Psychological evaluations can play a crucial role in immigration proceedings, particularly for individuals seeking asylum, applying for U Visas, T Visas, and extreme hardship waivers, and those affected by abuse under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). A well-prepared forensic psychological evaluation can help document the emotional and psychological impact of past mistreatment, abuse, or persecution and reinforce claims for relief.
For asylum seekers, the evaluations we conduct at Dr. Robin Lowey & Associates identify mental health disorders such as PTSD or Major Depressive Disorder, which can result from abuse or persecution, and are essential in documenting the emotional consequences of the applicant’s experiences. Our reports describe the persecution or abuse in detail, the mental health consequences of the past trauma, and the emotional impact that fear of abuse or persecution in the future has upon the applicant. Similarly, VAWA evaluations focus on the psychological trauma caused by spousal or parental abuse, providing a detailed account of the severity of the abuse and its impact on the survivor’s emotional well-being. These evaluations document the abuse’s effect, highlighting the mental health consequences of staying in an abusive environment and offering critical support for the individual’s claim for lawful status.
Psychological evaluations are also integral for those applying for U Visas and T Visas, as they outline the mental impact that serious crimes, including violence and human trafficking, has upon the individual. In cases of extreme hardship waivers, psychological evaluations explore and document the emotional and social challenges that a U.S. citizen or resident may face if separated from their foreign relative, considering factors like mental health diagnoses, medical conditions, and financial hardships.
In all these cases, a well-prepared psychological evaluation will provide valuable, objective evidence in immigration proceedings which may be crucial for obtaining relief and legal status. We have mental health professionals able to conduct these evaluations in English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, and Cantonese.