Who Can Perform an Immigration Psychological Evaluation?

Qualifications depend on the clinician’s license, scope of practice, relevant training and the rules that apply where the person is evaluated. A professional title alone does not establish authority to conduct a particular evaluation. Verify the license with the issuing board and ask about experience with your case type.

At Kipu Terra, licensed social workers provide the clinical evaluation. The LMSW conducts the interview and assessment and prepares the report; the LCSW Clinical Lead reviews the clinical findings and co-signs before release.

This evaluation and review process applies to the case types we serve, including I-601A extreme hardship evaluations, I-601 waiver evaluations, I-612 / J-1 exceptional hardship evaluation, VAWA psychological evaluations, U-Visa evaluations, T-Visa evaluations, cancellation of removal evaluations, and I-212 evaluations.

Our report documents the clinical interview, relevant records, selected standardized assessments, findings and the basis for clinical opinions. It identifies the evaluators and their credentials and includes both signatures. Your attorney determines how to use the report in the filing; the adjudicator decides the immigration matter.

A forensic purpose does not by itself establish authorization to work across state lines. Applicable licensing and practice questions require confirmation with the relevant state board. For our video evaluation process, see remote evaluations by secure video, nationwide.

There is no official registry of "best" immigration evaluators, so treat "best" as a checklist rather than a self-awarded title. A legitimate service will pass every item below, and a good referring attorney can help you confirm them. If a provider will not show you a license or publish a price, keep looking.

• An active professional license you can verify with the issuing board, and applicable clinical oversight.
• A forensic posture, not a therapy posture: impartial evaluation for a legal record, not treatment.
• Fluency in your case type, including who is evaluated for that form.
• Named standardized instruments and a DSM-5-TR framework, not a generic letter.
• Bilingual capacity if the person evaluated speaks Spanish, so no interpreter stands between the clinician and the interview.
• Published base pricing, confirmed in writing before the engagement.
• A clean division of labor with your attorney: the evaluator provides the clinical evidence, the attorney handles the filing.

The "best" evaluator for your case is the one that meets this checklist and fits your case type, timeline, and language. That is a more honest test than any ranking.

Every report is co-signed by two licensed clinicians. A Licensed Master Social Worker conducts the evaluation and drafts the report, and an independently licensed Clinical Social Worker, the firm's Clinical Lead, reviews and co-signs it before release. Independent clinical review is built into the process, not added on request.

The evaluation is delivered nationwide by secure, HIPAA-compliant Google Meet, so distance is not a barrier. New Mexico is the home base, and the firm serves attorneys and families across the country. Rush service adds $300 for 72 hours, $500 for 48 hours, or $900 for 24 hours to the case base fee, subject to availability.

Clinicians provide direct service in English and Spanish, with professional language-service partners for French, Haitian Creole, Mandarin Chinese, and Portuguese. For details on direct Spanish service, see the immigration psychological evaluation in Spanish. To meet the clinicians behind every co-signed report, read about the firm, or see how the evaluation works step by step. For what a psychological evaluation is, start with the pillar guide, review the published base pricing from $750, or read every frequently asked question.