Immigration Mental Health Evaluations
Available online in Georgia and Florida
A careful psychological evaluation can document trauma, hardship, mental-health symptoms, and the ways an immigration situation affects an individual or family.
I provide independent clinical evaluations by video for clients located in Georgia and Florida. An evaluation is a clinical service, not legal advice, and should be coordinated with your immigration attorney.
Clear clinical documentation for clients and attorneys
An immigration mental health evaluation provides a structured account of your history, present functioning, relevant symptoms, and the emotional impact of events connected to your case.
My role is to listen carefully, assess clinically relevant information, and prepare a professional report that communicates your experience as accurately and clearly as possible. The evaluation may support an attorney’s presentation, but it does not determine the legal outcome.
Types of matters evaluated
Extreme Hardship/ Cancellation of Removal
In extreme hardship cases, an applicant can be provided a waiver if their removal from the US would cause “extreme hardship” for a family member who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident. Your case must show that there will be extreme hardship if family members are separated due to deportation or if family members must relocate with the one being deported.
Asylum
An evaluation may be helpful if you are seeking asylum. To receive asylum in the United States, you must show that you have suffered persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution in your home country. Persecution may be based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group experiencing discrimination (e.g., Sexual or Gender Identity).
The assessment documents the persecution or suffering you have already experienced before coming to the United States or the reason why you are fearful that you would not be safe if you returned to your home country. It can also help document why you did not apply within the year deadline of arrival in the US, if applicable.
VAWA (Spousal Abuse)
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was created to provide a pathway to legal status for family members who have experienced abuse from a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR). An immigrant family member usually relies on a U.S. citizen or LPR to petition for legal status on their behalf. But for cases in which there has been abuse, VAWA protects individuals applying without the knowledge, consent, or participation of their abuser.
This application and evaluation is not only for women; it protects people regardless of sexual or gender identity.
T-Visa
A T-Visa provides victims of human trafficking with the right to live and work in the U.S. An evaluation can help an immigration court understand how human trafficking affects the petitioner.
Part of the qualifications for this visa is that the petitioner has complied with any reasonable request from a law enforcement agency for assistance in the investigation or prosecution of human trafficking or you are unable to cooperate due to physical, mental or emotional trauma; if either case applies, you may not need to show that you complied with reasonable requests from law enforcement.
Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ)
The SIJ Classification allows certain noncitizen children to apply for lawful permanent resident status in the United States (also known as applying for a Green Card). These children have been subject to state juvenile court proceedings related to parental abuse, neglect, abandonment, or a similar basis under state law. An assessment documents the experiences suffered/endured and it’s effect on the juvenile applicant.
U-Visa
A U-Visa is similar to a VAWA case in that it allows an individual to self-petition for legal status due to being the victim of a crime. It provides protection for those who have “suffered substantial mental or physical abuse.” To meet requirements, the victim must be willing to participate with law enforcement.
In these cases, an evaluation can be helpful to document and provide evidence for the mental and emotional impact of abuse.
What I focus on
- Accurate reporting: Documenting your history, current symptoms, and relevant experiences without exaggeration.
- Your lived experience: Giving appropriate context to trauma, hardship, family relationships, resilience, and survival.
- Clinical relevance: Connecting reported experiences to present emotional and psychological functioning.
- Professional quality: Preparing a clear, organized report and communicating with counsel when authorized.
- Experience: More than two decades as a Licensed Professional Counselor, with training related to trauma, domestic violence intervention, expert-witness work, and immigration evaluations.
Interpreters may be incorporated when needed and appropriately arranged.
The Evaluation Process
1. Schedule an evaluation consultation
We begin with a brief conversation about the type of evaluation requested, the attorney involved, the anticipated deadline, language needs, and the records that may be relevant.
After the scope is identified, we schedule the clinical interviews by video.
2. Complete the interviews
The clinical portion is commonly conducted across two interviews. I will ask detailed questions about personal history, significant events, symptoms, relationships, functioning, and the concerns relevant to the requested evaluation.
The exact amount of interview and documentation time depends on the person and the case.
3. Receive the written report
After the interviews and required materials are complete, reports are generally prepared in approximately 14 business days. Expedited work may be available for an additional fee when scheduling permits.
Please identify the attorney, filing timeline, and requested deadline before scheduling.
Request an Evaluation Consultation
Call, text, or email today to schedule an immigration evaluation consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the investment?
Standard rate: $275 per hour. Evaluations commonly require approximately 6–12 total hours, depending on the scope, interviews, report writing, records, and authorized consultation with counsel.
A $1,650 initial payment is required to begin, with any remaining balance due before the report is released.
Detained-client interviews: $2,750 day rate for interview time and travel; report writing and attorney consultation are additional.
Expedited work: $550 additional for a report requested within seven days, or $750 additional within five days, when scheduling permits.
Court appearance: $2,200 day rate plus travel.
The final scope and fee are reviewed before work begins.
I already have an attorney for my Immigration case, do I need you?
Yes. Your attorney and your evaluator perform different roles. The attorney provides legal advice and determines how the evaluation may be used. I provide independent clinical assessment and documentation of trauma, hardship, symptoms, and functioning.
With appropriate authorization, I can communicate with counsel about the referral question and relevant clinical information. I do not provide legal advice or promise that an evaluation will change the outcome of a case.
Are Immigration Evaluations useful?
An evaluation may be useful when an immigration matter involves clinically relevant trauma, abuse, hardship, symptoms, or functional impact that needs careful documentation. Your attorney should advise you about whether an evaluation is appropriate for the legal strategy in your case.
What will an immigration evaluation do for my case?
The evaluation can provide a structured clinical account of your history, current symptoms, and the emotional or psychological impact of relevant events. It may help your attorney present clinically documented information that is difficult to communicate through legal documents alone.
Can an evaluation guarantee the outcome of my case?
No. Deerfield Counseling and Michael Rivera, LPC cannot guarantee or determine the result of any immigration petition or legal proceeding.
The evaluator’s responsibility is to conduct an independent clinical assessment and report the information and professional impressions as accurately as possible. Legal decisions remain with the appropriate government or court authority.