VAWA (Victims of Domestic Violence)

VAWA (Violence against Women Act) creates a special provision in United States immigration law to protect victims of abuse who are not citizens of the United States.  In cases of domestic violence, US immigration law allows certain victims of abuse who are not citizens to obtain lawful status without having to rely on their abuser to petition for them.

Although VAWA stands for “Violence Against Women Act”, it applies to all spouses including abused men and children. A VAWA petition can be filed in situations where the spouse or child of the US citizen or Permanent Residence has been abused or mistreated. Abuses do not always have to be physical.  Abuse can be mental, psychological, physical, or a combination of all the above.

Petitioning for immigration relief under VAWA is complicated. The Law Offices of Bernardo Merino offers personalized attention for every case in order to obtain the best results possible for the petitioner. Our law offices will pursue every strategy to help you achieve your goal of finding immigration relief through the Violence Against Women Act, if applicable to your situation. For further information please contact the Law Offices of Bernardo Merino to schedule a consultation.