Immigration psychological evaluations are independent medical examinations (IME) that document mental health factors relevant to immigration cases. The aim of the psychological evaluation in immigration cases is to answer psycho-legal questions relevant to the case. They provide objective, independent findings and opinions based that have been formulated using empirically derived methods and principles. The findings are relevant and serve to guide decision-makers to understand the impact of trauma, victimization, family separation, cognitive limitations, and other psychological concerns relevant to immigration cases.
For immigration attorneys, a thorough evaluation or IME can accompany the evidentiary record when mental health issues are involved. Immigration Psychology conducts independent, evidence-based assessments tailored to specific immigration questions. As independent medical examiners, the psychological evaluations for immigration cases provide objective evaluations for attorneys to present clear, well-documented psychological evidence that is relevant, valid, reliable and based on sufficient facts and data.
Our Services
Asylum Evaluations
Asylum evaluations focus on documenting the psychological effects of persecution, violence, torture, political oppression, religious discrimination, or other traumatic experiences. These evaluations identify symptoms associated with trauma-related conditions and provide objective findings regarding the emotional impact of past experiences that may be relevant to an asylum claim. Psychological evaluations for asylum cases may include tests of credibility to help rule out or confirm any fabrication or exaggeration of symptoms.
Citizenship Examination Waiver
For your clients seeking a medical disability exception to naturalization testing requirements, psychological evaluations assess cognitive, developmental, intellectual, or psychiatric conditions that may impair an individual's ability to learn or demonstrate the knowledge required for the citizenship examination. The evaluation documents the nature and severity of qualifying impairments. Psychological evaluations for citizenship exam waivers typically include testing, clinical interview and review of medical records if available.
Competency To Participate
Competency evaluations assess whether an individual has the mental capacity necessary to understand immigration proceedings and participate meaningfully in their case. Attorneys representing clients with serious mental illness, intellectual disabilities, neurocognitive disorders, or developmental limitations may find these evaluations valuable when competency concerns arise. Evaluations of competency to participate in the proceedings are sometimes known as Matter of M-A-M evaluations, and these competency evaluations not only ask for a description of competency capacities but they also ask for safeguard recommendations as needed.
A psychological evaluation to assess competency to participate in the proceedings may include recommendations for safeguards given the mental health or developmental issues the person is presenting. The immigration court decides the ultimate issue of competency but the psychological evaluation may provide insight into mental health related matters.
A psychological evaluation to assess competency to participate in the proceedings may include recommendations for safeguards given the mental health or developmental issues the person is presenting. The immigration court decides the ultimate issue of competency but the psychological evaluation may provide insight into mental health related matters.
Dangerousness Evaluations
Dangerousness evaluations examine factors related to risk of harm to self, others and/or property. These evaluations examine historical risk factors as well as those factors that may mitigate risk. These assessments provide objective opinions regarding issues that may arise in detention, release, or other immigration-related proceedings where public safety concerns are being considered.
Hardship Waivers
Hardship waiver evaluations assess the emotional, psychological, and mental health consequences that qualifying relatives may experience if a family member is removed from the United States or denied immigration benefits. These evaluations document the severity of hardship and identify psychological factors that extend beyond the ordinary consequences of family separation.
Immigration Bond Hearing
Psychological evaluations for bond hearing may provide information regarding an individual's mental health status, treatment needs, community ties, psychological stability, and other factors relevant to detention and release decisions. The resulting report offers objective findings that adjudicators when making decisions regarding bond proceedings.
Same Sex Couples Hardship
Same-sex couples may face unique emotional, cultural, social, safety and family-related challenges in immigration matters. Psychological evaluations in these cases assess the psychological impact of separation, relocation, discrimination, or other circumstances affecting the relationship and family unit. These evaluations document how severe the hardships may help assess whether the hardships are extreme, exceptional, unusual and/or beyond those normally expected.
T Visa
T-Visa evaluations focus on individuals who may have experienced human trafficking. These assessments document psychological symptoms and emotional consequences associated with trafficking experiences, coercion, exploitation, and related trauma. Objective clinical findings may assist attorneys in documenting the psychological effects of victimization.
U Visa Psychological Evaluations
U-Visa evaluations examine the psychological impact of qualifying criminal victimization. These assessments document trauma-related symptoms, emotional distress, and mental health consequences resulting from criminal acts. In U Visa psychological evaluations are an objective and independent assessment of the emotional consequences of victimization from a crime. Data regarding the effects of the crime may help adjudicators establish the merits of an U Visa application.
VAWA
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) evaluations assess psychological harm associated with domestic violence, abuse, coercive control, and related mistreatment. These evaluations provide objective documentation of emotional and psychological effects that may be relevant to petitions filed under the Violence Against Women Act.
Why Choose Immigration Psychology
Immigration Psychology is commitment to excellence through clear understanding of the legal questions that must be answered using sufficient, valid and reliable principles and methods. Immigration Psychology is commitment to objective and independent psychological examinations that are meant to assist the legal process, rather than advocate for individual parties. As independent examiners and licensed psychologists, our focus is not on advocacy for either side of a case but on conducting thorough evaluations that accurately document psychological findings relevant to immigration proceedings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Immigration psychological evaluations are conducted by licensed psychologists who specialize in the assessment of legal issues using psychological data. In other words, the goal of immigration psychology is to answer legal questions using psychological data. This is done by approaching the case as an independent examiner, who is impartial and objective and who uses sufficient principles and methods that have been empirically derived and have been proven to have sufficient validity and reliability.
No. Not every immigration case requires a psychological evaluation. Immigration attorneys often determine whether an evaluation may strengthen the evidentiary record based on the specific facts of the case. It is at the recommendation of an immigration attorney that these evaluations are conducted. At times, the immigration judge or other court officials may recommend a psychological evaluation to bring insight into matters relevant to a case. For example, when there are questions of competency to participate in the proceedings, a Matter of M-A-M evaluation may be recommended by any of the parties involved in the case.
An immigration evaluation may be beneficial when it provides objective evidence regarding trauma, hardship, victimization, cognitive limitations, mental health conditions, or other psychological factors relevant to the immigration matter. The psychological evaluation for immigration cases is meant to bring insight or answer questions that the adjudicators have. The psychological evaluation is not meant to advocate but rather it is meant to gather relevant to the legal issue.
Yes. Immigration Psychology conducts immigration psychological evaluations through a secure HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform. This allows individuals throughout the United States to participate in evaluations remotely while maintaining privacy, security, and professional standards.