I-212 - Permission to Reapply for Admission
For individuals who have been deported or removed and seek permission to reapply.
What is an I-212 psychological evaluation?
An I-212 psychological evaluation, also called an I-212 psychosocial evaluation, is a forensic mental health evaluation prepared to support an I-212 application for permission to reapply for admission after a prior deportation or removal. The evaluator interviews the qualifying family member, applies standardized assessments, and documents how the ongoing separation affects that family member's mental health and daily functioning. The product is a written report addressed to USCIS, not a treatment record.
Who is evaluated for the I-212, the deported person or the family member in the U.S.?
The person evaluated is the qualifying U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member, not the applicant who was removed. The I-212 turns on favorable factors that outweigh the reasons for the original removal, and the hardship of continued separation is one of those factors. The evaluation centers on the relative's mental health, the family role the removed relative once filled, and what the separation has cost in daily life. The applicant abroad, who was previously deported and now seeks consent to reapply, is not the subject of the evaluation.
How does the evaluation document hardship the family is living after deportation?
After deportation, the evaluator builds the hardship picture from three sources: the family member's own account, direct clinical observation, and standardized test results. Because the removal already happened, much of the hardship is present and documented rather than projected. The report ties concrete detail (sleep, work, finances, caregiving the removed relative used to share, health conditions worsened by the absence) to the favorable-factors weighing the adjudicator performs.
How is the I-212 different from a hardship waiver evaluation?
The I-212 is consent to reapply for admission after a removal, weighed on favorable factors versus the grounds of the original removal, not a single extreme-hardship test. An I-601A or I-601 waiver forgives a specific ground of inadmissibility under an extreme-hardship standard. An I-212 case often pairs with one of those waivers, and the separation in an I-212 is usually already in effect, so the evaluation documents present, lived hardship.
Which assessments does Kipu Terra use?
Every evaluation includes the PHQ-9 for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety. When the history calls for it, the evaluator adds the PCL-5 with the LEC-5 for trauma, the PSS-14 for chronic stress, caregiver burden, or anticipatory hardship, and the WHODAS 2.0 to quantify functional impairment across daily-living domains. Complex cases may add Beck, PAI, or MMPI measures. Diagnostic impressions follow DSM-5-TR criteria.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
A standard I-212 evaluation is $750 with a 3 to 7 business day turnaround. Expedited service is $1,050 in 48 hours, and same-day emergency service is $1,650. Complex, RFE, or supplemental cases run $750 to $1,250. Pricing is flat and published, and the client pays Kipu Terra directly for the evaluation.
What this evaluation does not do
Kipu Terra provides the psychosocial evaluation only. It does not prepare the I-212 application, the related waiver, the client's personal declaration, or legal arguments; those stay with the attorney. Questions about eligibility, the grounds of the prior removal, or filing strategy are for the referring attorney.
What does the evaluation process involve?
Kipu Terra works on referral from immigration attorneys and offices, who send the case material. Every evaluation then follows the same evidence-based protocol, conducted by secure video (Google Meet), and the finished report returns to the referring office for the waiver filing.
Clinical Interview
One or more sessions conducted via secure video (Google Meet) with the person being evaluated, covering personal history, family dynamics, and the impact of potential separation.
Standardized Assessments
PHQ-9 and GAD-7 on every case. PCL-5 when trauma is indicated. Additional instruments (Beck, PAI, or MMPI measures) for complex cases.
Forensic Report
A 12-to-25-page report with DSM-5-TR diagnostic impressions, direct client quotes, assessment scoring, and a hardship nexus connecting symptoms to USCIS factors.
Dual-Clinician Review
Every report is reviewed and co-signed by our independently licensed Clinical Lead before release, ensuring clinical accuracy and forensic integrity.
What clinical standards back the report?
Each report holds a forensic, impartial tone and traces every clinical statement to interview data, observation, or standardized results. DSM-5-TR diagnostic impressions are data-supported, a hardship nexus connects symptoms to USCIS factors across multiple domains, and an independently licensed Clinical Lead co-signs before release.
- Objective, forensic tone throughout the report
- Statement of impartiality and informed consent documented
- DSM-5-TR diagnostic impressions supported by clinical data
- Hardship nexus connecting symptoms to USCIS factors across multiple domains
- Dual-clinician co-signature on every report
Frequently asked questions
Is the I-212 evaluation the same as the immigration medical exam?
No. The I-212 psychosocial evaluation is a mental health hardship evaluation for the application to reapply. It is separate from the immigration medical exam (Form I-693) performed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon.
Who is evaluated, the removed relative or the family member here?
The qualifying U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member in the United States is evaluated. The evaluation documents the hardship that the continued separation causes that family member.
Can the evaluation be done in Spanish?
Yes. The interview and all communication can be conducted in English or Spanish. The written report is delivered in English addressed to USCIS.
Who signs the report?
Every report is co-signed by two clinicians: a Licensed Master Social Worker who conducts the evaluation, and an independently licensed Clinical Social Worker who reviews and co-signs it.
How quickly can it be ready?
Standard turnaround is 3 to 7 business days. Expedited service is available in 48 hours, and same-day emergency service is available.
Is there a permission to return to the United States after a deportation?
Yes. Form I-212 exists for exactly that purpose: it asks USCIS for permission to reapply for admission after a prior deportation or removal. Whether a person is eligible, how long they must wait, and when to file are legal questions for the referring attorney. Kipu Terra's role is narrower and clinical: the hardship evaluation of the qualifying family member in the United States, which becomes part of the favorable-factors record the attorney submits.
My husband was deported. Does a psychological evaluation help his case to return?
The evaluation gives the adjudicator clinical documentation of how the separation has affected you and your family in the United States, which is one of the favorable factors an I-212 weighs. It documents what is found; it does not promise an outcome. Whether the evaluation helps a particular case, and whether and when to file, are decisions for your attorney, who reviews the finished report and controls how it is used.
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