Chicago VAWA Lawyer Getting Green Cards for Abuse Victims

Victims of domestic violence of any age or gender may find it difficult to achieve permanent resident status without the sponsorship of their abusive US citizen spouse, parent, or adult child. However, immigration benefits can be achieved under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This legislation allows abuse victims to self-petition so they can become a lawful permanent resident of the US even though the US citizen family member does not participate in the application process.

To qualify for benefits under VAWA, you will need to prove your relationship to the US citizen family member responsible for your abuse. This includes proving you were married, are still married, or intended to marry the person. For children of abusive parents, they must provide evidence that their parent is a US citizen.

Victims of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, or other extreme cruelty may all apply based on their family member’s citizenship. Contact our highly experienced immigration attorney at the Law Office of Kevin L. Dixler for help upgrading your immigration status under the Violence Against Women Act today.

Contact our team and call us at 312-728-4610.

What is the Purpose of VAWA?

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition was created to help immigrants get a green card even though their citizen spouse, parent, or adult child refuses to cooperate. Without this provision in the law, these people would not be able to gain lawful permanent residence in the United States. Please note that VAWA covers people of both genders, not just women.

Our law firm handles many cases based on family immigration, and few are as stressful and frustrating as instances where the citizen parent or spouse has perpetrated physical abuse on the family members and will not petition for their green card. Thankfully, innocent victims may qualify under VAWA to file their own petitions and still achieve their immigration goals. To find out if you qualify for an immigrant visa or green card under VAWA, contact our immigration attorney today.

What Benefits Are Available Through VAWA?

The VAWA immigration provision can be extremely helpful for battered spouses and children who do not wish to rely on their US citizen family members to petition for their lawful permanent residence. US immigration law dictates that under normal circumstances, the US citizen should petition for the green card on behalf of the foreign spouse, child, or parent. But in cases of abuse, the filing process is often used to control the other person. For example, the abusive family member may threaten to withdraw the petition if the victim reports the abuse. Under VAWA, individuals in this scenario may self-petition so they can upgrade their immigration status without the help of the abusive family member.

Another important benefit under the Violence Against Women Act is that your children also qualify for immigration benefits based on your status as a lawful permanent resident, even if they are not related to the abusive US citizen family member. This means they can potentially receive their green cards as well! Reach out to the Law Office of Kevin L. Dixler right away to start your VAWA self-petition.

How Do You Qualify for Immigration Help Under VAWA?

Immigrants who may petition for themselves under VAWA include:

• Immigrants whose US citizen or permanent resident spouse is abusive
• Individuals whose citizen or green card-holding spouse has abused their children
• Children who have been abused by a US citizen or legal permanent resident parent
• Individuals who have been abused by adult US citizen or permanent resident children

To qualify for VAWA, you must also demonstrate that you are physically present with current residence in the United States. You must also show that you have lived with the abusive family member at some point, even if you do not currently reside with them. You also need to provide evidence that they abused you, including acts of extreme cruelty or other criminal acts. This also includes abduction, rape, incest, false imprisonment, forced prostitution, psychological abuse and emotional abuse. Finally, you must demonstrate that you have good moral character by providing a background check, tax returns, and affidavits from people who know you well declaring that you are of high moral character.

Providing evidence to prove the above items is one of the trickiest part of getting approved for VAWA benefits. When you hire a VAWA attorney, you will get help gathering documents and other needed items such as hospital records, police reports, statements from witnesses, court records, marriage licenses, birth certificates, and more. An experienced VAWA immigration lawyer like Kevin Dixler know how to prepare a thorough application that gives you the best chance of success. Many clients leave out important documents because they don’t realize they need them, or because they simply forget. Don’t take the chances of losing VAWA benefits because of a simple mistake. Contact our law firm today for help with your petition.

Should You Hire Our VAWA Attorney?

Obtaining a green card may seem like an impossible dream if you are the victim of abuse. Immigration law requires US citizen family members to sponsor their beneficiaries in order to gain lawful permanent residency. But this may not be possible for you if your citizen spouse, parent, or child uses the petition to control you. However, please do not lose hope! Under the Violence Against Women Act, individuals of both genders can self-petition and receive a VAWA green card, which gives all the benefits of other green cards, including the ability to sponsor your children for permanent residence.

Immigration matters are almost always complicated, even more so when US citizen and permanent resident family members are abusive and refuse to cooperate. Please don’t go it alone at this challenging time. Our VAWA attorney can help you gather evidence and submit your application, walking beside you every step of the way. Call us today for more information at 312-728-4610.