What are Immigration Assessments?

If you are seeking to stay in the United States, the first step to take is securing a good immigration lawyer, and completing an immigration assessment can add strength to your case. This is a specialized psychological assessment provided by a licensed counselor, but it goes much deeper than that. We explore family, current living conditions, past trauma, mental health conditions, medical needs, diagnoses if applicable, clinical recommendations, as well as the potential for future harm if deportation occurs.

These assessments add significant evidence to your case, but they are NOT a guarantee regarding the court determination. Your lawyer can instruct you on whether an evaluation would potentially aid in your case.

My role is to provide you with an objective assessment that will be taken seriously by the courts for your case. If I believe you may benefit from counseling, I will give you referrals. All immigration assessment sessions are confidential.

What type of immigration cases do you accept?

Click on the terms below for more information about this type of case if you are unsure.

*I am NOT able to provide assessments for N-648, (Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions) as these assessments are required to be completed by Licensed Psychologists due to the requirement for advanced level testing.

I am available to work with individuals who reside in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, South Carolina, or Florida. Unfortunately, due to licensing restrictions, I will not be able to accept cases from clients who reside in other states.

I am available to provide assessments for children as young as 5, but the interview process may look different and we will discuss that during your consultation call.

How does this work?

First you contact our administrative office and tell them you need to schedule a phone consult for an immigration assessment. The admin team will schedule a 15 minute phone consult during which time I will ask you about the type of case you have and determine whether we believe I am the right fit to help you. (Please make sure you have an interpreter available for this call if needed).

If it feels like a good fit and within my scope, I will schedule our first appointment and email you the intake paperwork and questionnaires to provide background information for the report. There may be many questions, but please complete the forms as thoroughly as possible as this helps me to be thorough and accurate in your report.

For your appointment, we can meet at my office in Eagan, MN or online (by video chat) in the comfort of your own home. You only need to have internet access for us to be able to meet online—a computer, tablet, or mobile device will work. I can also engage in three-way online communication if connecting with an interpreter who is not present at your location.

You should expect to have two clinical interview sessions of about 90 minutes each with me. Depending on the specific circumstances of your case, I may request to speak with family members and/or your attorney as well to ensure that I have all the necessary details to write you a strong report.

Once I have completed your report, I will share it with you through a secure portal and I ask that you review it as soon as possible to check for any errors. (Ie: if I have misunderstood details of a particular story or misspelled any names, gotten any dates incorrect, etc). This is important to assure there are no discrepancies between your experience and the report.

After I hear from you or within 5 business days of sending you your report, I will mail a final copy to your attorney for you.

How much does this cost?

I charge $950 for immigration assessments which must be paid prior to the first appointment or we will have to reschedule. This covers not only the time spent in our interviews, but the time spent writing, editing, consulting attorneys, speaking with family members if necessary, and consulting with other counseling professionals, etc. I strive to deliver a comprehensive, accurate, and professional assessment. These assessments are very thorough and usually about 15-20 pages long.

Can I use my insurance?

No. While I am a licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, these assessments are not considered a part of treatment and they are much more extensive than a diagnostic assessment for counseling services. I will not be functioning as a counselor to you, but rather providing my professional opinion and a written report which is not considered by insurance to be medically necessary.

What if I want counseling services from you?

To avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, I will not be your counselor while your case is open. This way the judge will see me as an objective assessor and your report will be considered more meaningful in your determination. I am happy to give you referrals to other great counselors I know and trust!

What if I don’t speak English?

You can provide your own translator for our appointments. I ask that the translation be provided by an adult rather than any children. Keep in mind that I may have to ask you some hard questions that you may not feel comfortable answering in front of certain family members.

If you need assistance hiring a translator, please inform me at our consultation call and I can coordinate translation services with one of the local companies we work with. I can then add the cost of the interpreter to the total bill. Depending on the language you need, interpreter services tend to cost between $100-300 per hour, so you should plan for the additional cost (2 interviews of 90mins and possibly longer if you need assistance in document translation for the assessments). The cost of the interpreter services will be nonrefundable if the session is cancelled without proper notice—as we are still required to pay the interpreter service.

**If you speak Spanish and need assistance in scheduling to get started, you can send an email through the form at the bottom of this page. I have some Spanish proficiency, but we will still need to discuss interpretation services for your full-length interview sessions.

How long does it take for my assessment to be completed?

I complete reports within 10-15 business days of completing our interview process. Please let me know during our phone consult if you have any specific time constraints in your case. If you need to receive your report faster than that, I can expedite it for an additional $200 fee.

Do you go to court on behalf of your clients?

No. I do not make court appearances, so if this is something you require for your case, I will direct you to another referral.