Psychosocial evaluations for immigration cases. Also called a mental health evaluation for immigration.
Dr. Venera BekteshiPhD, MSW, MPA, MA, LCSW · Founder
I provide court-ready psychosocial evaluations for asylum, VAWA, T visa, U visa, and hardship cases. My reports help decision-makers understand how trauma, culture, development, and structural barriers shape disclosure, memory, functioning, and risk.
Evaluations are conducted remotely. I work with immigration attorneys and with people who contact me directly about their own case.
Evaluations are conducted remotely and are used in U.S. immigration courts and USCIS adjudications. Please share the venue so I can flag any jurisdiction-specific considerations.
PhD, MSW, MPA, MA, LCSW · Founder, Forward With Dignity
Where would you like to start?
An evaluation for your own case
A psychosocial evaluation documents how trauma, abuse, or hardship has affected you, in a form the immigration court or USCIS can use. You do not have to tell your story perfectly, or all at once.
Referring a client
Standard turnaround is 2–3 weeks from completed intake and document receipt. Drafts are shared for factual, jurisdictional, and privilege-related corrections. Clinical opinions are not altered on request.
Psychosocial evaluations by case type
Asylum
Trauma, fear of return, and the barriers that shape disclosure.
Typically $1,200–$1,800
I-360VAWA
Coercive control, battery or extreme cruelty, and its impact. Self-petitioners can contact me directly.
Typically $1,000–$1,500
I-918 / I-914U and T visas
Abuse related to qualifying criminal activity; trafficking trauma and coercion.
U visa typically $900–$1,400 · T visa $1,000–$1,500
I-601 / I-601AHardship waivers
Extreme hardship, family separation impact, functioning, and caregiving.
Typically $900–$1,400
Not sure which kind of evaluation you need, or who can do it? Who can do an evaluation for immigration?
Silence, changing stories, and delayed disclosure are not automatically dishonesty.
Trauma, culture, language, shame, developmental history, and fear shape how experience is remembered, ordered, and disclosed. My evaluations document that context, so the person inside the case can be understood.
I created CIAS because I refused to keep watching trauma get reduced to a checklist. The CIAS framework.
How it works
Fit check
You or your attorney send a short, non-confidential inquiry, or book a free 15-minute fit call. The fit check confirms case type, timeline, jurisdiction, and whether an evaluation is appropriate.
Secure documents
After fit is confirmed, relevant records are shared through secure means. Please do not send confidential materials through the first inquiry.
Remote, multi-session evaluation
Trauma-informed interviews, with interpreter planning where needed.
The report
A report written for the legal record and signed under penalty of perjury. Standard turnaround is usually 2–3 weeks from completed intake and document receipt.
I founded Forward With Dignity because people who cross impossible borders deserve reports that recognize both wounds and resilience. Care and rigor can belong in the same legal record.
— Dr. Venera Bekteshi
Common questions
Do I need an attorney to get an evaluation?
Most of my evaluations are arranged with an attorney. People filing a VAWA self-petition can work with me directly. If you do not have an attorney yet, this page explains where to start.
How much does an evaluation cost?
Typical fees range from $900 to $1,800 depending on the case type, and are confirmed in writing after the fit check. A sliding scale may be available for qualifying nonprofit legal-aid referrals. Fees and turnaround.
Can the evaluation be done remotely?
Yes. Evaluations are conducted remotely. Please share the venue, meaning the court or USCIS office handling the case, at inquiry so jurisdiction-specific considerations can be flagged.
Who can do an evaluation for immigration?
Evaluations for immigration cases are prepared by licensed professionals. I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Illinois and a licensed master social worker (LMSW) in New York, Georgia, and Oklahoma, and licensed in Minnesota, with a PhD in social welfare, and I provide psychosocial (mental health) evaluations. Who can do an evaluation for immigration? explains the different kinds.
What if I cannot talk about everything that happened?
You do not have to tell your story perfectly, or all at once. Silence, changing stories, and delayed disclosure are not automatically dishonesty. Documenting why some things could not be said is part of the evaluation.
How long does it take?
The evaluation is multi-session. Standard turnaround for the report is usually 2–3 weeks from completed intake and document receipt; rush is available at +$300–$500 depending on the deadline.
Ready to discuss a case?
For immigration attorneys and for the people going through these cases. Secure intake follows after scope, jurisdiction, and fit are confirmed.