Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

The Violence Against Women Act is a federal law that may lead to Lawful Permanent Resident status; it is designed to protect female or male victims of battery or extreme cruelty committed by a US citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident spouse or former spouse, a US or citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident parent, or a US citizen son or daughter.  The process is initiated through a “self-petition.”

Assessing the viability of a case for purposes of filing under VAWA involves various levels of review and discussions.   VAWA cases are handled by specific USCIS officers, who have received training in assessing the various types of evidence submitted and for the interviews.  All documents submitted with a VAWA application are confidential; the abuser is not contacted.  Those approved for VAWA are entitled to receive certain federal and state benefits as victims of abuse.  We understand that putting together a strong VAWA application package can be very emotional for the client.  Not every case will have a police report or serious physical injury; that does not mean abuse did not occur.   Our office is extremely sensitive in assessing these types of cases, especially in regards to reviewing the victim’s story of abuse, the timing of filing, eligibility requirements, and putting forward a strong VAWA package to avoid a denial.