Clinical Evaluation for Immigration

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What Is An Immigration Evaluation?

An immigration evaluation, also known as an immigration clinical evaluation or hardship evaluation, is an assessment conducted by a licensed clinician to explain the mental health state of an individual in an immigration case.

Generally, definitions for immigration evaluations vary and tend to be bucketed to mean some component of a psychosocial, psychological / mental health evaluation. That said, immigration evaluations do come in various types and can be conducted by a licensed social worker, mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist.

What Are Immigration Evaluations Used For?

Mental health / psychological evaluations are routinely used to support immigration cases. They are helpful for proving extreme hardship or the emotional effect of being the victim of a crime which can be substantiated in court in support of an immigration petition.

Immigration Evaluation Categories

Immigration evaluations can mainly be broken down into two parts: trauma related and non-trauma related. 

Examples of trauma related cases are U-Visa, T-Visa, VAWA, and Political Asylum. Non trauma related cases are I-601 and cancellation of removal. The biggest difference between the two types of evaluations and their subparts is that one segment highlights more of a trauma than the other.

Types of Immigration Waivers

Mental health / psychological assessments are used in various types of immigration cases. Here are some of the most common ones: 

WAIVERS / HARDSHIPS

Mental health evaluations can be used to show that deportation would cause extreme hardship to qualifying family members, such as U.S. citizen children. 

POLITICAL ASYLUM

Political asylum is given to undocumented immigrants who are forced to flee their country as a political refugee. Immigration mental health evaluations can help asylum seekers show evidence of persecution in their home country. 

VAWA

This petition allows spouses and children who are victims of domestic violence perpetrated by a United States citizen to obtain a green card. A mental health evaluation can help document the consequences of the abuse, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related problems. 

CANCELLATION OF REMOVAL

A psychological evaluation can be used to help support a deportation cancellation of removal order. 

U-VISA

U visa gives undocumented immigrants who have been victims of a serious crime the right to live in the United States. Psychological evaluations can help U visa petitioners prove the mental and emotional consequences of the crime. 

T-VISA

A visa provides victims of human trafficking with the right to live and work in the United States. A mental health evaluation can help an immigration court understand how human trafficking affected the petitioner emotionally. 

Choosing The Right Therapist

In addition to choosing an immigration mental health examination for your case, you should also make sure that you choose a therapist or counselor who is experienced in providing psychological / mental health assessments. 

It is important to feel understood during the evaluation. Therefore, choose a mental health counselor who speaks the same language as you do and has extensive experience working with immigrants from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It is also important to select a therapist who has experience in trauma and domestic violence. This can help you or your family member feel safe enough to talk about issues like violence and trauma. 

  • Victims of domestic violence (VAWA)
  • Victims of crime: U Visa
  • Waivers / Hardships

Choosing The Right Therapist

  1. Four Interview Appointments with the person being evaluated scheduled within two weeks of one another.
  2. Collateral Communication with the attorney/paralegal on the case.
  3. The written draft will be sent to the attorney/paralegal to cross-reference and confirm information (i.e. dates and names).
  4. A copy of the finalized evaluation will be mailed to the attorney/paralegal and another copy will be sent to the client.

Please Note:

Written consent to communicate with the attorney/paralegal on the case is required in order to complete the evaluation. Please consult with an attorney regarding the type of evaluation that is recommended for your case and whether or not one is required for your case. Also, rescheduling/canceling appointments may delay the turnaround time for the evaluation. Typically, evaluations are completed in 4-5 weeks; however, there is an expedite option in which we finalized the evaluation in one or two weeks.

Immigration Evaluation Fee: $950

Expedite process: $1200

ASK QUESTION

Frequently Asked Questions about an immigration clinical evaluation

We normally complete an evaluation in three to four sessions. An intake coordinator will interview you during the first visit, then you will see the clinician in charge of completing your evaluation.

An immigration clinical assessment explains the history (in-depth), current and past life, and difficulties an individual has experienced or is currently experiencing as a consequence of the immigration process and potential trauma if a member of the family is forced to leave this country.

The average cost is $950. Sometimes, people ask for expedite process and the price goes up to $1,200 if you need the evaluation in one week.

You can either pay the bill in its entirety on the first appointment or pay half of the total cost and then pay the remainder when the report is complete.

Extreme hardship letters are a list of all of the difficulties the eligible relative will experience if their non-citizen relative is deported or forced to leave the country.

A clinical evaluation is a professional assessment of an individual's mental health history and difficulties created by the immigration process.

Call our office numbers (404) 630-1361 or 404-644-2257 or 404-751-7336.

We normally have availability to start with the process on the same day, and we accept walk-ins.

All our staff is fully bilingual in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

You need your ID, police report (U-Visa cases), and legal advisor's or attorney's information.

There is no requirement to work with an immigration lawyer on your misrepresentation. It is recommended to consult with one.

We will provide a written report of your difficulties related to your immigration case and make recommendations regarding your case.

A clinical mental health evaluation is routinely used to support your immigration case. We work with you and your legal counsel.

We will create a detailed report about 15-20 pages long and provide you and your attorney with a draft for review and consultation. Once finalized, the written report will be delivered electronically in a PDF form or give you a physical copy of your report.

The entire process takes approximately four weeks unless delayed by unforeseen circumstances by the client or their attorney. Upon initial contact, the client will be scheduled with Dr. Navarrete or one of our clinicians to ensure the evaluation can be conducted and to answer or discuss any questions or concerns.

We see children of 4 years old or older.

We accept credit cards, debit cards, or cash. There is a fee of $5.00 for using a credit or debit card.

Dr. Navarrete and the staff of clinicians licensed in Georgia will be conducting the evaluation.

Dr. Navarrete and his group of bilingual clinicians are experts on immigration-related issues. They are all bilingual of different nationalities with a personal experience of immigrating to the United States.

Dr. Navarrete has been working in the field of mental health for about 37 years. He started working with immigration cases in 2005.

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