VAWA approval after years of fear

The situation

A petitioner had endured years of emotional and physical abuse before reaching out to their immigration attorney. Fear of retaliation had kept them from seeking mental health support, and much of the abuse was undocumented outside the household.

Our approach

We conducted the evaluation over two telehealth sessions in the petitioner’s preferred language. The intake was paced carefully to allow disclosure without re-traumatizing. Standardized trauma screening was combined with a clinical interview covering symptoms, sleep, safety, and daily functioning.

The outcome

The written report documented a trauma-related diagnosis, tied the clinical picture to the abuse history described, and addressed the specific criteria USCIS considers for VAWA self-petitions. The case was approved without a request for evidence tied to the mental health documentation.