beliefs, religious affiliation, ethnic identity, or gender. They are seeking asylum or safety from their country of origin within the U.S. It is common for individuals to develop depressive disorders or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the abuse or mistreatment they endured in their country. 

A psychological evaluation will establish the mental health consequences of prior abuse or persecution.  An evaluation will also help determine how the abuse will continue to impact the individual in the future. 

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides for immigration benefits to men and women who have been physically and/or mentally abused by their U.S. citizen spouse. 

If an individual is undocumented, married to a U.S. citizen, and they are victims of domestic abuse, they may be eligible for permanent residency in the U.S. 

A psychological evaluation will help establish the psychological impact that the verbal, physical, or sexual abuse had on the individual. 

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) 

Individuals petitioning for a waiver under DACA can be denied if they have a serious criminal conviction (e.g. domestic violence). 

A psychological evaluation can help determine if their actions and behavior were due to a mental disorder, abuse, or other cognitive deficit. 

U-Visa 

A U-Visa may be granted to an undocumented individual living in the U.S. if the individual can demonstrate that they have experienced substantial mental or physical abuse due to being a victim of a serious crime that occurred in the U.S. 

Examples of serious crimes include but are not limited to the following: domestic violence, sexual abuse, rape, murder, torture, kidnapping, and stalking. 

The individual must also be willing to help law enforcement and provide information that assists with the prosecution of the individual that committed the crime. 

It is not uncommon for victims to develop a depressive disorder or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A psychological evaluation can help establish how the crime mentally impacted an individual. 

T-Visa 

A T-Visa can be granted to victims of human trafficking and their immediate families if they agree to assist law enforcement in testifying against their perpetrators. 

In order to be eligible for a T-Visa, an individual must demonstrate that they will endure unusual or severe harm if they were deported from the U.S. 

Unusual or severe harm does not include current or future financial detriment or lack of social and economic opportunities. 

Unusual or severe harm can include the following: 

  1. Age and personal circumstances of the T-Visa applicant. 
  2. Serious physical or mental illness of the T-Visa applicant because treatment is not available in their home country. 
  3. High likelihood of re-victimization. 
  4. Reasonable expectation of punishment by the trafficker or related individuals upon return to their country. 

A psychological evaluation can be helpful in highlighting the specific hardship issues related to the case. It is also not uncommon for individuals to develop depressive disorders or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of their experiences. 

A psychological evaluation will establish the mental health consequences of the physical or sexual abuse they endured while they were being trafficked. 

What is the process?

  1. Call the number above or send a message for a consultation and schedule an appointment with Janay Harden, LCSW to assess your individualized needs.
  2. We will provide your Patient Portal, where you can electronically sign the required forms including consents, disclosures and questionnaires before your evaluation. If necessary hard copies of consent forms with a self-addressed envelope are provided if electronic is not an option. You will send your consent and questionnaire back to the clinician before your first appointment as we like to review all information prior to the initial session. If you are on a payment plan, the initial payment is due at this time.
  3. After all consents and documentation is received, we will set up an appointment to meet via tele-health or in person to begin the clinical Interview process.  We conduct in-depth bio-psycho-social assessments and evaluations, via clinical interviews, objective psycho-metric instruments, collateral information, (when applicable) and DSM-V diagnosis. All of these help us produce a  comprehensive, evidenced based report to support your petition. 
  4. Finally, depending on how quickly you need the evaluation, we like to break sessions up into 2-4 appointments to ensure we get all the information needed. (If you are unable to meet more than once, we will do our best to work with you in the time frame you have available). If you are Spanish speaking, you will not need an interpreter as this is included in your fee. We work with interpreters for clients who speak languages other than Spanish or English.  Once all information is gathered, the clinician will begin working on the report. This can take about 2 weeks. Once the final payment is received, a report will then be mailed to your attorney. 

What Should I bring with me?

  1. If possible, a copy of your legal declaration (you can request this from your attorney)
  2. It helps if you have some basic dates on hand, such as: the year you immigrated to the US and any other significant dates related to the reason for your immigration petition. If you have a copy of a police report, it could be helpful, but it is not necessary.
  3. A valid photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.)
  4. The fee for the evaluation 

Quick Turnaround Times:

We attempt to provide a quick turnaround for our evaluations, usually within two weeks of completing the Clinical Evaluations and assessments. However, it is most helpful if you contact us as soon as you become aware of a pending immigration matter.

Cost

Our cost for an evaluation is a flat rate fee of $1050 which includes the evaluation which can take 2-4 hours on more than one session, and the written report (usually 10-20 pages in length and can take between 5-10 hours to complete). A $500.00 non-refundable deposit must be made when scheduling the evaluation. 

If you need any evaluation immediately, additional fees apply as we have to work evenings, weekends, and put off working with other clients in order to expedite your case. We provide quality work and will not cut corners or rush to complete an evaluation. We have built a solid reputation on creating compelling and extremely thorough psychological evaluations and we are experts in writing  psychological evaluations for immigration cases.

Can you work through an interpreter?

Yes, we work with interpreters regularly. We have a Spanish speaking interpreter on staff at no additional cost to you as this is included in your evaluation fee.

Do I have to pay the full amount at the time of the appointment and what forms of payment do you accept?

I require a minimum payment of $500 at the time of the appointment. You can pay the remainder at a later date but the report will not be developed and sent to your attorney or any related parties until full payment has been rendered. I accept money orders and credit/debit cards only.  There is an additional 4% processing fee for all credit card payments.

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Call to Schedule an Appointment for a Free Consultation:

 (856) 982-7893.

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