Why is a Psychological Evaluation for Immigration Needed?
The general purpose of a psychological evaluation for immigration court is to document any mental health conditions or diagnoses and to describe, from a psychosocial perspective, how potential deportation would impact a client and their family. There are thousands of people who are continually filing for different waivers and petitions. Individuals are seeking means to get a reprieve of some sort due to various reasons. In this article, we highlight cases that necessitate a psychological evaluation.
Extreme Hardship Cases
There are instances where an individual is a sole breadwinner. In these cases where the individual has dependents who immediately rely on them for survival, the dependents may decide to apply for a waiver. These are said to be extreme hardship cases.
The exemption is due to the hardship the dependents may face or endure in any case the individual gets deported. The children or spouse of the individual may have to suffer from separation or job loss. The hardships are either typical or extreme, depending on the magnitude of the cases.
U Visa
A psychological evaluation is necessary for a situation where an individual is a victim of a severe crime in the US. These crimes may be rape, kidnapping, sexual abuse, torture, domestic violence, or even cases of murder.
In the case of such crimes, the evaluation helps to determine the extent of mental or physical abuse. Once determined to be accurate, they get a U Visa though they are undocumented.
Political Asylum Cases
There are several cases where an individual may undergo harsh or unfair treatment in their country. This treatment may be due to a contrary opinion in politics, religion, gender, or even their identity along ethnic lines.
In the political asylum cases, the individual may develop disorders (PTSD) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which harms them. The evaluation in this regard will help to establish the effects of the abuse experienced.
Spousal Abuse (Violence against Women Act)
This Spousal Abuse, Violence against Women Act, provides help to both the man and woman in the cases where they become victims of their U.S. citizen spouses’ mental or physical abuse. In this case, the victim stands a chance of becoming a permanent resident of the United States once the determination is affirmative.
This determination will be made possible through the psychological evaluation used to establish the impact of the abuse.
Conclusion
These are some of the cases where you may need to get a psychological evaluation to access the level of impact and fill in for a waiver or petition. You should also understand that the process of assessment helps to gather the necessary information needed and establish the best action to take with the help of a psychologist and your attorney.
To read more about Immigration evaluations, visit us here.