U Visa Psychological Evaluation (I-918)

The person evaluated is the crime victim, the same person who is petitioning for the U-Visa. This differs from the hardship waivers, where a qualifying relative is evaluated. Here the victim is the petitioner and the subject of the evaluation. The assessment centers on the mental or physical abuse the victim experienced, the symptoms that followed, and how daily functioning has changed.

The U visa is for victims of qualifying crimes (among them domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other serious offenses) who suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution. The clinical evaluation speaks to one element: the substantial mental or physical abuse. It documents that harm in measurable clinical terms; it does not address the legal certification or cooperation requirements, which the attorney handles.

Adjudicators weigh substantial abuse case by case, looking at factors such as the nature of the injury, the severity of the perpetrator's conduct, the severity of the harm, how long the harm lasted, and whether any harm to health or mental soundness is permanent or serious, including the worsening of a pre-existing condition. No single factor decides the question, and a pattern of acts taken together can amount to substantial abuse even when no single act would on its own. The evaluation gives the adjudicator clinical detail relevant to those factors; whether the standard is met is a determination for USCIS.

The evaluation does not decide the legal question. It gives the adjudicator measurable clinical evidence to weigh: the evaluator builds the clinical picture from three sources, the victim's own account, direct clinical observation, and standardized test results, and connects concrete detail (sleep, intrusive memories, avoidance, hypervigilance, changes in work and relationships) to symptom patterns and to a DSM-5-TR diagnostic framework. The interview follows a trauma-informed protocol so the account can be gathered without retraumatizing the person describing it.

Every evaluation includes the PHQ-9 for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety. Because U-Visa cases turn on the harm from a crime, trauma measures are often central: the evaluator commonly adds the PCL-5 with the LEC-5 to assess post-traumatic stress and index the exposure. The PSS-14 may be added for chronic stress, 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.

A standard U-Visa 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.

Kipu Terra provides the psychosocial evaluation only. It does not prepare the I-918 petition, the law enforcement certification (Form I-918 Supplement B), the client's personal statement, or legal arguments; those stay with the attorney. Questions about eligibility, certification, or filing strategy are for the referring attorney.