Immigration Psychological Evaluations

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Those who come from abroad to seek refuge in the United States have often encountered unspeakable terror. Experiences like oppression or human trafficking can leave an enduring mark on a person’s life. Couple that with the challenge of transitioning to a new country and it’s no surprise that many immigrants struggle with emotional and psychological difficulties.

At Stanford Couples Counseling, our experienced clinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Fast is trained to provide psychological evaluations for immigration court. This assessment can help ensure your safe and successful immigration to the United States.

ESTIMATED COST: $1000

Book Online With Dr. Fast

What Is An Immigration Assessment?

Psychological evaluations for immigration court are required for most people seeking asylum as part of a legal application for immigration. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allows individuals to come to our country for asylum when faced with extreme hardship such as:

  • Persecution or fear of persecution based on race, nationality, religion, political views, or membership in an organization.

  • Political oppression.

  • Violence.

  • Human trafficking.

  • Forced labor.

  • Domestic violence.

These experiences can be traumatic. As you transition to life in the United States, a psychological evaluation can ensure you receive any medical or psychological care you may need. The report that Dr. Fast provides you with will document any mental health conditions or diagnoses discovered. In her written summary, she will also include how deportation would impact you and your family from a psychosocial perspective, including citations from literature and research regarding these issues.

Appropriately documented evidence can dramatically improve your legal case for asylum in immigration court. In fact, research has shown that those who undergo a clinical evaluation are 89% more likely to be granted asylum when contrasted with the 37.5% national average of approved asylum seekers. For just a few hours of your time, you may be granted better outcomes.

Our Immigration Psychological Evaluation Psychologist

While most psychologists are trained to diagnose and describe any mental health conditions you may be experiencing, many providers do not have the training necessary to write reports for a legal audience. Dr. Jennifer Fast is highly experienced in psychiatric testing as it applies to asylum and extreme hardship immigration. She is also trained in how to adequately address the legal questions that the immigration court will want answered regarding your case.

With her background and specialized understanding in trauma and crisis assessment, Dr. Fast will be able to cite necessary literature that will inform the immigration court on how deportation or family separation could impact you psychosocially.

What An Immigration Hardship Evaluation Entails

You may be nervous or intimidated by this process. However, we recommend that you view this evaluation as a relaxed talk with a caring mental health professional. While the number of meetings varies based on your case’s complexity, Dr. Fast may recommend three or more one-hour sessions. These meetings ensure she gets all the information needed to write a thorough report for your legal counsel to provide to the USCIS.

We welcome you to bring an interpreter if needed.

Our Reimbursement Process

The team at SCC is passionate about ensuring our clients get the treatment they need. We can provide you with the resources you require to submit your insurance claims for our services.

Going to an out-of-network therapist can come with several benefits. They can provide highly personalized services, quick booking and more frequent sessions than in-network providers. For people that are looking to use insurance benefits for counseling, some out-of-network services are eligible for partial reimbursement.