U Visa Psychiatric Evaluations

U visa eligibility depends on four requirements. You must be a victim of qualifying criminal activity, have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse, have information about the crime and be helpful to law enforcement. The crime must have happened in the U.S. or violated U.S. law. Many applicants also need a waiver on Form I-192.

The list includes domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, stalking, trafficking, kidnapping, felonious assault, extortion and several other crimes. Attempts, conspiracy and solicitation to commit them also count.

The U visa process starts with Form I-918, filed by your attorney with the I-918 Supplement B, the U visa certification signed by a police department, prosecutor or other certifying agency. The U visa application also includes your personal statement and evidence of the abuse, such as a psychological evaluation.

U visa processing time is measured in years. The program is capped at 10,000 visas a year, so the U visa backlog is long. A bona fide determination can bring a work permit and deferred action while you wait.

While a petition waits in the backlog, USCIS checks whether it is bona fide. If it is, USCIS can grant deferred action and a U visa work permit (employment authorization), so you can live and work lawfully during the wait.

Yes. The U visa green card step comes after three years in U nonimmigrant status, when many holders can apply with Form I-485.

U visa benefits include lawful status for up to four years, a work permit, the option to include qualifying family members and a path to a green card after three years. A clear evidence package, including the psychological evaluation, helps avoid delays.

No. The petition must include a signed Form I-918 Supplement B, but you can schedule the evaluation before you have it. Many clients are evaluated while the certification is being requested.

It is the level of harm USCIS must find to approve a U visa. Officers consider how severe the harm was, how long it lasted and how it changed your life. A psychiatric evaluation is often the clearest evidence of mental abuse.

Yes. We work with clients at every stage, including when an attorney needs more evidence after a Request for Evidence from USCIS.

Yes, when their own symptoms are relevant. For example, children who witnessed domestic violence.

The report addresses the U visa standards and goes directly to your attorney, who files it with Form I-918 and refers to it in the legal arguments.

Many survivors seek help long after the crime. The evaluation documents your current symptoms and how they developed, which can still show lasting harm.

Yes. All U visa evaluations can be completed by secure video from a private place, with no travel to an office.

Victims of a qualifying crime who suffered substantial abuse, have useful information and were helpful to police or prosecutors. Some family members can be included in the petition.

You share only what you feel able to share. The evaluation focuses on how the crime has affected your mood, sleep, work and relationships, and you can pause or take a break at any time. Memory gaps are common after trauma, and the report can explain them to USCIS as part of documenting substantial physical or mental abuse.

The fee is fixed and depends on the case and how many sessions are needed. We tell you the full fee before you book, so there are no surprises later.

It depends on the case and on your filing date or any USCIS deadline. Share that date when you reach out and we plan the interview and report around it. Expedited turnaround is available on request.

Your attorney can ask us to clarify points or address specific legal questions, and we can prepare an addendum. We do not change clinical findings to fit a case, because that would make the report less credible.